NFL Player News

The Patriots designated Thornton (collarbone) to return from injured reserve Wednesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

The transaction opens a 21-day window for the rookie to practice with the team before New England would have to add him to the active roster or keep him on IR for the remainder of the season. He can return as soon as Sunday's game against the Lions if he's deemed healthy, but Thornton likely will start off in a part-time role when he first joins the New England offense.

Bateman (foot) isn't practicing Wednesday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Bateman had a rough Week 4, dropping three passes and finishing with only 17 yards before exiting with a foot injury in the fourth quarter of a 23-20 loss to the Bills. Head coach John Harbaugh called Bateman day-to-day on Monday, but even if his foot injury isn't a long-term issue, the wideout could still miss time. The Ravens don't have much depth behind him, with Devin Duvernay and Demarcus Robinson getting most of the receiver snaps that haven't gone to Bateman.

Dotson (hamstring) didn't practice Wednesday, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

The Commanders haven't ruled Dotson out for Sunday's game against the Titans, but it isn't a great sign that head coach Ron Rivera said the receiver might miss a week or two. While his 22 targets rank only fourth on the team, Dotson's 12 catches include four touchdowns and two gains of more than 30 yards, giving Carson Wentz a second big-play threat alongside Terry McLaurin. The problem right now for Washington is poor quarterback play and blocking, with the latter partially due to injury concerns that may carry over to Week 5. The Commanders had 2021 third-round pick Dyami Brown fill in after Dotson's departure last week, but they could also turn to Cam Sims if the rookie first-round pick is indeed out this Sunday.

James missed Wednesday's practice with an ankle injury, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

The injury might explain, at least partially, why James dropped from 31 or more snaps and five or more targets in each of the Giants' first three games down to 21 snaps (32 percent) and three targets in Sunday's 20-12 win over the Bears. His role was scaled back early on, however, so it may have been more about the Giants giving Kenny Golladay (knee) another chance without taking David Sills off the field. Golladay then left the game early, at which point Darius Slayton picked up significant playing time for the first time this season. At this early point in the week with so may receivers injured, it's nearly impossible to decipher who will get targets for the Giants this Sunday against the Packers in London.

McKenzie remains in the NFL's concussion protocol as of Wednesday, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.

McKenzie was expected to be ready to practice in a limited fashion Wednesday, but Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic notes that the receiver didn't participate in the media-access portion of the session. An official update on the extent of McKenzie's practice participation will come later Wednesday, when the Bills release their first Week 5 injury report.

Shenault (hamstring) isn't practicing Wednesday, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Shenault was the star of Carolina's Week 3 win over the Saints despite operating as only the No. 4 receiver, but he popped up on the Week 4 injury report and then aggravated his hamstring during the loss to Arizona. The Panthers haven't commented on the results of the MRI that Shenault had Monday.

The Bears designated Harry (ankle) for return from injured reserve Wednesday.

Harry has spent the entire season on IR, but he'll now be eligible to partake in practices and can return to the field as soon as he's cleared by the Bears. Justin Fields and Chicago's passing game are in dire need of a spark, so the 2019 first-round pick could have a real path to offensive opportunities once back to full health. The best statistical season of Harry's career came in 2020, when he racked up 309 total receiving yards.

Proehl (knee) was designated to return from the PUP list and returned to practice Wednesday, Craig Peters of the Vikings' official site reports.

Proehl missed the entire 2021 campaign after tearing his ACL during training camp last season. He started the 2022 season on the PUP list, which sidelined him for the first four games, but he's returned to practice at the earliest possible time. Regardless, the wideout likely still has a few hurdles to clear before he'll be ready for game action. His participation in practice starts a 21-day window for him to be added to the active roster, but he if he isn't, he'll revert back to the PUP list for the remainder of the campaign.

Toney (hamstring) will practice Wednesday in a limited capacity, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Toney's hamstring injury has forced him to miss two straight games, but the Giants will hope to have him back on the field Sunday versus the Packers in London. The 2021 first-round pick's season-high snap share was just 37 percent Week 2, but he could be in line for added opportunities if available this weekend. Sterling Shepard (knee) is out for the season, Kenny Golladay (knee) is likely to miss time with an MCL sprain and has been a non-factor when healthy, and Wan'Dale Robinson (knee) hasn't played since Week 1.

Brown corralled one of his four targets for a six-yard reception in Sunday's 25-10 loss to the Cowboys.

The reception and the targets were the first of the season for Brown, who hadn't drawn a look in the passing game while playing 16 snaps on offense in Washington's first three games. He was still on the field for less than 30 percent of the time in Week 4, but Brown could see his playing time pick up Week 5 against the Titans. The Commanders are unlikely to have rookie wideout Jahan Dotson (hamstring) available for that contest and could turn to Brown to serve as his primary replacement.