NFL Player News

The Bengals are planning on having Higgins (shoulder) available for their Week 5 game against the Packers on Oct. 10, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Higgins has already been ruled out ahead of Thursday's home game against the Jaguars, marking his second straight absence on account of the sore shoulder. The second-year receiver might have had an outside chance to play if the Bengals were hosting the Jaguars on Sunday, but the quick turnaround for the Week 4 contest didn't provide Higgins with enough time to get healthy. Higgins should benefit from the longer break before the team's matchup with the Packers, but he may still need to return to full practice by the end of next week in order to avoid the inactive list once again.

Reynolds is expected to be active for Sunday's game against the Jets with the statuses of fellow wideouts A.J. Brown (hamstring) and Julio Jones (leg) in doubt for the contest, Michael Gallagher of NashvillePost.com reports.

Both Brown and Jones have missed the first two practices of Week 4, and both will likely need to turn in at least limited showings Friday to gain clearance for Sunday. If both Brown and Jones are sidelined this weekend, Reynolds could go from a healthy inactive to a starter for Tennessee. Reynolds has played only 11 offensive snaps through Tennessee's first three games, but he proved to be a reliable complementary target for the Rams in 2021, catching 52 balls for 618 yards and two scores in 16 games. Reynolds would likely join Chester Rogers and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine in three-receiver sets in the absences of Brown and Jones.

Turner (foot) was designated to return from injured reserve Thursday, Rob Phillips of the Cowboys' official site reports.

Turner landed on injured reserve prior to Week 1 and can rejoin the active roster after missing the first three games of the season. The move opens a 21-day practice window for the 25-year-old, and he can be activated at any point during that timeframe.

Smith-Schuster (ribs) returned to a limited practice Thursday, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

Smith-Schuster didn't practice Wednesday, so his return to the field, even in a limited capacity, bodes well for his chances of suiting up Sunday against the Packers. Meanwhile, Diontae Johnson (knee) -- who was sidelined Week 3 -- was a full participant Thursday, while Chase Claypool (hamstring) was added to the Steelers' Week 4 injury report after logging a limited session. Friday's injury report will reveal whether any or all of the team's top three wideouts head into the weekend carrying an injury designation.

Claypool was limited at Thursday's practice by a hamstring injury, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

Claypool is a new addition to the Steelers' Week 4 injury report, so his status now is worth monitoring along with that of JuJu Smith-Schuster (ribs), who returned to a limited practice Thursday, and Diontae Johnson (knee), who logged a full session. Look for added clarity with regard to the health and availability of the trio for Sunday's game against Green Bay to arrive once the team's final injury report of the week is posted Friday.

Gage (ankle) didn't participate in Thursday's practice.

After the ankle injury kept him from playing in the Week 3 win over the Giants, Gage remains a spectator as the Falcons prepare for Sunday's matchup with Washington. The slot receiver will likely need to turn in a full practice Friday to have a good shot at suiting up this weekend.

Brown (hamstring) remained sidelined at practice Thursday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

The same applies to fellow starting wideout Julio Jones (hamstring), which sets the stage for Friday's practice to be pivotal with regard to the duo's chances of suiting up Sunday against the Jets. If one or both players are out this weekend, added Week 4 opportunities would be available for the likes of Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Chester Rogers, Josh Reynolds and perhaps Marcus Johnson (undisclosed), if he's activated from IR.

Valdes-Scantling (hamstring) won't participate in practice Thursday, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Valdes-Scantling pulled up on a route in the fourth quarter of this past Sunday's win in San Francisco. He's been held out of both sessions this week as he tends to a hamstring injury, which isn't believed to be a long-term issue following an MRI, coach Matt LaFleur told Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com on Thursday. The Packers are expected to take a decision on Valdes-Scantling down to the wire, so his status for Week 4 against the Steelers may not be known until 90 minutes before Sunday's 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff.

Slayton (hamstring) didn't participate in Thursday's practice, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

According to Zack Rosenblatt of The Newark Star-Ledger, both Slayton and Sterling Shepard (hamstring) were at the Giants' practice facility Thursday, but head coach Joe Judge suggested that both wideouts would merely work with trainers behind the scenes. With neither receiver having taken any reps through the first two practices of the week, both appear to be trending in the wrong direction for Sunday's game in New Orleans. If Slayton is in fact sidelined this weekend, Collin Johnson and C.J. Board look like the main candidates to replace him at the boundary receiver spot opposite Kenny Golladay, though the Giants could also bring back John Ross (hamstring) from injured reserve in advance of the contest.

Shepard (hamstring) didn't participate in Thursday's practice, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

According to Zack Rosenblatt of The Newark Star-Ledger, both Shepard and Darius Slayton (hamstring) were at the Giants' practice facility Thursday, but head coach Joe Judge suggested that both wideouts would merely work with trainers behind the scenes. With neither receiver having taken any reps through the first two practices of the week, both appear to be trending in the wrong direction for Sunday's game in New Orleans. Kadarius Toney is the most likely candidate to step in as the Giants' slot receiver if Shepard is ruled out.