NFL Player News

Robinson (foot) worked from the slot with the starting offense on the first day of training camp, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Robinson has moved past last year's season-ending foot injury and is expected to have a role with the starting offense, though perhaps only as the third receiver behind Diontae Johnson and George Pickens. The soon-to-be 30-year-old has plenty of experience playing both outside and from the slot, so the Steelers can also put him on the perimeter at times while using Johnson and/or a TE from the slot. As much as a rebound to mainstream fantasy relevance is unlikely at this point, it wouldn't be shocking if Robinson proves to be a real-life upgrade on the players Pittsburgh rotated through the No. 3 WR role last year.

Kupp (ankle) was a full participant Wednesday at the first practice of Rams training camp, Jordan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

The same goes for fellow wide receivers Van Jefferson and Ben Skowronek, both of whom also were limited/absent for spring practices. Kupp did individual drills at June minicamp and is now doing team work without restrictions in late July, seemingly back at full health after November surgery on a season-ending ankle injury. His past production combined with the Rams' poor alternatives at wide receiver gives Kupp a good argument for the largest target share projection in the league -- perhaps in the low 30s again -- but he's unlikely to be seeing those passes as part of a top-five offense the way he did a couple years back when his record-breaking performance helped the team win a Super Bowl.

Ridley is making a strong impression on teammates at training camp and told reporters he hasn't lost a step, John Oehser of Jaguars.com reports.

A slew of Jacksonville beat writers have praised Ridley's speed and route running, further fueling the considerable hype that's been building since the Falcons traded him to the Jaguars last fall. He's 21 months removed from his last NFL appearance, but it's easy enough to see why it's become increasingly rare for Ridley to make it past the third round of fantasy drafts. He's 28 years old, topped 1,300 yards in his last full season and now will catch passes from third-year pro Trevor Lawrence.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen confirmed Thursday that Merritt is now a running back, Jeff Nowak of Audacy Sports reports.

The 26-year-old had caught only one pass in his three-year NFL career before converting to running back this offseason. Merritt was signed as an undrafted rookie by the Dolphins in 2020 and spent two years in Miami before heading to New Orleans in 2022. He's most likely competing for a spot on the practice squad, as he'll be behind at least Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller at running back ahead of the coming season.

Addison was a full practice participant Wednesday, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

His first few months as a pro have been more eventful than he'd like, with Addison missing May/June practices due to an undisclosed injury and then in July receiving a citation for driving 140 miles per hour (in a 55 mph zone). He's apparently moved past the injury, and history suggests the NFL is unlikely to suspend him for a speeding violation that doesn't involve alcohol or other substances (especially if he can prove his reported claim that he was driving so fast because his dog had a health emergency). Early reports out of Minnesota camp have Jalen Nailor taking a lot of the first-team reps alongside Justin Jefferson and K.J. Osborn in three-wide sets, but Addison has plenty of time before Week 1 to push ahead of Nailor (and possibly Osborn as well).

Wilson hurt his ankle during Thursday's practice, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.

On the plus side, coach Robert Saleh noted afterward that all indications are that the Jets' top wideout will be okay. For now, consider Wilson day-to-day. The 2022 first rounder is coming off a strong rookie campaign in which he logged 83 catches for 1,103 yards and four touchdowns on 147 targets in 17 games.

Hyatt is returning to practice Thursday after exiting early Wednesday due to heat exhaustion, John Fennelly of Giants Wire reports.

He's far from the first rookie to struggle with heat and resulting fatigue during his first NFL training camp. The third-round pick still has a wide range of playing-time outcomes for his debut campaign, as the Giants' WR room offers quantity more so than quality, with up to seven or eight players potentially in the mix for top-three roles. Hyatt will probably come off the bench Week 1 but still has plenty of time to make an impression before then.

Wicks (concussion) did not take part in Thursday's training camp practice, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports.

The 2023 fifth-round pick will continue to compete for playing time in a crowded yet young and unproven Green Bay wide receiver room. In his junior season at Virginia, Wicks caught 57 passes for 1,203 yards and nine touchdowns. Don't be surprised if the rookie makes a strong push for the No. 3 or No. 4 receiver role once he recovers.

Cooper (undisclosed) is in line to miss a few more days due to what Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer describes as a "minor tweak."

Cooper, who participated in a walkthrough on the first day of training camp Saturday before leaving the field Sunday, can thus be considered day-to-day as he manages an unspecified issue. Once he returns to the field, Cooper will step back into his role as the top option in a Cleveland wideout corps that also includes Elijah Moore, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Cedric Tillman, among others.

In the wake of the knee injury Kadarius Toney sustained Sunday, Nate Taylor of the Athletic relays that Rice has seen increased work with the Chiefs' first-team offense.

Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said Rice has "made incremental improvements" each day, with Taylor noting that the 2023 second-rounder has seen the most first-team reps of any Chiefs wide receiver since Toney injured his knee. Given that Toney's Week 1 availability is up in the air, Rice has multiple paths to significant paying time early in his rookie season. Marquez Valdes-Scantling is the team's only returning starter from last year in the WR room, joined by Skyy Moore, Richie James, Justin Watson and Justyn Ross.