NFL Player News

Hill (hip) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Patriots after practicing on a limited basis Thursday and Friday, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

In addition to Hill, the Dolphins have also cleared fellow wideout Jaylen Waddle for Sunday's game after he was limited in practice this week due to a back injury. Through seven games to date, Hill has caught 53 of his 74 targets for 902 yards and seven touchdowns. He'll remain a high-volume target for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa this weekend, barring any in-game setbacks.

Waddle (back) doesn't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Patriots, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Waddle was a limited participant in practice Friday for a third consecutive day, but the Dolphins were apparently satisfied enough with what they saw from the wideout to clear him for Sunday. The 2021 first-round draft pick has had an injury-filled third NFL season thus far. He suffered a concussion in the Dolphins' previous matchup with the Patriots in Week 2, resulting in him sitting out Miami's Week 3 win over the Broncos. Waddle checked in and out of Miami's Week 7 loss to the Eagles due to the same back injury that affected his practice participation leading up to this Sunday's rematch with New England.

Woods (foot) won't play Sunday against the Panthers.

Woods didn't practice all week, and with the veteran wideout already ruled out for Sunday, he'll target a potential return to action Week 9 against the Buccaneers. In Woods' absence, Tank Dell and Noah Brown should both have clear paths to top-three roles within the Houston receiving corps along with No. 1 wideout Nico Collins.

Nailor (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at Green Bay.

Nailor appeared to be close to coming back in Week 7, so it seems he has a good shot to suit up in Week 8. If he plays Sunday, it will likely be exclusively on special teams.

Hutchinson (foot) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Panthers.

Hutchinson practiced fully Thursday and Friday after being a limited participant Wednesday, so the rookie is more likely than not to suit up, especially with Houston ruling out another receiver in Robert Woods (foot). Though he played his second-most snaps on offense (12) of the season in the Texans' last game Week 6 versus the Saints, Hutchinson won't necessarily see his role expand coming out of a Week 7 bye. While the Texans will be without Woods, the team will be getting rookie wideout Tank Dell (concussion) back from a one-game absence, leaving Hutchinson no better than fourth in the pecking order at receiver.

Moore doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Falcons after Tennessee head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed Friday that the receiver cleared the NFL's five-step concussion protocol, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Moore exited Tennessee's Week 6 game against Baltimore early after being diagnosed with the brain injury, but he was able to gain full clearance and practiced without limitations coming out of the team's Week 7 bye. He will have some combination of Will Levis and Malik Willis throwing to him Sunday, as starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill (ankle) has been ruled out against Atlanta.

Jones (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Steelers.

The news isn't surprising, as head coach Doug Pederson heavily implied earlier Friday that Jones wouldn't be available this weekend. Jones will sit for the fifth time in six games, paving the way for Jamal Agnew, Tim Jones and Elijah Cooks to rotate in as the No. 3 receiver behind Calvin Ridley and Christian Kirk. The Jaguars will are on bye Week 9, so Jones' next chance to play will come Nov. 12 against the 49ers.

Palmer (knee) is participating in individual drills at Friday's practice, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Palmer will likely be marked as a limited participant when the Chargers release Friday's practice report, which is still an improvement after he failed to practice Wednesday or Thursday. The wide receiver sported a sleeve on his right leg Friday and could have to play with some protection on his injured knee if he gets the green ligh to suit up Sunday against the Bears. He'll most likely be listed as questionable for the contest, which would leave Palmer's fantasy managers in a tough spot since Sunday's game doesn't kick off until 8:20 p.m. ET.

Johnson (hamstring) doesn't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Jaguars after practicing fully Friday, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

Johnson missed practice Thursday, but the wideout noted Friday that his absence a day earlier was maintenance-related. In his return from injured reserve in the Steelers' Week 7 win over the Rams, Johnson logged 39 of 59 snaps on offense and finished with five catches for 79 yards on six targets. With his availability confirmed for Week 8, Johnson could see a slight uptick in snaps while remaining a key target for quarterback Kenny Pickett along with fellow wideouts George Pickens and Allen Robinson.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Friday that James (knee) is "close" to returning from injured reserve, though the receiver remains without a clear timeline to resume playing, Pete Sweeney of ArrowheadPride.com reports.

Despite Reid's encouraging comments, James hasn't yet been designated for return from injured reserve since being deactivated ahead of the Chiefs' Week 3 game against the Bears. Since he hasn't resumed practicing with the team, James can safely be ruled out for Sunday's game in Denver, though a return Week 9 versus Miami could be more realistic if the Chiefs elect to open his 21-day evaluation window.