NFL Player News

Smith (undisclosed) didn't participate in Wednesday's practice, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com reports.

Smith has been out for more than a week with an undisclosed injury, and while Wednesday marks another missed session, his presence on the sideline could be taken as a sign of progress. With Michael Thomas (ankle) facing a much longer absence, Smith still has a chance to be the team's No. 1 receiver early in the season.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said he expects Bateman (groin) to miss "a number of weeks" following the wideout's early exit from Tuesday's practice, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Though Harbaugh isn't measuring Bateman's recovery from a groin injury in terms of months, a week-to-week timeline would leave the rookie's availability uncertain for Baltimore's season opener Sept. 13 in Las Vegas. At the very least, the rookie first-round pick is expected to miss Baltimore's first two preseason games, and an appearance in the the team's exhibition finale Aug. 28 at Washington may also be unrealistic.

Patrick (groin) was held out of practice Tuesday, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

Patrick continues to miss practice time due to a groin issue that head coach Vic Fangio asserts is nothing serious, according to Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com. Denver's coaching staff is taking a cautious approach with the wideout after he nursed a hamstring injury earlier in the offseason. In the wake of a knee injury suffered by fellow receiver Courtland Sutton in 2020, Patrick saw his opportunity grow, and he amassed 742 yards and six touchdowns on 51 receptions. He enters the 2021 season in a competition for the No. 3 wide receiver spot with KJ Hamler.

Gallup has been received work in the slot during training camp, Rob Phillips of the Cowboys' official site reports. "Everybody's labeled me as just a deep ball threat, but I know I can do a whole lot more," Gallup said. "So me being able to come on the inside and run some routes from there, short, intermediate game, definitely can show that I'm more versatile than a lot of folks might think."

The Cowboys already have two capable options in the slot in CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper (ankle), so Gallup may not see a whole lot of action on the inside during the regular season. Nevertheless, anything that allows offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to get the best possible matchups for his elite trio of receivers can only help boost their numbers. Additional flexibility would also help improve Gallup's marketability as he heads into free agency next offseason.

Cooper (ankle) said in a recent interview with 105.3 The Fan Dallas would be ready to begin practicing "within the next couple of weeks," The Dallas Morning News reports.

When asked if he would be on the field right away if it were up to him, the wide receiver responded, "No, I wouldn't be out there today. But, as far as the couple of weeks are concerned, it's, you know, just me talking and communicating with the trainers." That timetable gives Cooper a shot at playing in one or both of the Cowboys' final two preseason games, but it's just as likely the team keeps him out of exhibition action entirely with an eye on getting him ready for Week 1. As yet, there's no sign the ankle issue will cause him to miss any regular-season snaps.

Chase is still "fighting the rookie learning curve" in camp, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

Chase drew raves during earlier minicamps, but lining up against Chidobe Awuzie has proven to be a challenge in training camp, as Chase has struggled to create separation and has had his share of drops to boot. It's not all negative with the fifth overall pick in this year's draft, but early-season expectations should be tempered.

Jefferson is dealing with a COVID-19 situation that coach Sean McVay believes is a false positive test result, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports.

It appears Jefferson tested positive for the virus, though there's been no confirmation that's the case. The 25-year-old figures to remain away from the team until the issue is settled, or until he clears the health and safety protocols if a positive result is confirmed.

Callaway is operating as the Saints' No. 1 receiver in training camp by default, Katherine Terrell of The Athletic reports.

With Michael Thomas (ankle) and Tre'Quan Smith (undisclosed) sidelined while Deonte Harris faces a possible suspension for off-field conduct, Callaway seems to have a solid chance to open the regular season as the team's clear top receiver. Not only has he reportedly caught more passes than any other wideout during training camp, but Callaway is "by far" the go-to option for quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill. While it's possible that Smith and Harris could both be available for Week 1, Callaway will probably have a significant role in the passing game regardless of their status.

St. Brown has been Detroit's most consistent receiver thus far in training camp, Nick Baumgardner and Chris Burke of The Athletic reports.

With Tyrell Williams, Breshad Perriman (hip) and Quintez Cephus (head) all having missed time due to injury, St. Brown has logged plenty of reps with the first-team offense. While Williams is still expected to open the regular season as the No. 1 option at wideout, there probably isn't a wide receiver corps in the league that is less settled than Detroit's. At the very least, St. Brown seems to have an inside track to regular snaps in three-wide formations, and it may not be that big of a surprise if the rookie can edge out Perriman and Cephus for work in two-receiver sets as well.

Coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday that Eskridge (toe) has put together five "really good days" of running in a row as he improves his conditioning, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Eskridge remains on the preseason PUP list, the result of a toe injury that has lingered since mandatory minicamp back in June. Considering Carroll's comments however, Eskridge may be closing in on a return to the field, which would give him a chance to get in some exhibition action before Week 1. The 2021 second-round pick is a long shot to suit up Saturday in Las Vegas, but the Seahawks have a pair of contests after that in which Eskridge could make an impact.