NFL Player News

Diggs (hamstring) wasn't spotted at Friday's practice, Tashan Reed reports.

With Diggs having already missed Thursday's practice, his continued absence leaves his status for Sunday's game against the Giants in question. Teammate Terry McLaurin (hamstring) is also uncertain, though he's reportedly present for the start of practice Friday.

Smith (hamstring) is doing rehab work on a side field at Friday's practice, EJ Smith of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

It leaves Smith's status in considerable doubt for Sunday's game against the Jaguars in London, but the Eagles will release official injury designations later Friday. With Smith looking likely to miss Week 5, rookie Makai Lemon and Week 4 standout Darius Cooper will once again be in line to handle prominent pass-catching roles. Neither is particularly exciting in a broken Philadelphia offense.

Barkley (hamstring) wasn't spotted at Friday's practice, EJ Smith reports.

Barkley hasn't practiced this week and isn't likely to play against the Jaguars on Sunday, leaving Will Shipley, Dameon Pierce and Jaydon Blue as Philadelphia's backfield options for Week 5. Shipley is the favorite to start and get most of the snaps.

Higgins (groin/neck) was not taking part in Friday's stretching portion of practice, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

After logging a non-participant listing Thursday, Higgins now appears to be trending toward another missed practice. Meanwhile, Ja'Marr Chase (concussion) looks to be participating again.

McLaurin (hamstring) was present for Friday's practice, Tashan Reed of The Washington Post reports.

While McLaurin was in attendance Friday, it's unclear if he's actually participating in practice after logging DNPs Wednesday and Thursday. He's yet to practice since injuring his hamstring in practice last Friday, causing him to miss last Sunday's loss to the Colts. If McLaurin is unable to face the Giants on Sunday, Antonio Williams, Treylon Burks and Dyami Brown would again be in line for increased snaps and targets.

Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said Friday that he plans on starting Daniels in Week 6 against Pittsburgh, Scott Smith reports.

Bowles used a "right now" qualifier, so he wasn't exactly committing to Daniels over Baker Mayfield (thumb) in Week 6. The decision mostly comes down to Mayfield's health, but the Bucs could also opt to be more cautious after seeing Daniels keep a run-first offense afloat the past two games.

Chase (concussion) is in uniform for Friday's practice, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

Chase remains in the league's concussion protocol, and while it's a good sign he's on the field for Friday's practice, it doesn't yet mean he's cleared all the necessary steps to play Sunday against the Dolphins. The Bengals will release official injury designations later Friday, and fantasy managers will then have a better idea of the star wideout's availability for Week 5.

Head coach Todd Bowles said Friday that Mayfield (thumb) is now in a smaller splint, and the Bucs will see if he can progress to gripping the football next week, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Bowles admitted the "plan" is for Jalon Daniels to start next Sunday against the Steelers after the rookie quarterback helped lead the Bucs to their first victory in a stunning upset of the Cowboys on Thursday night. Mayfield has missed two games and was initially given a recovery timetable of 3-to-6 weeks, so he appears to be progressing normally with his dislocated thumb.

Douglas (ankle) will practice in some capacity Friday but is still considered unlikely to play in Sunday's game against the Bengals, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.

After missing practice Wednesday and Thursday, Douglas appears to be making some progress in his recovery, but his status for Sunday still trends toward another absence. If he remains out, Miami would be without the rookie wide receiver for a third straight game, allowing Chris Bell and Kevin Coleman to play significant snaps at wide receiver alongside target hog Malik Washington.

Mitchell (finger) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Browns, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports.

Mitchell will miss his third straight game, and coach Aaron Glenn refused to provide any clarity on the situation Friday, saying he "doesn't know" if Mitchell is dealing with a sprain or fracture, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. With Mitchell out again, Isaiah Williams and Sterling Shepard will continue to soak up wideout snaps behind Garrett Wilson. Neither Williams nor Shepard is a particularly intriguing fantasy option.