NFL Player News

Cole (knee) was a limited participant in practice Thursday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Cole practiced fully Wednesday, so this appears to be a new injury. With Jamison Crowder in COVID-19 protocols, the Jets could be without two expected regulars at wide receiver for Sunday's season opener against the Panthers if Cole's injury ends up hindering his ability to suit up.

Smith was a non-participant at Thursday's practice due to a hamstring injury, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Smith dealt with an undisclosed health concern in training camp, which he suffered in practice Aug. 3 and kept him sidelined for the entire preseason. He managed to avoid the Saints' first injury report of the regular season Wednesday, but his absence Thursday is curious just days away from a Week 1 showdown with the Packers in Jacksonville. New Orleans may just be giving Smith a maintenance day, but his standing on Friday's practice report now is worthwhile to check out. If Smith is held out Sunday, a combination of Lil'Jordan Humphrey, Deonte Harris and Chris Hogan stand to benefit alongside starter Marquez Callaway.

Agholor (ankle) didn't practice Thursday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Agholor's status for Sunday's season opener versus Miami thus is uncertain, though his outlook on that front could brighten if he returns to practice Friday. If he's out this weekend, however, added looks figure to be available for fellow WRs Jakobi Meyers and Kendrick Bourne.

Toney (hamstring) was limited in practice Thursday, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

A hamstring injury has followed Toney into the regular season, but considering he's put together back-to-back practices -- albeit ones in which his reps were capped -- he seems to have a decent shot to make his pro debut Sunday against the Broncos. Friday's practice report may reveal as much for the 20th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but the Giants appear to be proceeding as though Toney will be available. Per Tom Rock of Newsday, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said earlier Thursday that the team is planning to be "specific and purposeful" in how Toney is used Week 1, suggesting he'll have some plays designed for him despite the fact that he sits behind all of Kenny Golladay (hamstring), Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton on the depth chart at receiver.

Smith (shoulder) remained a non-participant in Thursday's practice, David Netwon of ESPN.com reports.

Smith remains sidelined by the shoulder injury he suffered in Carolina's preseason finale. The rookie sixth-round pick will likely need to practice in some capacity Friday to have a shot at suiting up against the Jets come Sunday.

Brown (knee) participated in practice Thursday, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.

We'll have to see if Brown is listed as a full or limited participant by the Titans, but his presence on the field Thursday after sitting out Wednesday's session bodes well for his chances of being available for Sunday's season opener against the Cardinals.

Mickens was elevated from Tampa Bay's practice squad ahead of Thursday's season opener against the Cowboys, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

If Mickens dresses for the game, he'll likely reprise last season's role as a special teams contributor with little to no role on offense. Mickens had just seven catches in 2020 but returned 16 punts and 14 kickoffs for the Buccaneers.

Samuel (groin) went down as a non-participant in Thursday's practice, Sam Fortier of The Washington Post reports.

According to JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington, Samuel was present for the practice session, but only took part in stretching with the team and had no involvement in individual drills or walk-throughs with the rest of the Washington wideouts. After he was seen limping off the field at Wednesday's practice, Samuel appears to have suffered another setback with his nagging groin injury, and his lack of activity Thursday suggests he's trending toward an inactive status for the Football Team's season opener Sunday versus the Chargers.

Guyton (leg) was not listed on the Week 1 injury report Wednesday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Guyton missed most of the final week of training camp with a leg injury, but the speedy wide receiver appears to be past the issue. It'll be interesting to see how much Guyton plays after the 24-year-old lost a training-camp battle to rookie Josh Palmer for the team's No. 3 wideout role.

Jennings (heel) isn't listed on the 49ers' injury report Wednesday.

Jennings played well in the 49ers' exhibition opener, but an injury suffered in preseason Week 2 could have derailed the receiver's chances of making the 49ers. The 24-year-old ended up a member of the regular-season roster and no longer is on the injury report, so he could see minimal snaps in Sunday's season opener, if active.