NFL Player News

Crowder (groin) isn't expected to play Sunday against the Bills, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Crowder was downgraded to doubtful Saturday, so it looks as though his next chance to suit up will arrive Nov. 1 against the Chiefs. Though the Jets' top pass catcher is expected to be out Sunday, the team's Week 7 wide receiver corps will be bolstered by the return of Denzel Mims (hamstrings), with Breshad Perriman, Braxton Berrios and Jeff Smith also on hand to catch passes from QB Sam Darnold (shoulder), who's in line to return to action for the first time since Oct. 1.

Hopkins (ankle) is expected to play Sunday against the Seahawks, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The 28-year-old's only practice participation of the week came in a limited session Friday, but it appears he'll be available to play Sunday despite receiving the questionable tag. Hopkins has been battling the ankle issue throughout October and has 15 receptions for 245 yards and one touchdown over three games during that stretch.

The Chargers waived Moore on Saturday.

Moore suited up in one game for the Chargers after winning a roster spot in training camp, and he wasn't targeted over 25 offensive snaps. Jalen Guyton, KJ Hill (hip), Tyron Johnson and Joe Reed showed more potential through the short stint and will stick with the team as depth moving forward. The 25-year-old wide receiver is a practice squad candidate if he clears waivers.

Woods (groin) does not carry an injury designation into Monday's marquee matchup with the Bears, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Woods was only a limited participant in Saturday's practice and was completely held out altogether Friday, but it's clear the Rams are not concerned about the injury given the fact the veteran wide receiver doesn't even have an injury designation following their final report. Woods faces a tough matchup against the Bears' defense, but it's at least encouraging to see the veteran consistently involved in the offense, as he's yet to see fewer than five targets in any game this season.

Crowder (groin) has been downgraded to doubtful for Sunday's contest against the Bills.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to read the tea leaves on this one as the Jets activated 2020 second-round pick Denzel Mims (hamstrings) off injured reserve Saturday and almost immediately followed up with the Crowder downgrade designation. There of course remains a chance the talented slot receiver could end up taking the field, but if not expect Braxton Berrios and Jeff Smith to operate in the slot with Mims and Breshad Perriman split out on either side. Both Berrios and Smith had their best games of the season during Crowder's two-game absence over the course of Weeks 3 and 4.

Backman reverted to the Giants' practice squad Friday, per the NFL's official transaction log.

Bachman made his NFL debut Thursday against the Eagles but played just one snap. He'll drop back to the practice squad for now, but he could be brought back up for the Week 8 matchup against the Buccaneers if C.J. Board (concussion) remains out.

St. Brown (knee) will play in Sunday's game versus the Texans.

St. Brown was limited in practice all week as a precaution, and he's been given the green light for a second straight week. The third-year receiver out of Notre Dame had a tough 2020 debut, failing to reel in either of his two targets and logging just 11 offensive snaps. Malik Taylor is pushing him for the No. 3 wideout role, so St. Brown will look to have a big game against a Texans secondary that has let up 246.5 passing yards per game -- 20th in the league.

Smith should be a big part of the New Orleans passing game Sunday against the Panthers, as fellow wideouts Michael Thomas (hamstring) and Emmanuel Sanders (reserve/COVID-19) won't be able to play, ESPN's Mike Triplett reports.

With Thomas out of the lineup for the past four games, Smith averaged 3.8 catches for 47.5 yards and 0.5 TDs on 5.0 targets. That's not exactly prolific, but Sanders saw 7.8 targets per game over the same stretch, accounting for 22 percent of the team total. Smith now finds himself in a good position to pile up targets, though RB Alvin Kamara and TE Jared Cook also figure to see plenty of work.

Davis is expected to claim a regular spot in three-wide sets in Sunday's game against the Jets with the Bills ruling out John Brown (knee) for the contest.

When Brown sat out the Bills' Week 5 loss to the Titans, it was Davis who stepped up in his stead. The rookie played all 72 of the Bills' offensive snaps in that contest, parlaying nine targets into five receptions for 58 yards. Davis should see elevated usage again Sunday sans Brown, though with the Bills being one of the heaviest favorites on the Week 7 slate, the run game may become more of a priority if Buffalo establishes an early lead.

Woods was held out of Friday's practice with a groin injury, Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times reports.

A late addition to the injury report is always somewhat worrisome, but coach Sean McVay said he expects Woods to be ready for Monday's game against the Bears. The end-of-week kickoff could put fantasy managers in a bind, depending on how the Rams list Woods on their final injury report Saturday.