NFL Player News

Thomas (undisclosed) exited Sunday's practice early after a 7-on-7 collision, Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune reports.

While it has not been disclosed what type of injury Thomas suffered, Adam Hoge of AllCHGO.com reports that the wide receiver briefly grabbed his knee before limping off the field. The rookie third-rounder was set to start the regular season as the primary kick returner for the Bears, so any long-term knee issue wouldn't be great for the team's versatility. If Thomas must miss time, Jahdae Walker could see an increase in usage, continuing the momentum he built near the end of his rookie season.

Westbrook-Ikhine's stock has risen in training camp as he battles for the Colts' WR3 role behind Alec Pierce (ankle) and Josh Downs (groin), James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

The absences of Pierce and, most recently, Downs has provided Westbrook-Ikhine with the opportunity to work in an expanded role in the first-team offense. So far, Westbrook-Ikhine has answered the call, and the veteran wide receiver has strengthened his case for the No. 3 job ahead of Ashton Dulin and Laquon Treadwell. Westbrook-Ikhine's best year came in 2024 with the Titans, when he caught 32 passes (on 60 targets) for 497 yards and nine touchdowns across 17 regular-season games.

The Packers signed Johnson to a contract Sunday.

Johnson signed onto the Packers' practice squad in January, but did not sign a reserve/future deal with the franchise. The wide receiver has now made his way back to Green Bay to help with depth, with Jayden Reed (ankle) and Matthew Golden (toe) currently absent due to injury. Johnson is a good candidate to end up on the practice squad once again come September if he is waived by the team before or on cut-down day.

Valdes-Scantling (undisclosed) did not participate in Sunday's practice, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Valdes-Scantling was working off to the side individually Sunday after suffering an injury in Saturday's session. The wide receiver should be back to full practice shortly. The 31-year-old veteran seems set to be a depth receiver for the Cowboys as the team rolls out CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy and KaVontae Turpin as the starting four options.

The Colts signed Montgomery to a contract Sunday.

Montgomery was not tendered by the Colts in early March but has found his way back to the team. Fellow wide receiver Liam Clifford was waived in a corresponding move to make room for the familiar face. The team is trying out a variety of players at the position as Alec Pierce (ankle), Josh Downs (groin) and Laquon Treadwell (hamstring) remain injured.

Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic relays that Bell's game-day role will be determined by his performances across the Bills' three preseason games.

Buscaglia notes that Bell is locked in as the Bills' WR5 behind DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman and Joshua Palmer. The Bills could opt to keep Mecole Hardman as a sixth wide receiver and primary punt returner, which would make it more likely that Bell begins the regular season as a healthy scratch without an outstanding effort over Buffalo's three exhibition games. Bell was a fourth-round selection of the Bills in the 2026 NFL Draft following a strong final college season at UConn, when he caught 101 passes for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns across 12 games.

Tate was a standout in team drills during Sunday's training camp practice, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com reports.

Tate's explosiveness stood out during red-zone and plus-territory team drills in Sunday's practice. He beat out Alontae Taylor and Cor'Dale Flott for touchdowns in separate reps, with Tate demonstrating a strong connection with second-year quarterback Cam Ward. The No. 4 overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, Tate looks to see plenty of offensive snaps in his rookie campaign alongside veteran wideouts Wan'Dale Robinson and Calvin Ridley.

Burden is expected to "miss a little bit of time" due to a groin injury that he sustained during Saturday's training camp practice, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Burden picked up the injury after colliding with Tyrque Stevenson during a 1-on-1 drill in Saturday's training camp practice. It would not be surprising if Burden were held out of Saturday's preseason opener against the Browns, with an aim to return for the Bears' second exhibition contest against the Bengals on Saturday, Aug. 22. Kalif Raymond, rookie third-rounder Zavion Thomas, Jahdae Walker and Scotty Miller are poised to see more reps in team drills alongside Rome Odunze for as long as Burden is sidelined.

Head coach Shane Steichen said Sunday that Downs (groin) could potentially be available for Tuesday's joint practice with the Patriots, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports.

Downs was held out of Saturday's practice due to a groin injury, but the positive news is that he is considered day-to-day. Participating in Tuesday's joint practice would be a step in the right direction for the fourth-year wideout, though he may be held out of Thursday's preseason opener against New England.

The Panthers waived/injured Meiga on Sunday, Kassidy Hill of the team's official site reports.

Meiga signed a contract with the Panthers in early June. If the undrafted free agent out of Coastal Carolina clears waivers, he will revert to the team's injured reserve, where he will spend the entirety of the 2026 season unless he is waived with an injury settlement. The wide receiver was waived to make room on the roster for quarterback Kyle Trask, who was signed Sunday in a corresponding move.