NFL Player News

Colts coach Frank Reich suggested Pittman and most other starters won't play in Saturday's preseason game against Detroit, Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis reports.

After catching two passes for 30 yards in the preseason opener, Pittman had a big week against the Lions in joint practices, according to Colton Pouncey of The Athletic. Jonathan Taylor remains the centerpiece of Indy's offense, but Pittman is the clear top target for 37-year-old QB Matt Ryan, who completed six of 10 throws for 58 yards in the first week of the preseason. Pittman, Taylor and Ryan all start the regular season with enticing matchups Week 1 at Houston.

Smith is practicing again Thursday and hasn't had any setbacks with the groin injury that limited him last week, Eliot Shorr-Parks of Sports Radio 94 WIP Philadelphia reports.

Smith returned to practice Thursday after missing the Eagles' preseason opener. He's seemingly on track for an appearance against the Browns this Sunday, though it hasn't been confirmed one way or the other and likely depends on the team's plan for starters in general.

Brown missed practice Thursday with a toe injury, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Brown sat out Dallas' second joint practice with the Chargers due to a toe injury, though it is not expected to be a long-term issue. Fellow wideout CeeDee Lamb (foot laceration) also missed practice, so the Cowboys are without some of their more experienced pass catchers as they prepare for Saturday's preseason contest against the Chargers. Brown remains the favorite to open the season as the No. 3 wide receiver behind Lamb and rookie Jalen Tolbert assuming that Michael Gallup (knee) is not ready for Week 1.

Wilkerson suffered a concussion during practice Wednesday, and he's unlikely to play in Friday's preseason game against the Panthers, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports.

Wilkerson needed to be carted off the field after the hit, but he is feeling "fine" according to Callahan. Assuming Wilkerson does miss Friday's contest, he'll still have one more in-game opportunity to earn a roster spot on Friday, Aug. 26 against the Raiders.

Shepard (Achilles) is running routes Thursday and ramping up his practice workload, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports.

Shepard remains on the PUP list as he works his way back from a torn left Achilles suffered Week 15 last season, but beginning on-field rehab work is a notable step in the right direction. The Giants figure to continue easing Shepard back toward a full practice load with caution, as the team has Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney (leg) and rookie second-rounder Wan'Dale Robinson handle three-receiver sets in the meantime.

Coach Andy Reid noted Thursday that there's a good chance Smith-Schuster (knee) will return to practice next week, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

With that in mind, Smith-Schuster isn't in line to play in Saturday's preseason game against the Commanders, but Reid's comment suggests that the wide receiver's knee issue isn't viewed as a major concern. When healthy, Smith-Schuster is slated to be a key target for QB Patrick Mahomes in a Kansas City offense that has plenty of targets up for grabs following the offseason departure of Tyreek Hill.

Hardman (groin), who left Wednesday's session early, didn't practice Thursday, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports,

On the plus side, per Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com, coach Andy Reid relayed that Hardman is making progress and hasn't been ruled out for Saturday's preseason contest against Washington. While it's possible that the wideout is held out for precautionary reasons, it does appear that Hardman's injury isn't a long-term concern.

Hardman's groin injury isn't considered serious, Independent NFL reporter Dov Kleiman reports.

The timing in mid-August could still put his Week 1 availability in question, but it at least seems Hardman is expected to avoid a long-term absence. He's been competing for WR snaps and targets in a group that also includes JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee), Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Skyy Moore. In the preseason opener, Hardman worked as the No. 3 receiver, coming in behind Smith-Schuster and Valdes-Scantling for three-wide sets. Moore worked with the backups but could see more reps with the starters while Hardman is on the shelf.

Fryfogle (undisclosed) reverted to Dallas' injured reserve Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

Fryfogle was waived/injured Monday and went unclaimed on waivers. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cowboys after the 2022 NFL Draft but will have to wait until at least 2023 to make his professional debut.

Gray (hip/back) returned to full practice participation during Wednesday's joint session with the Vikings, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

In the wake of last Friday's preseason win over the Packers, head coach Kyle Shanahan told Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area that Gray was dealing with hip and back soreness, which was expected to sideline the wideout for a few days. Gray proceeded to miss the 49ers' ensuing two practices before the team made the trip to Minnesota. During 7-on-7 drills Wednesday, the rookie third-round pick connected with Trey Lance on a deep ball down the right sideline, reminiscent of his 76-yard score down the left sideline in the exhibition opener. Assuming he's back to 100 percent, Gray should get some run during Saturday's matchup with the Vikings.