NFL Player News

Odunze (knee), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Texans, is tracking toward playing, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.

After he was revealed to have sustained an MCL sprain to his left knee coming out of last Sunday's season-opening win over the Titans, Odunze looked as though he would face an uphill battle to play Week 2. Odunze didn't alleviate any concerns by failing to practice Wednesday or Thursday, but he upgraded to limited activity Friday and is apparently making good progress in his recovery from the injury. Along with Odunze, fellow wideout Keenan Allen (heel) is listed as questionable for Sunday, but Allen is being treated as a game-time decision and appears to be a less safe bet than Odunze to suit up against the Texans. Clarity on the statuses of both players won't be available until the Bears release their inactive list 90 minutes prior to the 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff, but if Odunze is active, he could be in line for an expanded role in the passing game even if Allen is also cleared to suit up. Schefter suggests that Allen "could be used more sparingly than usual" if he's available to play.

Allen (heel), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's matchup with the Texans, is viewed as a game-time decision leading up to the 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Allen took a questionable tag into the weekend after he sat out practices Wednesday and Thursday on account of the heel injury before returning to the field Friday as a limited participant. The veteran wideout is scheduled to go through a pregame workout before the Bears make a call on his availability when the team releases its inactive list 90 minutes before kickoff. Even if Allen is active, Schefter cautions that the 32-year-old could play more sparingly than usual. Elsewhere in the Bears' receiving corps, Rome Odunze (knee) is also listed as questionable but appears to have stronger odds than Allen of playing.

Palmer (knee), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Panthers, is "tracking to play," a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Palmer failed to complete a full practice this week, turning in a pair of limited sessions Wednesday and Thursday before sitting out Friday's session entirely. His absence Friday apparently wasn't the result of a setback and might have been precautionary more than anything, so Palmer is expected to be cleared to play when the Chargers release their inactive list 90 minutes prior to Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff. Even if Palmer suits up as anticipated, he might have his snaps managed to some degree.

Nacua could miss between five and seven weeks, depending on how quickly he recovers from a PCL sprain in his right knee, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.

The second-year wideout had initially hurt his right knee early in training camp and missed the entire preseason before being cleared to play Week 1, only to exit last Sunday's season-opening overtime loss to the Lions after reinjuring the same knee. The estimated 5-to-7-week recovery timeline doesn't come as a major surprise, as head coach Sean McVay suggested after Nacua was placed on injured reserve Wednesday that the receiver could miss more than the minimum four games. While the Rams have a well-timed bye Week 6 that would provide Nacua with some extra recovery time before he would first eligible to play Week 7 against the Raiders on Oct. 20, the team believes the receiver's status for that game as well as the following Thursday night versus the Vikings in Week 8 could be in jeopardy. For whatever length of time Nacua misses, Cooper Kupp will likely dominate the targets in the passing game as the Rams' clear No. 1 option, while tight end Colby Parkinson and receivers Tyler Johnson and Demarcus Robinson could be in store for expanded profiles on offense.

Reed (calf/shin), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Colts, is expected to play, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Reed didn't show up on the injury report until Friday, when he was listed as a limited participant in the Packers' final practice of the week. Though the late-week addition to the injury report is normally a foreboding sign, Reed looks like he'll be ready to go Sunday. However, his status won't be confirmed until the Packers release their inactive list 90 minutes before Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff. If Reed is available, he'll likely be working with a new starting quarterback in Malik Willis, as Jordan Love (knee) is listed doubtful for the contest.

Brown, who was placed on injured reserve Friday and is slated to undergo surgery to repair his shoulder, is unlikely to play during the regular season, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The language coming out of Kansas City, both from head coach Andy Reid and Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance Rick Burkholder, suggested this timeline could be a possibility. While the report leaves open that Brown could rejoin the team in the postseason, it seems as if the speedy wide receiver will be largely unavailable for fantasy managers in 2024.

Williams (ankle), who is listed as questionable, is trending toward playing in Sunday's matchup against the Buccaneers, Jordan Schultz of BleacherReport.com reports.

Schultz relays that the speedy wide receiver will be active Sunday, but the team won't officially clear Williams until it releases its inactive list 90 minutes before the 1 p.m. ET kickoff. The third-year wideout is coming off easily one of his best games career in Week 1 (five catches for 121 yards and one touchdown, plus a 13-yard carry) and should be in position to be an offensive factor once more against a Buccaneers secondary that is dealing with a slew of injuries.

The Giants placed Olszewski (groin) on injured reserve Saturday, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Olszewski hurt his groin in mid-August but was initially cleared to play against Minnesota in Week 1. However, he aggravated the injury during warmups and was subsequently ruled out. Olszewski's placement on IR means he'll need to miss at least New York's next four contests. Ihmir Smith-Marsette appears poised to take over kick and punt return duties in Olszewski's absence.

Wilson (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Monday's game against the Falcons after not practicing Saturday, EJ Smith of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Wilson popped up on the Eagles' injury report Saturday due to a hamstring issue, which puts his availability for Week 2 in jeopardy. The rookie sixth-round pick played 17 snaps (10 on offense, seven on special teams) and failed to haul in his lone target in the Eagles' Week 1 win over the Packers. Philadelphia could opt to elevate a wide receiver like Parris Campbell from the practice squad in case Wilson is unable to play Monday.

Detroit elevated Patrick from the practice squad to the active roster Saturday.

After failing to make the Broncos' 53-man roster at the conclusion of training camp, Patrick opted to sign with the Lions' practice squad Aug. 27. He will give Detroit depth at wide receiver after Isaiah Williams was ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bucs due to an abdominal injury. Patrick last appeared in 16 regular-season games for the Broncos in 2021 and finished with 53 catches (on 85 targets) for 734 yards and five touchdowns.