NFL Player News

Coach Robert Saleh relayed Monday that there's a chance that Crowder, who is on the reserve/COVID-19 list, could be cleared to play in Sunday's season opener against the Panthers, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Per Saleh, once Crowder is symptom-free and has two negative COVID tests 24 hours apart, the receiver will be eligible to return. For now, Crowder is considered day-to-day, but if he's unavailable this weekend, rookie Elijah Moore is a candidate to see added reps in the slot for the Jets in Week 1.

Darden will serve as the Buccaneers' primary punt returner in Thursday night's Week1 matchup against the Cowboys, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The rookie's strong performances throughout preseason and his natural skills for the position were enough to secure him a roster spot, essentially at the expense of veteran Jaydon Mickens. Darden will now be trusted with an important role against Dallas despite the fact he never dealt with any of the most difficult return scenarios in preseason, such as having to make a decision on whether to field a punt inside the 20-yard line. "Wow, he's sudden," Buccaneers special-teams coach Keith Armstrong said. "The speed. But sudden and the lateral quickness. He can make the first, the second and maybe even the third man miss. He does a really good job. He catches the ball well. You would've loved to have seen him manage some situations."

Schwartz managed to improve over the course of training camp despite missing significant practice time due to a hamstring injury, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Schwartz was hampered by the hamstring, which he injured during organized team activities, and it extended into training camp. He eventually made it on the practice field in mid-August and played the third and final preseason game against the Falcons. Cabot believes the lack of practice time isn't a deterrent to playing time for the rookie, as he's responded well to the tutelage of receivers coach Chad O'Shea. The likelihood, though, is that there are four bodies ahead of Schwartz on a team that intends to run first. His speed is tantalizing, but it's unclear that it will translate into many snaps on offense. If anything, Schwartz may get some run as a returner.

Beckham (knee) is expected to be available and play Week 1 against Kansas City, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Beckham did not suit up for any preseason games but by most accounts has looked healthy during practice sessions. Most of his preseason work came in individual drills, but he did participate in 11-on-11 drills late in camp. Beckham hasn't engaged in full contact since suffering his injury last October, so there's a level of uncertainty as the Browns approach Week 1. As such, the Browns could curtail the number of snaps he gets, which may be tolerable due to the development of second-year wideout Donovan Peoples-Jones.

Moore signed with the Raiders' practice squad Friday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Although Moore signed a two-year deal with the Panthers during the offseason, he failed to land a spot on the team's 53-man roster and was released Wednesday. The 26-year-old appeared in 47 games across the last four seasons with the Seahawks and will provide a veteran presence on the Raiders' practice squad.

McMath has been actiavted off the reserve/COVID list, Mike Moraitis of USA Today reports.

McMath tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the Titans' final preseason game. He has since cleared the league's protocols and is set to join the 53-man roster. He primarily projects to be a special-teams contributor and depth receiver in the upcoming season.

The Ravens waived Cain (head) on Friday with an injury settlement, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

Cain initially reverted back to injured reserve after being waived earlier in the week but has gone the injury settlement route instead. He's now free to look for work with other clubs in need of practice squad help.

Crowder has been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, per the NFL's official transaction log.

It remains to be seen how long Crowder, who had been viewed as day-to-day with a groin injury, might miss, but he'll be away from the team until he clears the league's COVID protocols. In his absence, ESPN's Rich Cimini notes that rookie Elijah Moore could see added reps in the slot for the Jets, while Corey Davis and either Keelan Cole or Denzel Mims handle the team's outside wideout duties.

The Giants waived Bachman (undisclosed) from injured reserve with an injury settlement Thursday, independent NFL journalist Aaron Wilson reports.

It's unclear what is ailing Bachman, but when healthy, he will be eligible to join a new team for the 2021 campaign. The 25-year-old appeared in one game for the Giants last season.

Crowder, who had been day-to-day with a groin injury, is reportedly in line to land on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

The report notes that Crowder reportedly tested positive for COVID-19, meaning that his status for Week 1 is currently unclear. While Crowder is unavailable, Corey Davis, Keelan Cole and Elijah Moore are in line to head the Jets' wide receiver corps.