NFL Player News

Johnson reeled in seven of eight targets for 82 yards in Thursday's 23-21 preseason victory over New England.

Johnson led New York pass catchers in targets, receptions and yards in the opening game of the preseason slate. The third-year pro caught five passes for 51 yards in Week 3 last season but had only six receptions the rest of the campaign. He's on the bubble for a spot on the 53-man roster, so Thursday's performance could prove to be especially important for his chances of making the squad.

James caught three of five targets for 44 yards and a touchdown in a 23-21 preseason win over the Patriots on Thursday.

Collin Johnson led New York pass catchers with seven receptions and 82 yards, but James corralled the only touchdown, running a nice route to gather a seven-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor in the second quarter. James is competing with a handful of other receivers for a spot on the 53-man roster, so Thursday's solid showing could go a long way toward that goal.

Robinson was listed as a starter but wasn't targeted in Thursday's 23-21 preseason win at New England.

Fellow starting wide receiver Kenny Golladay and No. 1 quarterback Daniel Jones played the first two possessions of the game, so Robinson likely logged at least as much action as the established pair. A second-round pick in the 2022 Draft, Robinson impressed throughout the offseason program and training camp and was listed on the first-team offense on the Giants' first unofficial depth chart, putting himself in good standing in a receiving corps that's injury prone. At the moment, second-year pro Kadarius Toney (leg) isn't practicing, and Sterling Shepard (Achilles) remains on the PUP list, leaving Golladay, Robinson and Darius Slayton as the team's top healthy options.

Thornton caught both of his targets for nine yards and a touchdown in Thursday's 23-21 preseason loss to the Giants.

Thornton capped the first quarter with a two-yard touchdown catch to get the Patriots on the board, putting an exclamation point on his NFL debut. The rookie second-round pick out of Baylor was drafted to stretch the field in the methodical New England offense, but Thornton could carve out a more prominent role if he proves to be an effective option in the red zone, and Thursday's touchdown should help in that regard. Thornton will look to build on this promising debut when the Patriots host the Panthers on Aug. 19 for their next preseason game.

Philips failed to bring in his only target and returned two punts for 16 yards in the Titans' 23-10 preseason loss to the Ravens on Thursday night.

The rookie fifth-round pick drew the second target of the night on the opening drive from Malik Willis, but that was the extent of his involvement on offense. Philips did muster a 13-yard return when the Ravens were forced to punt on their first drive, yet he wasn't able to carry over any of the momentum he'd generated as a receiver in recent camp practices. The UCLA product will need to have much more of a presence on offense beginning with the Titans' next exhibition matchup against the Buccaneers a week from Saturday night to make his case for slotting in a WR corps that also includes Robert Woods, Treylon Burks and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.

Coach John Harbaugh said Proche wasn't available for Thursday's preseason game against the Titans due to a soft-tissue injury that will sideline the wide receiver 1-to-2 weeks, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports. "It's not going to be too long," Harbaugh added.

If the given timetable surpasses the two-week mark, Proche could be in danger of missing the Ravens' final two exhibitions on Sunday, Aug. 21 in Arizona and Saturday, Aug. 27 against the Commanders. In a Ravens receiving corps with few proven commodities outside of tight end Mark Andrews, Proche seems poised to miss out on opportunities to make his mark during a key time of the NFL calendar. Tylan Wallace picked up a knee injury Thursday, while the team held out its presumed top two wideouts Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay, who both recently missed time with health concerns. If Proche gets healthy sooner than later, he again will be able to push for depth chart slotting.

Bridges caught four of five targets for a team-high 62 yards and a touchdown in Friday's 23-10 preseason win over Tennessee.

As a 24-year-old undrafted rookie from an FCS program, Bridges came to camp facing an uphill battle but reportedly made a good impression in practice even before his big moment Thursday night. The Ravens rested nearly all of their starters and mostly used Tylan Wallace (knee), Jaylon Moore and Binjimen Victor as their wide receivers early in Thursday's game, but Bridges also got playing time with QB Tyler Huntley and the second-stringers, including back-to-back snaps late in the second quarter where he converted a 3rd-and-5 and then scored a 14-yard TD on a jump ball in the end zone. Bridges may have gained ground on Wallace, Moore and/or Victor in the battle for backup roles, though reports from training camp seem to favor Moore over the others.

Burks rushed once for four yards and failed to bring in his only target in the Titans' 23-10 preseason loss to the Ravens on Thursday night.

The much-talked-about rookie was very quiet in his first game action, which offered Burks an early opportunity to quiet some of the criticism he'd faced earlier this offseason for his conditioning issues. The 18th overall pick naturally has a solid opportunity to make a first-year impact with A.J. Brown now in Philadelphia, and the Titans will almost certainly try to get him more involved in their next exhibition contest, which unfolds a week from Saturday night at home against the Buccaneers.

Coach John Harbaugh said Wallace suffered a minor knee sprain during Thursday's preseason win against the Titans, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Wallace managed to reel in one of two targets for three yards and tally one carry for minus-four yards before departing in the first quarter. He picked up the knee issue on the aforementioned end-around, after which he went to the blue medical tent and didn't return. The decision may have been one of precaution, and Harbaugh told Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic that he's unsure how much time Wallace may miss.

Fountain (groin) returned to Chiefs practice Thursday, Pete Sweeney of ArrowheadPride.com reports

Fountain was a full participant during Kansas City's practice Thursday after dealing with various injuries over the past week. The 2018 fifth-round pick was elevated for two games from the Chiefs' practice squad last season, and he'll have to prove his value both as a pass catcher and on special teams this preseason if he wants to secure a role on the team's final 53-man roster.