NFL Player News

Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said Wednesday that Tolbert will "have to step up" with CeeDee Lamb (ankle) expected to miss time, Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com reports.

Schottenheimer mentioned that Tolbert led the team with seven touchdowns last year. The issue was that he didn't do much else with his ample playing time, ranking 13th among WRs in routes run (535) and 53d in receiving yards (610). Tolbert opened this season in a much lesser role, essentially splitting the No. 3 receiver job with KaVontae Turpin, before upgrading to team-high 89 percent route share in Week 3 when Lamb was injured early in the game. Tolbert may again handle an every-down role Week 4 against Green Bay, but the combination of a low target rate and tough matchup isn't promising for fantasy.

Brown (groin/knee) is not practicing Wednesday.

Brown sat out Week 3, and he hasn't practiced in any capacity since having been forced out early versus the Packers on Thursday Night Football in Week 2. If Brown is unable to gain clearance in time for Sunday's matchup against the Falcons, Luke McCaffrey, Jaylin Lane and Chris Moore will all be candidates for expanded offensive opportunities, especially with Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) also dealing with an injury.

Pearsall will miss Wednesday's practice due to a knee injury, David Lombardi of SFStandard.com reports.

Pearsall played 97 percent of San Francisco's offensive snaps in a 16-15 win over the Cardinals this past Sunday, catching eight of 11 targets for 117 yards. He's now third in the league in both receiving yards (281) and air yards (392), having caught four of seven targets 20-plus yards downfield. There is some chance the usage declines if Jauan Jennings (shoulder/ankle) now ends up healthier than Pearsall, but Jennings will also miss Wednesday's practice (after sitting out Weeks 1 and 3). The 49ers don't lack for injury concerns ahead of their home game against Jacksonville this Sunday.

Jennings (ankle/shoulder) is not participating in Wednesday's practice, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Jennings remains day-to-day and that he was close to being cleared to play Week 3 against the Cardinals, per David Lombardi of SFStandard.com. That said, it seems likely that Jennings will need to practice in at least a limited fashion Thursday and/or Friday to have a realistic shot at returning to the field Sunday versus the Jaguars. Jennings picked up a shoulder injury during San Francisco's regular-season opener but managed to play through it Week 2 before then picking up an ankle injury in the second game.

Coker (quadriceps) is making progress but is still considered week-to-week, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

It sounds like Coker won't be ready to return from injured reserve when first eligible in Week 5. He was expected to miss four-to-six games all along, with his return likely to come at some point in October. With the Panthers not getting much from their pass catchers so far, Coker should push for a starting job before mid-season.

Legette (hamstring) was a non-participant at Wednesday's practice.

Prior to being inactive Week 3, Legette was listed as limited on all three practice reports, so his downgrade to begin this week may be cause for concern. However, coach Dave Canales told Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site Wednesday that Legette is considered "day-to-day," meaning the wide receiver's status will continue to monitored as the week goes on to get a sense of his chances to return to action Sunday in New England.

McMillan didn't practice Wednesday due to a calf injury.

McMillan wasn't spotted during the media-access portion of the Panthers' first Week 4 session, and now the reason for his absence has become known. David Newton of ESPN.com reports that McMillan should be able to suit up Sunday at New England, but ultimately how the rookie wide receiver fares in practice this week will determine whether or not he enters the weekend with a designation for that contest.

Legette (hamstring) is not participating in the early portion of Wednesday's practice open to the media, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

Legette sat out Carolina's blowout win over the Falcons in Week 3, but ahead of the contest he had logged a trio of limited practices. By comparison, his lack of participation Wednesday seems to represent a step in the wrong direction. The second-year pro will have two more chances to get back on the practice field before Sunday's road matchup against New England.

McMillan (undisclosed) is not present at the early portion of Wednesday's practice open to the media, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

McMillan played a season-high 89 percent of offensive snaps during Carolina's blowout win over the Falcons in Week 3, though he secured only three of eight targets for 48 yards. Wednesday's official practice report will reveal whether the rookie first-round pick is working through an injury in advance of Sunday's road matchup against New England.

Jones signed with the Vikings' practice squad Wednesday.

Jones was dropped from the Vikings' active roster Tuesday but has since been added to the team's practice squad. The 27-year-old wideout played 31 total snaps (six on offense, 25 on special teams) across Minnesota's first two games this season, but failed to record a stat. He could be elevated to the team's active roster as a special-teams contributor ahead of the Week 4 matchup against the Steelers.