NFL Player News

Aiyuk was not present at the portion of Wednesday's practice open to the media, though head coach Kyle Shanahan said that he's hopeful that the wideout will resume participating soon, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Shanahan noted Wednesday that Aiyuk has been "cleared by our doctors," per David Lombardi of The Athletic. However, Aiyuk looks like he could be continuing his "hold in" while he seeks a contract extension. While it's notable that Aiyuk is officially healthy enough to practice after having contended with neck and back discomfort during training camp, his lack of a long-term deal clearly remains the true hurdle. The 49ers now have under two weeks remaining before the Sept. 9 season-opening matchup against the Jets, and Aiyuk has yet to practice with the team this summer.

Shaheed (toe) was present for practice Wednesday, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.

While the extent of his participation is unclear, Shaheed's presence in any capacity is a good sign for the Saints with 11 days to go before their season opener against Carolina. He's dealt with a toe/foot injury for the past couple weeks, after missing time with a hamstring injury early in training camp.

Brown (shoulder) agreed to a contract with the Commanders on Wednesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Brown was among Houston's roster cuts Tuesday, but he now lands in a spot where he'll have a chance to be a more meaningful contributor. The 28-year-old is coming off consecutive seasons of over 550 receiving yards with the Cowboys in 2022 and Texans in 2023, and Washington has a real need for reliable wideouts behind Terry McLaurin, though rookie third-round pick Luke McCaffrey could also be an option to mix in. Brown missed time in training camp with a shoulder injury after undergoing offseason labrum surgery, but the Commanders expect him to be available Week 1 against Tampa Bay.

Brownlee was waived by the Jets on Wednesday

Brownlee made the initial 53-man roster Tuesday but was subsequently waived to make room for incoming tight end Brenden Bates, whom the Jets claimed on waivers from Chicago on Wednesday. If Brownlee passes through waivers unclaimed, he will likely be added to the Jets' practice squad, where he began his rookie season last year before ultimately dressing for seven regular-season games.

Allen missed practice Wednesday due to foot discomfort, but Bears general manager Ryan Poles said that the wide receiver should be fine for Week 1 against the Titans, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

Poles suggested the problem had something to do with Allen's cleats. Whatever the case, the Bears aren't too concerned, but fantasy managers will still want to keep an eye out to make sure Allen returns to practice in the coming days. The 32-year-old is part of a hyper-talented receiver room that also includes DJ Moore and ninth overall pick Rome Odunze.

Buffalo signed Virgil to its practice squad Wednesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Virgil missed the entire 2023 season due to a torn meniscus. He entered training camp fully healthy, but he was unable to make the Broncos' 53-man roster after posting just one catch (on four targets) for 13 yards across Denver's three preseason games. Virgil did get some reps as a kick returner during the preseason -- he turned three kick returns into 88 yards against the Colts on Aug. 11 -- and he could get called up to the Bills' active roster at some point during the season to fill that role if needed.

Eskridge signed with the Dolphins' practice squad Wednesday, Jordan Schultz of BleacherReport.com reports.

Seattle's second-round selection of the 2021 NFL Draft wasn't able to live up to his draft stock expectations, and he finished his tenure with the Seahawks with 17 catches (on 34 targets) for 122 yards and one touchdown over 24 regular-season games. Eskridge will get a fresh start with the Dolphins, where his 4.40-second 40-yard dash speed will fit nicely in the offensive scheme of head coach Mike McDaniel should he be called up from the taxi squad.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan suggested Wednesday that Aiyuk (contract dispute) could resume practicing soon, noting that he wideout has been "cleared by our doctors," David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports that Aiyuk had back and neck injuries during training camp, although the wideout's absence from practice this summer largely has been attributed to a contract dispute (and subsequent trade request). The contract is clearly the bigger issue, and there doesn't seem to be any question that Aiyuk currently is healthy enough to practice -- something he's yet to do this summer. Shanahan said he hopes to have Aiyuk practicing later Wednesday, but it's unclear if that's wishful thinking or a realistic goal.

The Jaguars signed Cephus to their practice squad Wednesday, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.

The Jaguars left Cephus off their initial 53-man roster after he signed with the team in April as an undrafted free agent, but he's now set to join the practice squad. During Cephus' final season at UTSA, the 23-year-old racked up 89 receptions for 1,151 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, earning first-team All-American Athletic Conference honors.

Valdes-Scantling (neck) participated in the portion of practice open to the media Wednesday, Sal Capaccio of WGR 550 Radio reports.

Valdes-Scantling suffered a neck injury in a preseason game Aug. 17 against the Steelers, but he has made progress in his recovery. Every member of Buffalo's recently finalized 53-man roster participated Wednesday in some capacity, and Valdes-Scantling wasn't among the three players donning red non-contact jerseys. The veteran deep threat thus appears on track to suit up Week 1 against the Cardinals, but it will be worth monitoring whether Valdes-Scantling's name pops up on the injury reports that Buffalo will begin issuing next week.