NFL Player News

Doubs left Tuesday's practice with a potential back injury after a collision, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Already missing Jayden Reed (foot), Dontayvion Wicks (calf) and Christian Watson (knee), the Packers are now down four of their top five wide receivers, at least temporarily. Doubs was doubled over on the field for a couple of minutes Tuesday before heading off to the locker room with a trainer.

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said Tuesday that Lazard (shoulder) will miss roughly two weeks, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.

Lazard suffered a right shoulder injury during last weekend's preseason win over Green Bay, and it appears he won't be a candidate to play in Saturday's exhibition matchup against the Giants. The veteran wideout's final chance to return to preseason action will come Friday, Aug. 22 against the Eagles. Lazard is battling for a starting role in three-wide sets, but his absence now provides Tyler Johnson with more first-team reps alongside Garrett Wilson and Josh Reynolds.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday that Watson (knee) likely will begin the regular season on the PUP list but will be "chomping at the bit" to return, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

The Packers hope to have Watson back in October after he's spent the minimum of four games on the PUP list. That's about as soon as anyone could've hoped for, given that Watson suffered an ACL tear in Week 18 last season. It won't be surprising if he ends up missing more than four weeks, but it does seem his rehab is coming along quickly. Whether he's a full-time player at any point this season is another question, as the Packers also have Matthew Golden, Jayden Reed (foot), Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks (calf) as strong candidates for WR snaps and targets.

Austin has missed practice recently due to a minor abdominal muscle injury, Alan Saunders of SteelersNow.com reports.

Austin has missed over a week of practice, as well as last Saturday's preseason opener against the Jaguars, due to what's now been revealed as a minor abdominal muscle issue. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has only spoken vaguely of Austin's injury, though he has said it's nothing that he expects to impact the fourth-year wideout's availability for Week 1. Austin will have two more opportunities to get on the field for preseason action, with his first such chance coming Saturday against the Buccaneers.

Falcons coach Raheem Morris said Tuesday that he doesn't know when Mooney (shoulder) will return, but he's confident it will be this year, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.

It's probably not the best sign that Morris is even hinting at the possibility of a long-term absence, although he did say Mooney is being evaluated on "a week-to-week basis." The wideout left practice early July 24 after trying to make a diving catch, with subsequent reports suggesting he'd miss multiple weeks and was uncertain for Week 1 against Tampa Bay. If nothing else, this latest update confirms that the Falcons aren't sure about Mooney's availability for the start of the regular season. Wideout depth was already a weak point for the team, with No. 3 receiver Ray-Ray McCloud coming off a 2024 campaign in which he was one of the least productive starters in the league on a per-route basis (1.29 yards per route, with one TD on 87 targets). The Falcons didn't draft any wide receivers this spring, nor did they sign any likely starters in free agency, instead settling for the likes of UDFA Nick Nash and journeymen DJ Chark to round out the depth chart.

Brown (ankle/foot) appears slated to sit out Tuesday's practice, Pete Sweeney of ArrowheadPride.com reports.

Kansas City coach Andy Reid talked up Brown's progress Monday, saying that the veteran wideout has resumed running, but he's still not yet ready to log his first on-field action at practice since July 29. Brown's ankle/foot injury kept him from suiting up for Saturday's preseason contest against the Cardinals, and he still looks uncertain for Friday's exhibition matchup on the road in Seattle.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said Tuesday that Waddle (undisclosed) and fellow starting wideout Tyreek Hill (oblique) are both day-to-day, C. Isaiah Smalls II of the Miami Herald reports.

McDaniel said a decision hasn't yet been made on the status of the duo for joint practices against the Lions this week, but that "they're definitely in the conversation" to get reps, per David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. As a result of seemingly minor injuries, both Waddle and Hill sat out Sunday's preseason debut against the Bears, but it sounds like each has a fair chance to get healthy in time for exhibition action Saturday versus Detroit.

Brown (hamstring) will be a limited practice participant Tuesday, Tim McManus of ESPN.com reports.

Brown returned to practice Sunday after missing a week of training camp. He isn't back to full participation yet and may not play in the preseason, but his quick return to practice -- even in a limited capacity -- suggests the Eagles aren't worried about his hamstring injury.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Tuesday that Hill (oblique) is still day-to-day and that he's unsure whether the wide receiver will participate in joint practices this week with the Lions, C. Isaiah Smalls II of the Miami Herald reports.

McDaniel said the same of fellow starting wideout Jaylen Waddle (undisclosed), who like Hill sat out Sunday's preseason opener against the Bears. There haven't yet been any serious warning flags raised regarding the status of either Hill or Waddle for Week 1, but it's less than ideal for both of Miami's star receivers to be missing reps at this stage. One or both of them could still take part in the joint practices however, with McDaniel saying "they're definitely in the conversation," per David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Samuel and Jayden Daniels have shown a strong connection throughout training camp, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic.

Samuel has been the de facto No. 1 wideout at training camp due to the absence of Terry McLaurin, who requested a trade at the beginning of August as part of a contract dispute. It sounds like Samuel and Daniels have built chemistry quickly, setting the table for the former 49er to have a big role in Washington's offense right out of the gate. The report also notes that Samuel currently weighs around 220 pounds, with nine percent body fat, after playing much of last season at 225 pounds. Conditioning was an issue for the wideout last year in San Francisco, although that was due to a case of pneumonia more than his weight or fitness. Samuel focused on improving his stamina this offseason in preparation for a role in Kliff Kingsbury's uptempo offense.