NFL Player News

Coach Ron Rivera said Friday that Samuel (groin) will play in Sunday's game against the Falcons, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Samuel was designated to return from IR at the beginning of the week and now will be activated to the 53-man roster Friday or Saturday. His return presumably drops Dyami Brown to the No. 4 receiver role, though it is possible Samuel plays limited snaps right out of the gate, after a groin injury that was initially believed to be minor ended up keeping him off the field for the better part of June through September. He does get a good matchup for his return, albeit with backup QB Taylor Heinicke under center.

Agnew had one carry for 11 yards, caught his lone target for 27 yards and returned one kickoff for 27 yards during Thursday's 24-21 loss to Cincinnati.

Agnew actually saw his fewest offensive snaps of the season (eight) despite DJ Chark's early exit due to a broken ankle, but he ended up receiving his first two touches of the season. The 26-year-old is unlikely to benefit much from Chark's absence and should continue to primarily operate as Jacksonville's return specialist, as he already has two return touchdowns this season.

Slayton (hamstring) appears unlikely to play in Sunday's game at New Orleans after missing another practice Friday, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

The same goes for fellow Giants WR Sterling Shepard, who also left last week's game with a hamstring injury. The team is left with Kenny Golladay as its far-and-away No. 1 receiver, backed by some combination of Kadarius Toney, Collin Johnson, C.J. Board and maybe John Ross (IR - hamstring).

Shepard (hamstring) wasn't seen at Friday's practice, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports.

Shepard hasn't practiced this week while dealing with the hamstring injury he suffered last weekend, and it appears he's headed for a third consecutive DNP on Friday. Darius Slayton (hamstring) also appeared to be absent, and neither player currently has a favorable outlook for Sunday's game at New Orleans. Kadarius Toney is likely to be the most significant beneficiary with Shepard and Slayton potentially out.

Moore (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday's game versus Tennessee, Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York reports.

Moore suffered the concussion during last week's loss to the Broncos and won't be available this weekend, though coach Robert Saleh hopes the rookie wideout will clear the concussion protocol next week. Jeff Smith (concussion) has also been ruled out, so Denzel Mims will be active for Sunday after being a healthy scratch the past two games.

Coach Robert Saleh said Crowder (groin) is "looking good" to play Sunday against the Titans, Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York reports.

The 28-year-old returned to practice as a limited participant Wednesday and Thursday, and he appears on track to make his season debut this weekend after missing the first three games of the year. Crowder's status will receive additional clarity when the Jets release their official injury report later Friday

Chark, who is expected to miss the rest of the season after sustaining a fractured left ankle during Thursday's loss to the Bengals, is likely to require surgery to repair the injury, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The 25-year-old was carted off the field after suffering the injury Thursday, and it's not a major surprise to find out his 2021 campaign is likely over. Chark should be moved to injured reserve in the near future, and the team should update his status shortly as he continues to be evaluated. The 2018 second-round pick is in the final year of his rookie contract and now is set to enter free agency coming off a broken ankle while totaling seven catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns in four games this season.

Jones brought in all three targets for 24 yards in the Jaguars' 24-21 loss to the Bengals on Thursday night.

The veteran wideout ironically turned in his most meager production of the season in a game during which fellow starting wideout DJ Chark went down with a fractured ankle and in which Jones was also facing his original squad. The 31-year-old hadn't logged any fewer than eight targets in any of his first three contests, so Thursday's results can certainly be qualified as an outlier, particularly under the circumstances. Jones will look to boost his production back up in a Week 5 divisional battle versus the Titans and help fill the vacuum in production that Chark's absence creates.

Shenault brought in six of seven targets for 99 yards in the Jaguars' 24-21 loss to the Bengals on Thursday night. He also rushed once for 11 yards.

The versatile receiver comfortably led the Jaguars in receptions, receiving yards and targets on the night, with DJ Chark's first-half exit with a fractured ankle playing a part in Shenault's expanded role. The 22-year-old's targets had been on the decline since he'd logged nine in Week 1 against the Texans, so Thursday's resurgence, which included a career-high tally in receiving yards, was certainly a welcome sight. With Chark now out indefinitely, Shenault could continue enjoying a heavier workload for the foreseeable future.

Chase secured six of nine targets for 77 yards in the Bengals' 24-21 win over the Jaguars on Thursday night.

Chase checked in second in receiving yards and targets to Tyler Boyd, and he recorded a game-high 44-yard grab on the opening drive of the third quarter to help ignite the Bengals' comeback. The rookie continued to quickly re-cultivate the connection he had with college teammate Joe Burrow, as Chase's reception and target tallies were both new high-water marks. He'll look to continue with a similar level of involvement in a Week 5 showdown against the Packers a week from Sunday, even if Tee Higgins is back from his shoulder injury in that contest.