NFL Player News

James (knee) will not practice Thursday, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

James is still recovering from an MCL injury and is likely on the wrong side of questionable for Sunday's game against the Bears. According to special-teams coach Dave Toub, if James misses, the team may turn to a committee of Kadarius Toney (toe), Skyy Moore and Justin Watson for return duties, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports.

Watson (hamstring) wasn't present at the media-access portion of Thursday's practice, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

After opening Week 3 prep with a limited session Wednesday, Watson doesn't appear to be ready to go with the hamstring injury that has kept him sidelined for the first two games of the campaign. If he goes down as a non-participant Thursday, he'll have just one more opportunity for on-field work before the Packers potentially give him a designation for Sunday's contest against the Saints.

St. Brown (toe) was present for Thursday's practice, Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com reports.

St. Brown didn't practice Wednesday, so his return to the field Thursday, in any capacity, is a step in the right direction for the wideout ahead of Sunday's game against the Falcons. The Lions' looming injury report will provide added context with regard to St. Brown's Week 3 status by clarifying his level of participation.

Toney (toe) won't practice Thursday, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Toney also missed Wednesday's session, so what the wideout is able to do (if anything) at Friday's practice will be telling with regard to his chances of playing Sunday against the Bears. After a forgettable one-catch effort in the Chiefs' season opener, Toney bounced back in the team's Week 2 win over the Jaguars, hauling in all five of his targets for 35 yards.

Robinson (knee), who is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the 49ers, is expected to be active for the contest barring any pregame setbacks, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

Robinson has missed the Giants' first two games of the season while continuing his recovery from the torn ACL he suffered in November 2022, but he looks poised to play Thursday, with his status to be confirmed when New York releases its inactive list 90 minutes prior to the 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff. If Robinson gets the green light to play Thursday, he may not be in store for a major role right off the bat, but the 2022 second-round pick could eventually get the chance to supplant Parris Campbell as the Giants' top option out of the slot. Before injuring his right knee Week 11 of last season, Robinson recorded 23 catches for 227 yards and a touchdown on 31 targets over six games.

Olszewski (concussion) was a non-participant at the Steelers' practice Wednesday, Teresa Varley of the team's official website reports.

Olszewski suffered a concussion in Monday's 26-22 win over Cleveland and has now opened the week unavailable for practice as a result. The wide receiver will have to clear concussion protocol prior to potentially playing Sunday versus the Raiders. It's unclear if Olszewski has taken any steps to do so, but he has two more chances to practice this week.

Nailor (hamstring) was a limited participant at the Vikings' practice Wednesday.

Nailor is dealing with an apparent hamstring injury, and his status for Week 3 versus Los Angeles is potentially in question. Minnesota has two more practices this week before they take on the Chargers on Sunday, and the wide receiver's status will be worth monitoring.

Smith was signed to the Cardinals' practice squad Wednesday, Darren Urban of the team's official website reports.

Smith will head to Arizona after entering the 2023 season without a team. The wide receiver was released with an injury settlement by the Giants in August after he suffered a knee injury, but he will now have a chance to prove himself with the Cardinals. Smith appeared in 11 games with the Jets in 2022, reeling in eight catches (on 11 targets) for 134 yards.

Watts signed with the Steelers' practice squad Wednesday.

Undrafted in 2023 out of Tulane, Watts spent the offseason with the Packers before being among the final cuts at the end of August. He caught a nine-yard pass on two targets during the preseason. Watts will be practice depth for Pittsburgh.

Metcalf (ribs) didn't take part in Wednesday's practice, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Metcalf emerged from Seattle's Week 2 overtime win at Detroit with sore ribs, which was something that forced him to hit the sidelines for a spell during that contest. He still finished with six catches (on six targets) for 75 yards on an 82 percent snap share. Head coach Pete Carroll told Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune on Monday that Metcalf would require a few days to recover from the injury, so his absence Wednesday isn't too much of a surprise. Metcalf has two more chances this week to get back on the practice field before the Seahawks potentially give him a designation ahead of Sunday's game against the Panthers.