NFL Player News

Hill caught his only target for a 35-yard touchdown in Friday night's 28-25 preseason win over the Vikings.

Hill sped past his man at the line and hauled in a deep shot from quarterback Patrick Mahomes to put the Chiefs ahead less than three minutes into the game. In doing so, the game-breaking wideout showed he's fully ready for the regular season, as he'll now turn his attention toward Week 1's matchup against the Browns.

Claypool (ankle) recorded one reception on two targets for 18 yards and also one rush for 11 yards in Friday's preseason game against Carolina.

Claypool went down with an ankle injury during practice Aug. 17 and this was his first time on the field since. He got touches or received targets on three separate offensive drives in the contest, which he converted into a pair of double-digit gains. However, by far the most important development is that Claypool is seemingly fully healthy. Barring further injury, he should be ready to take on his normal workload in Week 1 of the regular season in a matchup at Buffalo.

Smith isn't in uniform ahead of Friday's preseason game at the Jets, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Smith missed a good portion of training camp due to a sprained MCL, but he was able to suit up in the Eagles' second exhibition against the Patriots. Because Jalen Hurts was a late scratch due to an illness, Smith worked with backup QB Joe Flacco, gathering in two of four targets for 19 yards. With the preseason finale imminent, it appears coach Nick Sirianni will hold out the team's 2021 first-round pick after a deluge of rain hit MetLife Stadium prior to Friday's contest. Thus, Smith's next game action won't occur until Week 1 in Atlanta.

Anderson is expected to start Friday's preseason contest against the Steelers, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

It's unclear if Anderson will get as much playing time as starting quarterback Sam Darnold, but the pair was out there almost the exact amount of snaps (six versus seven, respectively, on offense) in preseason Week 2, so they may get up to two quarters of action. Anderson is fresh off signing a two-year, $29.5 million extension earlier this week, so the Panthers may not want to risk it too much considering the recent investment.

Claypool (ankle) is slated to play in Friday's preseason game at Carolina, Missi Matthews of the Steelers' official site reports.

Claypool has been sidelined since Aug. 17, when he suffered what was deemed a minor ankle sprain. With the injury behind him, however, he'll make his third appearance of exhibition season. Back in preseason Week 1 at Philadelphia, Claypool logged 14 offensive snaps, but his only touch (a rush) went for minus-2 yards.

Moore is expected to play in Friday's preseason game versus the Steelers, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

Moore took a hard fall on his right side while diving for a pass at practice on Aug. 19, which kept him sidelined preseason Week 2. However, he'll be a part of Carolina's offense in the exhibition finale with the rest of the starters, sans Christian McCaffrey. As a result, the Moore-Sam Darnold connection will get its first taste of game action.

In a statement released by the Saints on Friday, it was announced that Saturday's scheduled preseason game between Kirk and the Cardinals at New Orleans has been canceled due to the impending impact of Hurricane Ida in the Gulf Coast region.

The contest previously was scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. ET but was moved up seven hours, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. In the meantime, however, a decision has been made to cancel the Cardinals' exhibition finale. The team is next slated to travel to Tennessee for Week 1 of the regular season.

Aiyuk is dealing with what's being described as a slight hamstring issue, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

As a result, Aiyuk won't play in Sunday's preseason finale versus the Raiders. However, the 49ers' starting wideout is expected to be fine by next week, according to coach Kyle Shanahan. Assuming that's the case, Aiyuk's Week 1 status is not in any jeopardy.

James will have a knee procedure that will sideline him about six weeks, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Given that timetable, James will miss time early on this season, which represents a hit to both the 49ers' depth at wideout as well as the team's return game. Now battling for slotting on the team's WR depth chart behind Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk are Mohamed Sanu, Trent Sherfield, Jalen Hurd, Nsimba Webster, Jauan Jennings and Travis Benjamin.

Kirk and the Cardinals are now scheduled to play the Saints at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday for their final game of the preseason, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The game has been moved back seven hours to avoid a possible hurricane headed toward New Orleans. The Cardinals are expected to rest Kyler Murray and other starters, but it's possible Kirk is among those who play, with rookie second-round pick Rondale Moore making his push for a top-three role. Kirk and A.J. Green both are in danger of losing snaps, if not their starting jobs, depending on their own performance and Moore's.