NFL Player News

Samuel (hamstring) didn't practice Saturday, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.

After stringing together three appearances in a row, Samuel again showed up on Washington injury reports this week, only this time sitting out with a hamstring issue as opposed to the groin concern he's dealt with since the offseason program. He'll have a bit more time than normal to get himself right with with the team's Week 15 game in Philadelphia getting pushed back to Tuesday. That said, if Samuel misses his ninth contest of the campaign, Terry McLaurin (concussion), DeAndre Carter, Adam Humphries, Dyami Brown, Dax Milne and Antonio Gandy-Golden could be the Football Team's options at wide receiver with Cam Sims (illness) on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

The Rams activated Beckham (illness) from the reserve/COVID-19 list Saturday.

After landing on the reserve list Tuesday due to a positive test of the virus, Beckham has cleared the necessary protocols to return to the active roster. He'll thus be available for Week 15 action against the Seahawks, though the game has been rescheduled from Sunday to Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Schwartz cleared the NFL's five-step concussion protocol and is now listed as questionable for Monday's game against the Raiders, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Schwartz had initially been deemed out for the contest, which was originally scheduled for Saturday. Due to COVID-19 concerns within the Cleveland organization, the NFL pushed back the Week 15 contest to Monday at 5 p.m. ET contest, giving the wideout renewed hope of playing. If Schwartz is active following a three-game absence, he could have a role in Cleveland's receiving corps along with Donovan Peoples-Jones and Rashard Higgins, especially if Jarvis Landry (illness) isn't activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list by Monday afternoon.

Goodwin (foot) is listed as doubtful for Monday's contest against the Lions.

Goodwin hasn't practiced all week so this isn't exactly a surprise. Expect Jakeem Grant and Damiere Byrd to see a healthier workload in the event Allen Robinson is unable to return off the reserve/COVID-19 list in time for Monday's game.

The Dolphins didn't activate Waddle from the reserve/COVID-19 list in advance of Sunday's game against the Jets, Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald reports.

Waddle first landed on the list Thursday after testing positive for the virus, per Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network. He'll thus target a potential return to action Week 16, when Miami faces the Saints on Dec. 27. In Waddle's absence, the Dolphins' top targets for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will likely be wideouts DeVante Parker and Albert Wilson, tight end Mike Gesicki and running back Myles Gaskin.

The Cardinals placed Hopkins (knee) on injured reserve Saturday, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.

Hopkins was poised to miss significant time due to a torn MCL, which was supposed to be addressed via surgery Friday. He has a wide range of recovery timelines, from six weeks on the low end to as much as 2-to-4 months on the other, per Josina Anderson of CBS Sports. Clearly, the latter timetable would rule Hopkins out through the entire postseason, but in any case the Cardinals will roll with A.J. Green, Christian Kirk, Rondale Moore, Antoine Wesley and Andy Isabella at wide receiver for the rest of the regular season and likely the playoffs, too.

McLaurin (concussion) practiced fully Saturday, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.

After suffering a concussion last Sunday against the Cowboys, McLaurin didn't practice Wednesday and then logged back-to-back limited sessions Thursday and Friday. By bumping up to all activity Saturday, he's reached the final stage on his quest through the protocol for head injuries. With two days to receive clearance from an independent neurologist, McLaurin has a decent shot to suit up Tuesday versus the Eagles. Who may be throwing him passes is up in the air, though, with both Taylor Heinicke (illness) and Kyle Allen (illness) on the reserve/COVID-19 list. If neither player is activated, McLaurin likely will be operating with Garrett Gilbert.

The Buccaneers are slated to place Perriman (undisclosed) on the reserve/COVID-19 list Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Perriman thus will be unavailable for Sunday's game against the Saints, leaving Tyler Johnson, Scotty Miller and Jaelon Darden as the reserves behind starting wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Assuming he clears league protocols in time, Perriman's next chance to play will be Sunday, Dec. 26 at Carolina.

The Panthers have promoted Snead to their 53-man roster ahead of Sunday's tilt versus the Bills, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official website reports.

Snead has gone back and forth between the practice squad and active roster all season. He will again help provide depth at wide receiver and presumably contribute on special teams.

Thielen (ankle) is listed as questionable for Monday's contest against the Bears, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

This is a somewhat surprising development as there were conflicting reports whether Thielen was even able to participate in Saturday's practice. Mark Craig of The Star Tribune reported Friday that Thielen would essentially be considered a game-time decision for Monday's pivotal divisional matchup, though a questionable designation on the team's final injury report would bode well for a possible return. If eventually ruled active for Monday, the star wideout would miss just one week after suffering a high ankle sprain during the Week 13 loss to the Lions.