NFL Player News

Coach Mike Tomlin indicated Thursday that it may be multiple weeks before Wilson (ankle) returns to action, Alan Saunders of Steelersnow.com reports. "He's got an ankle sprain," Tomlin said of the rookie wideout. "It could be characterized as week-to-week at this juncture. We've got him walking around in a boot for precaution. I'll give you more information as he gets closer to help."

Wilson, whom the report notes is wearing a boot on his left ankle, thus appears to be on track to miss the Steelers' preseason opener, at a minimum. Once the 2024 third-rounder is able to return to practice, he'll resume competing with Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin and Quez Watkins for slotting behind the team's top WR, George Pickens.

Coach Dan Quinn said Thursday that Brown has stood out at training camp, Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site reports.

The 2021 third-round pick is in the final year of his rookie contract and hoping to impress a new coaching staff after catching only 29 passes over his first three seasons. It sounds like the new coaches have taken notice, perhaps giving Brown a chance to compete with Luke McCaffrey, Olamide Zaccheaus and others for the third and fourth spots at wide receiver. Incumbent starters Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson still top the depth chart and figure to take the lion's share of WR targets.

Zaccheaus is "seemingly battling for rotation reps more than a roster spot," according to The Athletic's Ben Standig.

The depth chart at WR looks wide open behind returning starters Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, with other leading candidates for the third and fourth spots being rookie third-round pick Luke McCaffrey and fourth-year pro Dyami Brown. While he's never been targeted at a high rate, Zaccheaus had a nice season for Atlanta in 2022, catching 40 of 61 targets for 533 yards and three TDs. He then had minimal impact in Philadelphia last season, catching 10 passes in 17 games while being targeted on a league-low 7.1 percent of his routes.

Shavers has been making a good impressions throughout camp, Dorian Alerte of the Bills' official site reports. Said coach Sean McDermott this week, "One of the first players in the building, one of the last to leave. Knows what we're doing offensively, systematically. When you look up consistent in the dictionary like his face shows up in my mind because he's so consistent, and at a young age. I have a lot of respect and appreciation for that."

The undrafted free agent from 2023 is still far down the depth chart, but the Bills don't really seem married to anybody outside the top three of Khalil Shakir, second-round rookie Keon Coleman and veteran Curtis Samuel. Shavers offers good special-teams assets, so we'll see if he can start to leapfrom some of the folks ahead of him throughout the preseason.

Robinson has been "one of the stars" of Rams training camp and remains on track for the No. 3 receiver role, according to Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire.

Tutu Atwell was given a chance to compete for the No. 3 spot but apparently hasn't done much with the opportunity. He previously lost the role to Robinson late last season, which led to a five-game stretch Weeks 13-17 in which Robinson scored four TDs while averaging 4.2 catches 63.8 yards on 6.8 targets per game. Robinson then re-signed on a one-year, $5 million contract in the offseason, setting him up for steady playing time in an offense that always ranks near the top of the league in percentage of passes thrown to WRs (rather than other positions). Granted, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua will see a lot more of those passes than Robinson, making it difficult to match his late-season production from last year.

Jeudy (leg) is going through individual drills Thursday, with coach Kevin Stefanski saying the wideout is "close" to returning to practice, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.

Jeudy previously missed June minicamp and has yet to practice with his teammates at training camp, but it sounds like he'll get back on the field with plenty of time to spare before the start of the regular season. The Browns traded for him in March and gave him a three-year extension shortly thereafter, presumably making Jeudy their new No. 2 receiver after Elijah Moore struggled in the role last year.

McMillan has been thriving throughout training camp and has drawn attention for his work ethic and attention to detail, Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

The rookie third-round pick has drawn praise from head coach Todd Bowles and quarterback Baker Mayfield, with the former singling out McMillan's intelligence and hunger for improvement while adding that "the receiving group loves him." The Washington product, who missed four games for the Huskies in 2023 due to a knee injury but was a 1,000-yard receiver the season prior, is capable of stretching the field and gaining separation but has also proven adept on choice and option routes. For his part, Mayfield has stated he's already learning that McMillan is also proficient in contested-catch situations, noting "he's going to make plays when the ball is in the air."

Tipton has drawn positive reviews from the New Orleans coaching staff for his performance during the team's early training camp practices, John DeShazier of the Saints' official site reports. "I think he's got the skill set," head coach Dennis Allen said of Tipton. "He's a smaller player, but he's got some real good quickness and he's a savvy route runner. He's got some football awareness, and so I think he understands kind of how to play the position."

An undrafted rookie out of Yale, Tipton has put his 4.33-second 40-yard dash speed on frequent display in camp, with DeShazier noting that the receiver turned in one of the highlights of practice Monday with a long touchdown catch down the sideline. Though Tipton already looks like a downfield threat, the 5-foot-11, 187-pound wideout will still need to show that his quickness can translate to underneath routes if he wants to separate himself from the rest of his competition for a roster spot. If Tipton continues to shine in preseason contests and earns his way onto the roster, he could push for the third spot in a receiver group that lacks much in the way of quality depth behind starters Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed.

Brown didn't practice Tuesday and was wearing a red no-contact shirt, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 Houston reports.

It's not clear what prompted Brown to be wearing the shirt, but it indicates he likely won't suit up for Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Bears. Brown is the mix for the fourth wideout spot, competing with Xavier Hutchinson, John Metchie, Ben Skowronek and Robert Woods.

The Steelers signed Black on Wednesday, Alan Saunders of SteelersNow.com reports.

Black was let go from the Ravens practice squad back in January and has now joined a division rival in the Steelers. The Texas product's most recent in-game action came in 2021 with the Jets, when he caught one pass for 10 yards in one contest. He's expected to compete for a depth role in the Steelers' wide receiver room as the preseason progresses.