NFL Player News

Gage was limited at Wednesday's practice by a groin injury, Scott Bair of the Falcons' official site reports.

Gage and Tajae Sharpe led Falcons wide receivers with respective 68 percent snap shares this past Sunday against the Panthers without Calvin Ridley, who missed his second game of the season due to personal reasons. The result was no targets for Gage, while Sharpe paced Atlanta with 58 yards receiving on five catches and six targets. Now, Gage is tending to a health concern, which could inhibit his viability in the short term.

Beasley (ribs) didn't practice Wednesday, Chris Brown of the Bills' official site reports.

Brown notes that Beasley did leave Sunday's win over the Dolphins briefly, but the Bills' slot man ended up logging 52 of a possible 73 snaps on offense while catching 10 of his 13 targets for 110 yards. Beasley's participation level in Thursday's practice should add a degree of clarity with regard to his status for this weekend's game against the Jaguars.

Samuel (calf) won't practice Wednesday, Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee reports.

Samuel sat out last Wednesday, too, due to a calf injury before returning in a limited capacity Thursday and practicing in full Friday. He was able to suit up this past Sunday in Chicago and churn out 171 yards on six catches, but coach Kyle Shanahan relayed Samuel aggravated the issue in that contest. Shanahan expects him to return to drills Thursday and also play Week 9 against the Cardinals, per David Lombardi of The Athletic, but the wide receiver's status bears watching as this week goes on.

Marshall (concussion) practiced in full Wednesday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

Marshall remains in the NFL's five-step concussion protocol, but considering his full activity to begin Week 9 prep, he's closing in on gaining clearance from an independent neurologist. He's been sidelined the past two games due to the head injury, but his absence hasn't had a trickle-down effect on depth receivers Shi Smith and Alex Erickson, who have combined for one catch and three targets during that stretch.

Toney (thumb) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Toney didn't play Week 7 due to an ankle injury but returned to action this past Monday in Kansas City. During that contest, he spent some time on the sideline and the locker room receiving treatment for what head coach Joe Judge later revealed to be a laceration on his hand. The injury won't keep Toney from practicing to kick off Week 9 prep, which is more than can be said for fellow wideouts Kenny Golladay (knee) and Sterling Shepard (quadriceps).

Shepard (quadriceps) was held out of practice Wednesday, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

The same can be said for Kenny Golladay (knee), while Kadarius Toney (thumb) was a limited participant. The top of the Giants' receiving corps has been hindered by injuries for most of the season, while Saquon Barkley has been sidelined since Week 5 due to a sprained ankle. Shepard has been heavily utilized when available, averaging 8.6 targets in his five outings this season en route to a 32-324-1 receiving line. He'll likely need to practice in some capacity over the next two days to make his sixth appearance of the season Sunday against the Raiders.

Koski was signed by the Rams on Wednesday.

Koski was waived by the Rams ahead of the initial 53-man roster deadline, but he has rejoined the team after they released DeSean Jackson. The 24-year-old hasn't played a snap in the NFL, so his role will likely be initially limited to special teams.

Peoples-Jones (groin) will return to practice Wednesday, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Peoples-Jones, who injured his groin in pregame warmups Week 7 and was unable to play a snap in the Browns' win over the Broncos, was inactive this past Sunday in Cleveland's loss to Pittsburgh. His return to practice suggests that he could return to action this weekend against the Bengals, and if that's the case, Peoples-Jones could potentially step into an expanded role, as the status of fellow wideout Odell Beckham (shoulder/personal) is currently unclear.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said that general manager Andrew Berry and Beckham's (shoulder) representatives are in the process of discussing the wideout's status with the team after he was excused from Wednesday's practice, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Stefanski wouldn't confirm that Beckham asked to be released after the Browns didn't move him elsewhere ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline, but the coach said the matter would be something the front office and the wideout's reps would address, per Cabot. Beckham has been playing through a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder for the past two weeks and has struggled to make an impact in the passing game, generating a 3-29-0 receiving line across seven targets during that span. The injury doesn't look to be anything that will affect Beckham's ability to play Week 9 against the Bengals, but his relationship with the organization may be fraying after his father posted a video and a comment on social media Tuesday that appeared to criticize quarterback Baker Mayfield. Beckham remains under contract for two more seasons with no guaranteed money left on his deal, though it may be more prudent for the Browns to move on from him in the offseason, when the team would be able to save $15 million against the salary cap.

Saints head coach Sean Payton acknowledged Wednesday that Thomas could require another procedure for his left ankle, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com reports. "I think this isn't anything he can control," Payton said when asked about the wideout's potential need for surgery, after Thomas announced earlier Wednesday via his personal Twitter account that he wouldn't play this season.

Payton said that Thomas had been "working his tail off" to return at some point during the second half of the season after spending the first eight weeks of the campaign on the reserve/PUP list, but those hopes were dashed after the three-time Pro Bowler recently experienced what Ian Rapoport of NFL Network described as "a new and separate" injury to the same ankle. Thomas initially injured the ankle early Week 1 of last season and proceeded to miss the next six games, only to aggravate the injury coming out of Week 13. He returned for the playoffs, but he didn't look to be in top form before ultimately opting for surgery in June to repair multiple ligaments in the ankle after rest and rehab didn't resolve the matter. In light of his latest setback, the prospect of another procedure clouds the long-term outlook of Thomas, who will turn 29 in March and has yet to get integrated in the New Orleans offense during the post-Drew Brees era.