NFL Player News

Smith-Schuster (knee) won't play in Thursday's preseason finale against Green Bay, Herbie Teope of The Kansas City Star reports.

Coach Andy Reid said last week that he expected Smith-Schuster back in practice this week, but it didn't happen Monday or Tuesday with Kansas City preparing for their preseason finale. The veteran wide receiver still has two and a half weeks to recover from his knee injury before facing the Cardinals in Week 1.

Lazard isn't expected to play in Green Bay's final preseason game Thursday against Kansas City, with the Packers holding out their top players to prepare for Week 1 at Minnesota, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Lazard enters the season as Green Bay's top wideout, albeit with a track record that suggests he'll probably be one of the more lightly targeted No. 1 receivers in the league. The quality and location of his targets should be good, and he gets a nice matchup to start the season against a Minnesota defense that allowed WRs to score a league-high 42.4 PPR points per game last year. The Vikings did use two early draft picks on defensive backs this year however, giving new DC Ed Donatell some potential solutions for that weakness.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday that he's undecided whether Watson (knee) will play in Thursday's preseason finale against the Chiefs, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Watson returned to practice last week for the first time since spring and has worked his way into full-team drills over the last couple days. However, Green Bay is still expected to remain extremely cautious with their second-round pick, so it's unclear if they'll thrust him into game action yet. While Watson won't need preseason experience to suit up Week 1, the exhibition game would certainly give him a prominent platform to prove himself capable of a sizable role heading into the regular season. Aaron Rodgers' comments have suggested the veteran wideouts (Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb) would get the majority of playing time to start the regular season, but Watson and fellow rookie Romeo Doubs have both shown flashes of greatness early in their careers.

Williams (knee) was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list by the Lions on Tuesday.

Williams tore his ACL on Jan. 10, so it's not a surprise that he won't be ready to start the coming season. Tuesday's transaction ensures that the No. 12 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft will miss at least the Lions' first four contests. In his absence, the team's wideout corps will be led by Amon-Ra St. Brown and DJ Chark.

Shenault (hamstring) caught his only target for six yards and returned two punts for five yards during Saturday's preseason loss to the Steelers.

The 23-year-old sat out the previous preseason contest due to a hamstring injury. He played only 10 offensive snaps in his return to action Saturday and hasn't made much noise so far in training camp, per John Shipley of SI.com. Shenault also muffed a punt -- which he recovered -- but the muff itself could loom large as he attempts to carve out a role as a depth wideout. The best-case scenario for the third-year pro is likely the No. 4 spot on the wide receiver depth chart if Christian Kirk, Marvin Jones and Zay Jones stay healthy, but Shenault could also fall behind Laquon Treadwell or undrafted rookie Tim Jones, who caught five passes for 70 yards Saturday.

Boykin (ribs) secured his lone target for nine yards during the Steelers' 16-15 preseason win over the Jaguars on Saturday.

Boykin dealt with a hip injury over the last week, but the issue didn't prevent him from playing during Pittsburgh's second preseason matchup. However, he was on the field for just 14 percent of the team's offensive snaps after playing 41 percent during the preseason opener. The 2019 third-rounder will have one more chance to make an impact during the preseason Sunday against the Lions.

Newsom was waived by the Bears on Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Newsome could be set for a fresh start elsewhere if he gets claimed off waivers, otherwise he may return to the Bears' practice squad where he spent the majority of the 2021 campaign. The wide receiver caught two passes for 23 yards while appearing in three games with Chicago last season. Newsome possesses top-level speed and could operate as a return specialist if he heads to a new squad.

Shepard (Achilles) has a chance to be activated from the PUP list before Week 1, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

If he isn't activated before Week 1, the veteran slot receiver will be ineligible for the Giants' first four games. Activation therefore would imply that the team expects him to be ready at some point in September, if not for the regular-season opener. There's some question about Shepard's role and usage even if he's cleared soon, as rookie second-round pick Wan'Dale Robinson has been the No. 3 receiver and main slot guy with the first-team offense this summer. If that continues, Shepard could still get on the field as a sub for starters Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney, a duo that's long on talent but perhaps short on durability and consistency. Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record believes Shepard has a shot to be ready for Week 1.

Edwards caught his only target for 12 yards in Monday's preseason loss to the Jets.

Edwards has battled a shoulder injury for much of camp but managed to make his preseason debut. He made his only catch of the game on Atlanta's third offensive play on a pass delivered by Marcus Mariota. Edwards has lined up as one of the team's top three receivers when available during training camp, and his usage Monday also suggests that he will be a significant part of the offense to begin the regular season.

Watson (knee) fully participated during the Packers' 11-on-11 drills Monday for the first time this preseason, Mike Spofford of the team's official site reports.

Watson followed up his debut in team sessions Sunday with an impressive 25-yard reception over cornerback Rico Gafford toward the end of second-team 11-on-11 drills Monday, according to Spofford. The rookie wideout has been hampered this preseason while recovering from an offseason knee procedure, though this leaping grab Monday seems to indicate that he's fully healthy for the first time since the start of training camp. Barring any setbacks, Watson should be set to make his preseason debut during Green Bay's final exhibition against the Chiefs on Thursday. This game also could provide the first-round pick with a prominent platform to prove himself over fellow rookie receiver Romeo Doubs heading into the regular season.