NFL Player News

Metcalf (foot) doesn't have a designation for Thursday's game versus the Rams, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Wednesday's practice report marked the fifth in a row in which Metcalf was listed as a limited participant due to a foot issue. Still, he was able to suit up Week 4 and will do so again Thursday. The Seahawks may be without Chris Carson in Week 5 with the running back dealing with a sore neck, so the game plan could be a bit more aerial-based than normal. On the season, Metcalf has been his typical productive self, churning out 20 catches (on 33 targets) for 285 yards and three touchdowns in four contests.

Claypool (hamstring) returned to a limited practice Wednesday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Claypool was unable to practice this past Friday before being ruled out ahead of Sunday's loss to the Packers, but his return to the field Wednesday has him trending in the right direction as the Steelers' Week 5 game against the Broncos approaches. Per Pryor, the wideout sounds hopeful to play this weekend, though he'll probably need to practice fully Thursday or Friday in order to avoid taking an injury designation into Sunday.

Watkins was a limited practice participant Wednesday due to a knee injury, Tim McManus of ESPN.com reports.

The team's No. 3 receiver, Watkins has played between 48 and 66 percent of snaps in each game, including 58 percent Sunday, when he saw a season-high seven targets in a 42-30 loss to the Chiefs. With No. 2 receiver Jalen Reagor struggling, Watkins has a chance to move up the depth chart if he puts the knee injury behind him quickly. The Eagles face Carolina in Week 5.

Brown (hamstring) participated in practice Wednesday, John Glennon of BroadwaySportsMedia.com reports.

The Titans won't reveal until later Wednesday whether Brown was a full or limited participant, but the wideout's presence on the field bodes well for his Week 5 status. Fellow wideout Julio Jones (hamstring) was missing from the Titans' first session of the week, so Brown -- if available -- could be in store for a larger share of targets than normal if Jones is sidelined for Sunday's game in Jacksonville.

Smith-Marsette (toe) didn't participate in Wednesday's practice, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

Smith-Marsette didn't appear in Sunday's loss to the Browns due to his toe injury, and he's still unable to practice. Even if the 22-year-old is active for Sunday's Week 5 matchup against the Lions, he's unlikely to play a significant role.

Jeudy is making good progress in his recovery from a right high-ankle sprain, with the Broncos now hoping he can return for Week 7 against the Browns, James Palmer of NFL Network reports.

Palmer mentions Jeudy returning at the front end of a 6-to-8-week timeline, though multiple reports back in mid-September had the wideout estimated for only 4-to-6 weeks. Either way, Jeudy will sit out Week 5 against Pittsburgh -- and perhaps also Week 6 against Las Vegas -- but the Broncos apparently think he has a shot to make it back for a Thursday game against Cleveland in Week 7 on Oct. 21. Whenever he returns, Jeudy should see a mix of perimeter and slot snaps, with KJ Hamler's season-ending knee injury freeing up more of the latter.

Cooper (hamstring/rib) didn't practice Wednesday, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Instead, Cooper was spotted doing resistance training on the side as he deals with a pair of injuries, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Cooper was able to play through the health concerns and log 46 percent of the offensive snaps this past Sunday against the Panthers, which resulted in three catches (on three targets) for 69 yards and one touchdown. Considering that reality, he may be able to avoid missing any time, but his activity level in practice should be watched closely to ensure he doesn't.

The Vikings activated Chisena (undisclosed) from injured reserve Wednesday.

Chisena returned to practice last week after spending the minimum three weeks on IR, and he has now officially been added to the 53-man roster. The 26-year-old appeared in 14 games for the Vikings last year but didn't see any snaps on offense. He will likely garner a similar role for Minnesota during the 2021 season.

Samuel was listed as a non-participant in Wednesday's practice with a groin injury, Rhiannon Walker of The Athletic reports.

It isn't yet clear if Samuel is dealing with a setback in his recovery from the groin injury that sidelined him for the first three games of the season, as the team could just be resting Samuel after his Washington debut in Sunday's 34-30 win over the Falcons. Still, fantasy managers can't be thrilled to see Samuel listed as a non-participant with an injury that had been nagging him since the first week of June. Coach Ron Rivera didn't provide answers about Samuel's outlook for the Week 5 game versus the Saints, merely saying that the team is "obviously going to be cautious with" the wideout, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post. The team could certainly use Samuel's help, especially after tight end Logan Thomas (hamstring) and reserve wideouts Dyami Brown (knee) and Cam Sims (hamstring) all suffered injuries during the Week 4 win.

Higgins (shoulder) will practice Wednesday, Marisa Contipelli of the Bengals' official site reports.

The Bengals will release their first Week 5 injury report later Wednesday, when it will be revealed whether Higgins was a limited or full participant in his return to practice. Either way, the second-year wideout is trending toward playing Sunday against the Packers after sitting out the Bengals' past two games with a sore shoulder.