NFL Player News

Wilcox (ankle) practiced Monday, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Wilcox suffered a left ankle injury during the team's first preseason game and has been rehabbing since. The extent of his participation in practice remains to be seen, but even if it was in a limited fashion, it's still an upgrade from the rehab field. Drew Sample (shoulder) also returned to padded practices recently, so both tight ends could be available for a backup role behind newcomer Hayden Hurst during Sunday's season-opening matchup against the Steelers.

Thomas (knee) said Monday he's uncertain whether he will suit up for Sunday's regular-season opener against the Jaguars, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Thomas said he's working towards retaking the field "this week or next," so it's also possible Week 2 against Detroit could be his return target. The tight end is recovering from a torn left ACL, but he avoided starting the season on IR and thus looks to have a fair chance of missing less than four games. John Bates (calf) and Cole Turner (hamstring) also have been nursing lingering injuries, so Washington may not have much depth to fall back on if Thomas can't participate this weekend.

The Browns signed James on Sunday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

James spent last year with the Bears, catching seven passes for 62 yards and a score across 14 appearances, but he wasn't retained this offseason. In Cleveland, the veteran tight end will be a solid No. 3 option behind David Njoku and Harrison Bryant, but he hasn't garnered a sizable offensive role since his first four seasons in the NFL with Pittsburgh.

Morris (hamstring) didn't practice Sunday due to a hamstring injury, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.

Morris made the team's 53-man roster as the backup behind Dawson Knox and Tommy Sweeney, but he's picked up a hamstring issue that may sideline him for the season opener. The UDFA out of Bowling Green was elevated to the active roster for one game last year but is still looking to make his NFL debut.

The Raiders released Hollister (undisclosed) from injured reserve Friday, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

It's not yet clear what injury Hollister is dealing with, but he was placed on injured reserve Tuesday. However, he'll be eligible to return to the field this season after reaching an injury settlement with Las Vegas.

The Packers cut Mack (undisclosed) from injured reserve Friday, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

Mack reverted to the Packers' injured reserve list this week after going unclaimed on waivers. It's not yet clear what injury the 25-year-old is dealing with, but he'll be eligible to return at some point in 2022 as long as he can pass a physical.

The Falcons placed FitzPatrick (undisclosed) on injured reserve Thursday, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.

FitzPatrick was limited during minicamp due to an undisclosed issue but was healthy during training camp, though he didn't appear in the preseason finale after suiting up for each of the Falcons' first two exhibition games. The extent of his current issue remains unclear, but the rookie sixth-round pick will be forced to miss at least the first four games of the regular season after landing on IR.

Wilcox (ankle) was running on the side rehab field during Wednesday's practice, Paul Dehner and Jay Morrison of The Athletic reports.

Wilcox suffered an ankle injury during the Bengals' preseason opener and has remained sidelined since. While his return to running is a great sign, it's unclear when he'll be ready for game action. Drew Sample (shoulder) returned to padded practice Wednesday, so he appears to be a step ahead of Wilcox in his rehab. If healthy, both tight ends are expected to operate as backups to newcomer Hayden Hurst.

Sample (knee) returned to practice Wednesday, Paul Dehner and Jay Morrison of The Athletic reports.

Sample had to be carted off the practice field after suffering a knee injury at the beginning of August, but the details of the issue were never released. He was spotted with a brace and crutches later in the week, and Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said he'd be sidelined for a couple of weeks. The 2019 second-round pick sat out the entire preseason, but he appears to be ramping up after garnering pads for the first time since the initial injury. If healthy, Sample is expected to be the primary backup to newcomer Hayden Hurst to start the season.

The Steelers signed Rigg to their practice squad Thursday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Rigg was waived by the Bengals ahead of Tuesday's 53-man roster deadline, but he quickly found a new home in Pittsburgh via the practice squad. The undrafted rookie out of Kentucky was solid during his first NFL training camp and caught a three-yard touchdown during the Bengals' preseason finale.