NFL Player News

Pierce (groin) didn't practice Thursday, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Previous reports suggested that Pierce was day-to-day, but given the wideout's continued absence from practice, it seems safe to say he won't see any action in Saturday's preseason contest against the Packers. Meanwhile, fellow WR Josh Downs left Thursday's session with a hamstring injury, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports.

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said Thursday that Evans will not join the rest of the starting offense in suiting up for Saturday's preseason game against the Steelers, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Evans remains healthy, by all accounts, but Tampa Bay will opt to rest the veteran wideout for a second consecutive preseason contest. It remains to be seen whether Evans will be in consideration to suit up for the Buccaneers' preseason finale against Buffalo on Saturday, Aug. 23, a game that will occur just days after his 32nd birthday. Chris Godwin (ankle) remains on the active/PUP list, but Baker Mayfield will have the benefit of calling upon both rookie first-round pick Emeka Egbuka and second-year pro Jalen McMillan versus Pittsburgh on Saturday.

Fitzpatrick (undisclosed) was waived by the Chargers with an injury designation Thursday.

Fitzpatrick spent most of the 2024 season on the Chargers' practice squad and he'll revert to the team's injured reserve if he goes unclaimed on waivers. The 27-year-old wide receiver has appeared in seven regular-season games.

Downs left Thursday's practice with a hamstring injury, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports.

The report notes that Downs walked off under his own power, but the wideout's status for Saturday's preseason contest against the Packers nonetheless is worth monitoring. Consider Downs day-to-day for now.

Virgil was waived by the Bills on Thursday.

Virgil appeared in seven regular-season games for the Bills in 2024 and contributed two tackles on special teams but didn't log a target on offense. He'll be free to sign with any team if he passes through waivers unclaimed.

Reed (foot) is not wearing a walking boot at Thursday's practice, though he is not participating in on-field activities, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Reed appears to be making incremental progress in his recovery from a lingering foot injury, though he still appears on track to sit out Saturday's preseason game against the Colts as the Packers continue to prioritize his availability for Week 1. Green Bay's passing offense is heavily depleted at Thursday's practice, with Jordan Love (thumb) sidelined, along with wideouts Reed, Romeo Doubs (back), Dontayvion Wicks (calf) and Christian Watson (ACL), the latter of whom remains on the active/PUP list.

Doubs (back) won't practice Thursday, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Doubs left Tuesday's practice following a collision, telling reporters afterward that his apparent back injury was nothing serious. Packers coach Matt LaFleur reiterated Thursday that it isn't a major issue, which is especially good news for a team that's been practicing without Jayden Reed (foot) and Dontayvion Wicks (calf) for most of training camp. Doubs remains on track for the Week 1 start opposite rookie Matthew Golden, while either Reed, Wicks or Malik Heath figures to be the third/slot receiver in Green Bay's opener against Detroit (Sept. 7).

Strachan was waived by the Commanders on Thursday, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reports.

Strachan has appeared in 23 regular-season games split between the Colts and Panthers, but he didn't play a single regular-season snap in 2024 and won't get a chance to suit up with Washington in 2025. The 28-year-old wide receiver will hope to get an opportunity with another NFL team during the preseason.

Cracraft (undisclosed) signed with the Commanders on Thursday, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reports.

Cracraft was released with a non-football injury designation by the Seahawks in May, but he has subsequently recovered. The 30-year-old wide receiver has 53 games of regular-season experience under his belt but will be fighting an uphill battle to make Washington's 53-man roster.

Hill (oblique) won't practice Thursday, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.

The report suggests that Hill, who has been managing an oblique injury, made a push to be on the field Thursday, but the Dolphins training staff is inclined to play it safe with the wideout in order to avoid a setback. With coach Mike McDaniel having indicated that at this stage he's not planning on using his starters this weekend, per Dante Collinelli of SI.com, Hill's next chance to see game action will occur Saturday, Aug. 23 against the Jaguars.