NFL Player News

McCloud (ankle) doesn't have an injury designation for Thursday's game against Tampa Bay.

McCloud played 98 percent of Atlanta's snaps on offense in a 26-24 win over the Saints on Sunday, moving his snap share for the season up to 86 percent. He's also seen a surprising amount of the Falcons' targets, with 19 percent share putting him slightly behind wideout Darnell Mooney (21 percent) and well ahead of running back Bijan Robinson (14 percent) and tight end Kyle Pitts (13 percent). Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson's extreme reliance on three-wideout sets has been kind to McCloud, who should be ready for another large snap count after the Falcons upgraded him to full participation on Wednesday's practice report.

Johnson didn't practice Wednesday due to an ankle injury.

The Panthers seem to be exercising caution with Johnson, as head coach Dave Canales relayed that the team wants to "get ahead of it" in reference to the wide receiver's health concern. Johnson's production has taken off the last two games with Andy Dalton under center, combining for 15 catches (on 27 targets) for 205 yards and two touchdowns. Considering his outsized role in Carolina's offense at the moment, his status will be one to monitor as the week goes on to get a sense of his chances to play Sunday at Chicago.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said Wednesday that he hopes Rice (knee) can return soon, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports.

Early concerns about an ACL tear have given way to a more optimistic tone, although Rice has already been ruled out for Week 5 against the Saints and seems likely to miss additional time. He's still in the process of getting multiple doctors' opinions on the injury to figure out a recovery and rehab plan, which means he isn't totally out of the woods in terms of undergoing surgery and/or requiring a long-term absence. Mahomes mentioned wideouts Justin Watson and JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Noah Gray as candidates to take on larger roles while Rice is unavailable.

Shakir (ankle) won't practice Wednesday, Matt Parrino of The Syracuse Post-Standard reports.

Shakir played a full game Sunday night at Baltimore but apparently injured his ankle somewhere along the way. He's been the de facto No. 1 option for a spread-the-wealth Buffalo passing attack, with his 19 percent target share and 230 receiving yards leading the team. An absence for Sunday's game at Houston would leave more snaps for Marquez Valdes-Scantling and/or Curtis Samuel while increasing the target projections for Keon Coleman and Mack Hollins.

Adams (hamstring) isn't practicing Wednesday, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports.

Most of the discussion surrounding Adams entails his desire to be traded, with Adam Schefter of ESPN relaying that the Jets and Saints rank as the receiver's preferred destinations. Adams seems unlikely to play Week 5, be it for the Raiders or another team, as he's considered week-to-week with a hamstring injury that he suffered during practice last Thursday. His expected absence this Sunday at Denver opens up more playing time for wideouts Tre Tucker and DJ Turner, while Jakobi Meyers and tight end Brock Bowers are likely to handle their usual snap counts but should get sizable boosts in target-share projection.

Eskridge reverted to the Dolphins' practice squad Tuesday.

Eskridge saw 14 snaps on offense in Monday's loss to the Titans but didn't see any targets. He can be elevated to the active roster one more time before he officially needs to be added to the active roster.

Jackson (undisclosed) signed with the Saints' practice squad Tuesday.

Jackson joined the team as a UDFA out of Idaho in the spring but suffered an injury during training camp, which led to him being waived. Now healthy, the Idaho product will get a second opportunity with the franchise.

Dell (chest/ribs) returned to practice Wednesday, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Dell is expected to return for Sunday's game against Buffalo after missing a Week 4 win over the Jaguars. He may be a limited participant in practice to start the week, but so long as he avoids any setbacks in his recovery Thursday and Friday, he should be in line to play Sunday.

Carter (ribs) will not practice Wednesday, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Carter presumably suffered the injury in Sunday's win over the Rams, although that's not clear. The veteran wideout will work to return to the practice field Thursday or Friday, in an effort to suit up Week 5 against the Panthers.

Crowder (calf) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday.

Crowder suffered the injury in Sunday's win over the Cardinals and will have to miss the Commanders' next four games. The veteran wideout has had a minimal role in the offense when healthy, but his absence could lead to a couple of extra opportunities for Dyami Brown.