NFL Player News

Cowing (hip) did not participate in Wednesday's training camp session, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

It is unclear when Cowing suffered the hip injury currently plaguing him, but the primary punt returner did come into OTAs with a hamstring issue that could be related. The longer the 25-year-old remains unable to practice, the more chances players such as Malik Turner and Jordan Watkins have to prove they are versatile options that can hold value on both the offensive and special teams units.

Odighizuwa (undisclosed) did not participate at the 49ers' training camp practice Wednesday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Odighizuwa underwent a clean-up procedure to address a lingering elbow injury during the offseason, but it's not clear whether that's related to his current status. Until he's able to practice again, rookie undrafted free agent Bryson Eason could see some practice reps with the first-team defensive line.

Juszczyk (finger) did not participate in Wednesday's training-camp session, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Juszczyk joins the rapidly growing list of 49ers' battle wounds with a broken finger. The fullback suffered a similar injury in 2022, resolving the issue with surgery. If the team elects to go down the same route, Juszczyk will likely miss a few weeks while recovering before playing through the cleanup with a club on his hand.

Grupe is 12-for-12 on field-goal tries throughout training camp as of Wednesday, Noah Compton of Sports Illustrated reports.

Fellow contender Spencer Shrader has already demonstrated his competence as a kicker with Indianapolis -- he converted on 13 of his 14 field-goal attempts over five games with the team last season. It's hard to compete with perfection though, and Grupe has apparently yet to miss a live kick during camp. Special teams coach Brian Mason hinted that both would kick during preseason play, so there's likely still room for a change in the pecking order in advance of Week 1 of the regular season.

Pickett is set to play only a series or two in Thursday's Hall of Fame game against the Cardinals, Joseph Person of The Athletic reports.

After Pickett plays, rookie undrafted free agent Haynes King is set to play the rest of the game at quarterback. Pickett has bounced around teams since leaving the Steelers in 2024, playing for the Eagles and then the Raiders before settling with the Panthers this offseason. The 2022 first-rounder is looking to operate at a high level and display that he has what it takes to be an insurance option for the current NFC South champions.

Brooks (hand) underwent surgery Wednesday to fix a broken hand, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Brooks reportedly broke his hand in practice and is set for a three-week recovery period. The special teams ace will be a large loss to a Texans roster looking to maintain players with multiphase upside. Players like fellow running back Noah Whittington or wide receiver Justin Watson will have a chance to step up and prove their versatility can merit a 53-man roster spot in 2026.

The 49ers waived Sample (knee), per the NFL's transaction log.

Sample's knee injury seems to be a more significant issue, as the defensive end was promptly waived following full evaluation. With the 49ers' roster being chock-full of injured players, any roster transaction allows the team to sign fresh prospects who could fill the void. Sample will go on waivers, and once he likely clears, he will be a free agent.

Larison led the second-team offense Wednesday, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports.

It seems that Terrell Jennings has the early lead for the No. 3 running back position, but Larison might be his closest competition. While Jennings took snaps with the first-team offense Wednesday, Larison led the second. There could be a situation in the future where Larison earns the right to test the first-team waters behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.

The Patriots activated Dippre (undisclosed) off the active/PUP list Wednesday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Dippre began training camp on the PUP list for what is likely a wrist injury. The tight end was seen in uniform at Wednesday's walkthrough with a brace on his left wrist. It is unclear to what extent Dippre will be able to participate in a full practice, but for now it seems the second-year player out of Alabama is ready to go.

The 49ers signed Hodge to a contract Wednesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Hodge had a tryout with the Bills last Thursday, but the wide receiver will ultimately end up in California. The 31-year-old joins the 49ers amidst a near-unprecedented string of injuries. In the wide receiver room alone, Mike Evans (quadriceps), Christian Kirk (calf), De'Zhaun Stribling (hamstring), Jacob Cowing (hip) and Ricky Pearsall (knee) have already sustained injuries of varying severity. The mass loss of players means Hodge will be filling in for meaningful reps as the team continues its training activities.