NFL Player News

Washington caught two of three targets for 25 yards and returned two kickoffs for 55 yards in the Broncos' 42-15 loss to the Bills.

Washington continues to make big-time plays for the Broncos as both a receiver and a returner. The rookie is receiving praise from both coaches and teammates, demonstrating that he can be a versatile weapon on offense and special teams. As Denver looks to find a way to replace Tim Patrick (knee), it seems increasingly plausible that Washington could lock himself into the No. 4 spot on the wide receiver depth chart behind Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler.

Darden failed to bring in any of his three targets, returned one kickoff for 25 yards and ran back one punt for no gain in the Buccaneers' 13-3 preseason loss to the Titans on Saturday night.

The fact Darden came up empty on offense while a couple of other candidates for a depth receiver and/or returner role -- Deven Thompkins and Jerreth Sterns -- tallied a pair of receptions apiece could prove detrimental. Joey Knight of the Tampa Bay Times notes Darden made a questionable decision fielding a punt at the nine-yard line and then didn't accomplish anything of note on his kickoff return opportunity, putting some extra pressure on him to stand out in all phases during Saturday night's road preseason finale against the Colts.

Johnson caught three of four targets for 41 yards in Sunday's 25-22 preseason win over the Bengals.

Johnson had two catches for 33 yards over the first three drives while Daniel Jones was in the game, then stayed in for some more action with backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor. The 24-year-old wide receiver's usage in this one was encouraging, and this outing coupled with his 82-yard performance in the Giants' preseason opener have Johnson firmly in contention to make Big Blue's roster. Johnson will have one more opportunity to add to his successful preseason when the Giants take on the Jets next Sunday.

Robinson caught all three of his targets for minus-3 yards in Sunday's 25-22 preseason win over the Bengals.

New York made a conscious effort to get the ball into the rookie second-round pick's hands with short passes around the line of scrimmage, but the Cincinnati defense closed quickly, and Robinson failed to make people miss. Robinson brings a similar skill set to 2021 first-round pick Kadarius Toney, who sat this one out with a leg injury, but Toney's extra year of experience presumably puts him ahead of Robinson in the pecking order when both are healthy.

Johnson brought in both targets for 24 yards in the Buccaneers' 13-3 preseason loss to the Titans on Saturday night.

Johnson co-led the Bucs in receptions on the night despite his modest total, the second time in as many exhibitions he's been at the top of the leaderboard in that department. His roster spot is secure, but it's still encouraging to see him generate serviceable production relative to playing time and inconsistent quarterback play.

Eskridge (hamstring) practiced without limitations Sunday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Eskridge had been bothered by a hamstring injury for the entirety of camp up to this point, but the 2021 fifth-round pick has finally returned to full health. He's expected to make Seattle's 53-man roster, but Eskridge sits fourth at best on the wide receiver depth chart behind DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Freddie Swain.

Koski (shoulder) reverted to the Rams' injured reserve Sunday, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

Koski was waived with an injury designation Saturday, but he'll remain with the Rams after going unclaimed on waivers. Unless he reaches an injury settlement with the team, he'll be forced to miss the 2022 season.

Thomas (hamstring) didn't practice Sunday, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com reports.

At this stage, the severity of Thomas's hamstring issue is unclear, but until further information is available, consider the wideout day-to-day ahead of Friday's preseason game against the Chargers.

Waddle (undisclosed) was held out of Saturday's preseason game against the Raiders as a precaution, Hal Habib of The Palm Beach Post reports.

Per Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald, coach Mike McDaniel indicated that the team plans to get Waddle "involved a little bit" in the coming days, albeit with a degree of caution, with the wideout possibly managing an unspecified injury. In any case, Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post relays via McDaniel that there's no concern regarding Waddle's Week 1 availability.

Watkins caught both of his targets for 19 yards in Sunday's 21-20 preseason win over the Browns.

Watkins went for gains of 12 and seven yards on his respective grabs, which both came from quarterback Gardner Minshew, who started with Jalen Hurts sitting out. His stat line was similar to those of Jalen Reagor (two catches for 17 yards) and Zach Pascal (one catch for 15 yards), who represent Watkins' top competition for looks behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith this season.