NFL Player News

Pierce was held without a catch on three targets in Thursday's 27-13 preseason win over the Eagles.

Pierce made the mistake in the first week of the preseason, dropping what would've been a 30-plus yard completion on his lone target. His second game playing with Anthony Richardson didn't go much better, though this time the blame fell on the rookie quarterback for throwing to Pierce when he was blanketed in coverage. Michael Pittman remains the Colts' clear top WR option, but Pierce should be choice B or C ahead of Indy's regular-season opener against Jacksonville on Sept. 10.

Pittman caught two of his team-high five targets for 24 yards in Thursday's 27-13 preseason win over the Eagles.

Pittman accounted for five of the targets from Anthony Richardson, who completed only six of his 17 passes for 78 yards. The rookie may do wonders for a rushing game that appears highly unlikely to have RB Jonathan Taylor, but Richardson doesn't figure to do much for Pittman's production. The good news is that he's locked in as the top option in the passing game ahead of a Week 1 matchup with Jacksonville, and there's potential for better stats as Richardson develops or if he really hones in on Pittman as his go-to guy.

Robinson caught his lone target for a two-yard gain in Thursday's preseason game at Atlanta.

Robinson exclusively worked with the first-team offense this preseason, accounting for three of 15 targets from QB Kenny Pickett and ultimately catching two for 12 yards. Pickett had more luck throwing to returning starters Diontae Johnson, George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth, which isn't exactly a surprise given the expectation of those three being the team's top pass catchers. Robinson will try to prove he has enough left in the tank to be a helpful complementary option, starting with a Week 1 home game against San Francisco.

Pickens was targeted once and caught the pass for a 35-yard gain in Thursday's exhibition with Atlanta.

Pickens jumped over a defender for the long gain, showcasing a talent that was often on display during his rookie year. He was targeted once in each of Pittsburgh's three preseason games, accounting for three of the 15 targets (20 percent) from Kenny Pickett, and and caught all three passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. Pickens will open his second-year-breakout bid with a Week 1 home game against the 49ers.

Johnson caught his lone target for a 33-yard gain in Thursday's preseason game at Atlanta.

Johnson beat his man down the sideline to convert a 3rd-and-5 on the third snap of the game. Pittsburgh's starters ultimately needed only 11 plays to score 14 points over two drives, with QB Kenny Pickett sending each of his four pass attempts to a different receiver. George Pickens also made a big play downfield, finishing his preseason with three catches for 76 yards and a TD on three targets. Johnson accounted for four of the 15 Pickett passes this preseason, catching all four for a total of 65 yards. Johnson, Pickens and TE Pat Freiermuth figure to account for a large share of the team's targets Week 1 against a tough San Francisco defense.

General manager Dave Ziegler said he's "seen a lot of good stuff" from Renfrow (shoulder) during training camp, Anthony Galaviz of The Fresno Bee reports.

"It's been great to seen him feel great, playing great and ecstatic to see that development," Ziegler added. Renfrow was the subject of trade speculation earlier in the offseason and has barely been heard from this summer. He and Jakobi Meyers feel redundant as slot receivers, but the Raiders seemingly have a plan. Renfrow's fantasy startability is unlikely to return in 2023 if he's in Las Vegas.

Smith-Njigba underwent wrist surgery Thursday but remains without a clear timetable for return, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.

Coach Pete Carroll said the surgery "went great" but didn't put a timeline on Smith-Njigba's return to the field. With the season just over two weeks away, it's difficult to envision the rookie out there for Week 1, but it sounds like we should expect to see him debut sometime in the season's first month. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett will carry the bulk of the load in JSN's absence.

Thomas is looking "more like his old self" the more he practices at Saints camp, Luke Johnson of NOLA.com reports.

"Thomas looks to be hitting his stride," wrote Johnson. Rejuvenated and healthy, Thomas has been stacking strong practices together and looks to be getting closer to 100 percent ahead of Week 1. Now 30 years old and coming off three injury-ruined seasons, Thomas is hard to trust for fantasy, but he produced when he was on the field last year, catching 16 of 22 targets for 171 yards and three touchdowns in three games.

Jeudy is expected to miss several weeks with what is described as a moderate hamstring injury that he suffered during Thursday's practice, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report.

With that potential timeline in mind, Jeudy's status for Week 1 is in question. On the plus side, the report suggests that there's optimism that the wideout's issue won't be a long-term one that extends beyond the initial estimate. While Jeudy -- who is slated to undergo an MRI, per John Riker of the Broncos' official site -- is unavailable, Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims are in line to lead Denver's WR corps, with the likes of Brandon Johnson, Marquez Callaway and Kendall Hinton in the mix to claim added work during that span.

McLaurin (toe) is uncertain for Week 1 against Arizona even though the Commanders have expressed optimism, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

McLaurin seemed to know the injury could threaten his Week 1 availability, as he came over to the sideline and threw his right shoe after coming out of Monday's preseason win over Baltimore. Dyami Brown, the Commanders' No. 4 receiver, caught a TD pass from Sam Howell not long after, filling in alongside Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel to form the main three-wide grouping. The team's medical staff diagnosed McLaurin with turf toe after the game, and Schefter noted Thursday that it's typically a multi-week injury. Expect to see McLaurin on the Week 1 injury report, with practice limitations (or absences) a possibility even if he ends up playing.