NFL Player News

Though Vic Tafur of The Athletic suggests that coach Josh McDaniels seems unlikely to share which of his players will face the Jaguars in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game, he suggests that QB Derek Carr and other key starters (which describes Adams) will end up being spectators.

If Adams doesn't see any snaps Thursday or alternatively ends up making a cameo, he'll have three more chances to get a portion of preseason reps. In any case, as long as Adams avoids any injury issues ahead of Week 1, the Raiders' splashy offseason trade acquisition is poised to see plenty of targets in 2022 from QB Derek Carr, his former college quarterback at Fresno State.

Ateman signed a contract with the Cardinals on Thursday, Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic reports.

Ateman was signed by Arizona after the team cut offensive lineman Eric Smith Thursday. The wideout collected 20 catches for 270 yards and one touchdown over his first two professional seasons with the Raiders, but he has failed to record a reception since the 2019 campaign. Ateman spent last year on and off Las Vegas' practice squad, and he likely will compete for reps at wideout with Andre Baccellia and Jontre Kirklin in the preseason.

Brown has been Jalen Hurts' go-to target through six practices, including a lot of quick passes that allow the receiver to pick up yards after catch, ESPN.com's Tim McManus reports.

Nothing less was expected after the Eagles traded away first- and third-round picks then gave Brown a four-year, $100 million extension. He's a threat at every level of the field, finding different ways to use his unusual strength and toughness to beat up on defensive backs. The Eagles also need to make room for second-year WR DeVonta Smith and TE Dallas Goedert, along with a running game that carried the offense late last season, but there's zero question Brown is the favorite to lead the team in targets. The massive contract and long-standing friendship with Hurts don't hurt.

Doubs has become the rare rookie to earn praise from Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, who said Thursday that the young wideout makes at least one "wow play" per practice, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Rodgers also noted that the other wide receivers who looked similarly good right from the jump in Green Bay ended up in the top 10 for franchise receiving records. He's presumably referring to the likes of Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams and Randall Cobb... none of whom had more than 632 yards or three TDs as rookies. The early success for Doubs, a fourth-round pick, stands in stark contrast to second-rounder Christian Watson being sidelined by knee surgery, but it's still an uphill battle to earn playing time and targets as a rookie mid-round pick, especially with such a demanding quarterback who has a reputation for impatience with teammates' mental mistakes. Working in Doubs' favor are his early strong impression on Rodgers as well as Green Bay's lack of talent at wide receiver.

Drummond (groin) passed a physical examination and was activated off of the Cowboys' PUP list on Thursday.

Drummond will now be able to practice and play this preseason for Dallas. The 24-year-old should compete for one of the team's final wide receiver spots heading into the regular season.

Brown (hamstring) isn't practicing Thursday but is down on the field watching his teammates, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

Coach Kliff Kingsbury said earlier this week that he hoped to get Brown back in individual drills by Friday and back to full participation by Monday. That could still happen, though it isn't looking great at this point. Brown's recent arrest for speeding is less of an issue, as it didn't cost him any practice time and isn't likely to lead to an NFL suspension.

Cleveland has suffered cartilage damage in his neck and likely will sit out for the remainder of the preseason as a result, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

Cleveland will not require surgery after he was struck in the throat by a helmet during practice, and the Broncos hope he will be ready to return for the season opener Sept. 12 Klis. The 2020 seventh-round pick figures to see a larger role this coming regular season after fellow wideout Tim Patrick suffered a season-ending torn ACL in training camp. With Cleveland sidelined for the remainder of the offseason, wideouts Seth Williams and Travis Fulgham should see increased reps during Denver's upcoming slate of preseason games.

Johnson has agreed to a two-year extension with the Steelers that is reportedly worth up to $39.5 million, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Per the report, Johnson's new deal with Pittsburgh includes $27 million guaranteed. With that, the 2019 third-rounder, who racked up 107 catches (on 169 targets) for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns in 16 games last season, presumably is set to resume practicing fully with his teammates in short order. This coming season, the 26-year-old will maintain his standing as the Steelers' top option in a wideout corps that also includes fellow returnee Chase Claypool as well as rookies George Pickens and Calvin Austin. While the team's Week 1 starting QB has yet to be named, regardless of who gets the assignment, Johnson figures to continue to see a steady flow of targets in 2022.

Philips has been getting work on the first-team offense, with WRs coach Rob Moore noting Thursday that the rookie has "made some plays" and "immersed himself in the playbook,", Buck Reising of 104.5 The Zone reports.

Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com reported Tuesday that Philips was beginning to get some slot work with the first unit. He's off to a great start at training camp, by all accounts, but it's hard to see the fantasy upside for a rookie fifth-round pick slot specialist in a run-first offense with a mid-range starting quarterback. A lot would need to go wrong for the Titans for Philips to see more than 3-4 targets per game.

Woods (knee) hasn't been a full participant in practice, but he's making progress and his workload has included some 7-on-7 drills, ESPN.com reports.

Coming back from a mid-November ACL tear, Woods got in some work at the offseason program and then avoided the PUP list for the start of training camp. He's already said his goal is to be ready for Week 1, and he's on track to make that happen with five and a half weeks to go before Tennessee's season opener. Woods is the favorite to lead his new team in targets, though rookie first-round pick Treylon Burks is also a viable candidate.