NFL Player News

Godwin was added to the Buccaneers' injury report after a quadriceps issue limited his activity in Tuesday's practice.

Godwin didn't appear on the Bucs' initial Week 1 injury report released Monday, so his limited showing a day later suggests an in-practice injury. The team will see what Godwin is able to do in the final practice of the week Wednesday before a determination is made whether he'll carry a designation into Thursday's Week 1 matchup with the Cowboys.

The Panthers signed Erickson to their practice squad Monday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official website reports.

Erickson spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Bengals before joining Houston this offseason. He failed to beat out Keke Coutee and Anthony Miller for a slot receiver role and now finds himself on Carolina's practice squad. The Panthers only kept five wideouts on their initial 53-man roster, so a promotion for Erickson could be likely if one of them goes down with an injury.

Coach Mike McCarthy said Tuesday that Brown has tested positive for COVID-19, which rules him out for Thursday's contest against the Buccaneers, Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Brown caught 14 passes for 154 yards in 16 games last season, but he will miss at least the first week of the 2021 season. It's unknown if he was vaccinated or not, which significantly affects the amount of time he is forced to be away from the team. After the early Thursday game, Brown will have 10 days to clear protocols before the Cowboys' Week 2 contest against the Chargers.

Moore holds one of the three starting spots on the Jets' Week 1 depth chart with Jamison Crowder still on the reserve/COVID list, Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York reports.

Moore's snap count in the opener could be directly tied to Crowder's availability. Crowder still has a chance to suit up for the Jets on Sunday, so keep an eye on his status as the week progresses. Should Crowder sit out, Moore could be a sneaky play in some fantasy formats, though his absence from preseason play due to a quad injury didn't help his cause. Corey Davis and Keelan Cole are the other two listed starters for the opener.

The Steelers signed Sims to their practice squad Monday, independent NFL journalist Aaron Wilson reports.

Sims spent the last two seasons in Washington. He appeared in 12 contests and recorded 27 catches for 265 yards and one touchdown. The Steelers only kept five wide receivers on their initial 53-man roster, so Sims will be a likely candidate to get called up during the regular season.

Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott said Tuesday that he expects McKenzie (shoulder) to be a "full go" for Sunday's season opener versus Pittsburgh, Chris Brown of the Bills' official site reports.

With that in mind, McKenzie looks on track to turn in three full practices Wednesday through Friday, which should erase any concerns about the health of the shoulder he injured in an Aug. 24 workout. McKenzie is expected to fill a depth role in Buffalo's wideout corps while also serving as the team's top option in the return game.

Chark (finger) is 100 percent healthy entering Week 1 after sitting out the preseason, John Reid of The Florida Times-Union reports.

It's not a major surprise, as Chark and coach Urban Meyer consistently have indicated the wideout would be ready for the season opener after undergoing surgery in early August for a hairline fracture in his finger. The 24-year-old's status, or lack thereof, on the injury report later this week should provide final confirmation of his outlook for Sunday at Houston.

Miller (elbow) wasn't listed on Monday's injury report.

Miller emerged from preseason Week 3 with a minor tweak of his elbow, but fortunately for the third-year wide receiver he's not considered among the Buccaneers' few injury concerns heading into the season opener Thursday versus the Cowboys. With Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown embedded as the team's top three WRs, though, Miller will be vying with Tyler Johnson and perhaps rookie Jaelon Darden for the few targets that linger from Tom Brady.

Aiyuk (hamstring) ran routes and caught passes during the part of Monday's practice open to the media, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Aiyuk didn't suit up for the 49ers' exhibition finale due to a minor hamstring issue. Prior to that, he made just one appearance in the preseason, hauling in one of three targets for three yards Aug. 22 against the Chargers. Last Thursday, Aiyuk was spotted running sprints on a side field, and he now has progressed enough to be a participant in practice. The 49ers will post their first Week 1 injury report Wednesday, at which point his status in advance of the opener will become more clear.

Coach Ron Rivera noted that Samuel (groin) "looked good" and "moved around well" during Monday's practice, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

That said, Rivera adds that the team "had a limited amount of plays" for Samuel lined up Monday in order not to overwork the wideout during the session. What Samuel does in Wednesday's practice, and how Washington subsequently lists his participation level, will provide added context with regard to his chances of suiting up Sunday against the Chargers. At this point, Rivera suggests that Samuel's path to the team's lineup hinges largely on his level of conditioning.