NFL Player News

Claypool said Tuesday that he's fully healthy after dealing with two shoulder injuries earlier in training camp, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

He got hurt after two practices and missed a week and a half, then suffered another shoulder injury two days after returning to practice. His second absence was shorter -- though it did include Pittsburgh's preseason opener -- with Claypool getting back on the field at practice Monday morning. He now says he's healthy, which means he could play in Saturday's exhibition at Jacksonville. With the Steelers' receiving corps hit hard by injuries, Claypool and rookie George Pickens should get most of the first-team snaps this weekend, assuming both play and the Steelers don't rest their starters.

The Colts released Ford on Tuesday, per independent NFL reporter Dov Kleiman.

Ford spent four years in Miami before signing a one-year deal with the Colts this offseason. However, the 2017 seventh-round pick is among the first wave of cuts ahead of Tuesday's 85-man roster deadline. Ford has totaled 63 receptions for 681 yards and two touchdowns across 22 career appearances.

Austin has a walking boot on his injured left foot, Dale Lolley of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

With Anthony Miller (shoulder) out for the season and a number of other wide receivers banged up, Pittsburgh enters Week 2 of the preseason looking awfully thin at the position. Austin doesn't seem likely to play this Sunday against Jacksonville, though it isn't yet clear how serious his foot injury might be. The rookie fourth-round pick should be in the mix for the fourth or fifth WR spot behind Diontae Johnson (hip), Chase Claypool (shoulder) and fellow rookie George Pickens.

Godwin (knee) is handling 7-on-7 work in Tuesday's practice, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

Godwin is participating in 7-on-7 work for the first time since undergoing surgery to repair his right ACL, a notable step forward from individual drills. The Buccaneers will doubtless continue to take a cautious approach with Godwin's recovery, but his progress is good news for the team, especially with Mike Evans (hamstring) and Russell Gage (leg) not practicing this week.

Gage (leg) will not practice this week, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Coach Todd Bowles said Gage and fellow wideout Mike Evans (hamstring) will sit out this week's joint practices with Tennessee. The severity of Gage's leg injury remains undisclosed, but it's obvious the Buccaneers are prioritizing his health for Week 1, and not Saturday's upcoming preseason game against the Titans.

Coach Todd Bowles said Tuesday that Evans (hamstring) will not practice this week, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Evans and teammate Russell Gage (leg) will both refrain from participating in joint practices with the Titans this week. The Buccaneers' top priority will be to let Evans rest up and get healthy for Week 1, but with Chris Godwin (knee) also working his way back from an ACL injury, it's notable that the team remains without most of its top pass catchers in practice.

Toney (leg) is participating in individual drills during Tuesday's practice, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

Toney is also participating in some positional drills Tuesday. The second-year wideout isn't expected to fully practice this week after having sat out the Giants' first preseason contest, but it's encouraging to see him participating in some capacity. New York appears likely to take a cautious approach with Toney's health, so he may not suit up for Sunday's preseason game against the Bengals.

Geiger brought in all four targets for 52 yards and returned one punt for no gain in the Buccaneers' 26-24 preseason loss to the Dolphins on Saturday night.

The undrafted Texas Tech product put some good work on tape during the exhibition opener, checking in second or tied for second in receptions, receiving yards and targets on the night. Andrew Crane of the Tampa Bay Times notes head coach Todd Bowles made specific mention of the rookie's performance, which included 26- and 19-yard catches, noting "Geiger turned it on" when running through which young wideouts made a strong impression during the contest. Despite the encouraging showing, however, Geiger still faces long odds to snag a spot in a deep receiver room, but he could certainly be a candidate for the practice squad with another pair of strong performances this preseason.

Thompkins brought in two of three targets for 11 yards, returned one kickoff for 17 yards and ran back one punt for five yards in the Buccaneers' 26-24 preseason loss to the Dolphins on Saturday night.

The rookie put together a solid body of work overall in the preseason opener, and Greg Auman of The Athletic currently projects Thompkins to make the team as a No. 7 receiver due to his ability to contribute on special teams. Thompkins was also a prolific performer as a receiver during his one full season at Utah State, finishing with a school-record 102 receptions and 1,704 yards -- along with 10 touchdowns -- as a senior across 14 games in 2021.

Sterns secured all four targets for 51 yards and a touchdown in the Buccaneers' 26-24 preseason loss to the Dolphins on Saturday night.

Sterns had a prolific college career at Western Kentucky that included a pair of 100-catch seasons, and he'd been building some momentum in training camp practices heading into Saturday night. Sterns didn't disappoint once the lights went on, highlighting his solid night with a 19-yard touchdown grab midway through the third quarter. While the Buccaneers' top five wideout spots are likely etched in stone when factoring in the projected inclusion of Tyler Johnson on the final 53-man roster, Greg Auman of The Athletic predicts Sterns could be a candidate for a likely No. 7 receiver spot if he can produce similarly in the Buccaneers' final two preseason games.