NFL Player News

Burden (groin) is expected to be sidelined for roughly one month, Matt Zenitz of CBSSports.com reports.

Burden suffered a groin injury at practice Saturday, and he is now set to be unavailable for the entirety of the preseason. The hope from the organization is that the wide receiver will be back and available for the Bears' regular-season opener Sunday, Sept. 13 against the Chargers. If Burden is forced to miss any regular-season action, offseason addition Kalif Raymond and third-round pick Zavion Thomas (undisclosed) would stand to see an increase in targets while operating opposite of No. 1 wideout Rome Odunze in Chicago's offense.

The Packers claimed Hilton off waivers Sunday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Hilton was waived by the Commanders on Saturday and will now find a new home with the Packers. The undrafted free agent out of LSU was likely claimed to compete for a depth spot and fill out practices. With Jayden Reed (ankle) and Matthew Golden (toe) injured, all preseason reps are likely wide open to any receivers on the roster who can make an impression.

The Lions hosted McCloud for a tryout Sunday, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.

McCloud was cut from the Giants' practice squad last December and could be looking to revitalize his career. The 2018 sixth-round draft pick by the Bills has played for six teams in his NFL career. The Lions would be team No. 7 if McCloud were signed, but the team's wide receiving corps is deep enough that the possibility is slim. An even slimmer possibility would be McCloud surviving cut-down day.

Addison (thumb) is expected to be close to a full participant at the Vikings' night practice Sunday, Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Addison has been battling a thumb injury at practice throughout the week, but it has been considered to be a minor injury throughout the entire process. The wide receiver appears to be on track to be back to full health in the near future, and the earlier he can be back to 100 percent, the better, as Minnesota is in the midst of accessing who its starting quarterback will be in 2026.

Thomas (undisclosed) exited Sunday's practice early after a 7-on-7 collision, Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune reports.

While it has not been disclosed what type of injury Thomas suffered, Adam Hoge of AllCHGO.com reports that the wide receiver briefly grabbed his knee before limping off the field. The rookie third-rounder was set to start the regular season as the primary kick returner for the Bears, so any long-term knee issue wouldn't be great for the team's versatility. If Thomas must miss time, Jahdae Walker could see an increase in usage, continuing the momentum he built near the end of his rookie season.

Westbrook-Ikhine's stock has risen in training camp as he battles for the Colts' WR3 role behind Alec Pierce (ankle) and Josh Downs (groin), James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

The absences of Pierce and, most recently, Downs has provided Westbrook-Ikhine with the opportunity to work in an expanded role in the first-team offense. So far, Westbrook-Ikhine has answered the call, and the veteran wide receiver has strengthened his case for the No. 3 job ahead of Ashton Dulin and Laquon Treadwell. Westbrook-Ikhine's best year came in 2024 with the Titans, when he caught 32 passes (on 60 targets) for 497 yards and nine touchdowns across 17 regular-season games.

The Packers signed Johnson to a contract Sunday.

Johnson signed onto the Packers' practice squad in January, but did not sign a reserve/future deal with the franchise. The wide receiver has now made his way back to Green Bay to help with depth, with Jayden Reed (ankle) and Matthew Golden (toe) currently absent due to injury. Johnson is a good candidate to end up on the practice squad once again come September if he is waived by the team before or on cut-down day.

Valdes-Scantling (undisclosed) did not participate in Sunday's practice, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Valdes-Scantling was working off to the side individually Sunday after suffering an injury in Saturday's session. The wide receiver should be back to full practice shortly. The 31-year-old veteran seems set to be a depth receiver for the Cowboys as the team rolls out CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy and KaVontae Turpin as the starting four options.

The Colts signed Montgomery to a contract Sunday.

Montgomery was not tendered by the Colts in early March but has found his way back to the team. Fellow wide receiver Liam Clifford was waived in a corresponding move to make room for the familiar face. The team is trying out a variety of players at the position as Alec Pierce (ankle), Josh Downs (groin) and Laquon Treadwell (hamstring) remain injured.

Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic relays that Bell's game-day role will be determined by his performances across the Bills' three preseason games.

Buscaglia notes that Bell is locked in as the Bills' WR5 behind DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman and Joshua Palmer. The Bills could opt to keep Mecole Hardman as a sixth wide receiver and primary punt returner, which would make it more likely that Bell begins the regular season as a healthy scratch without an outstanding effort over Buffalo's three exhibition games. Bell was a fourth-round selection of the Bills in the 2026 NFL Draft following a strong final college season at UConn, when he caught 101 passes for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns across 12 games.