NFL Player News

Cooper (ankle) said in a recent interview with 105.3 The Fan Dallas would be ready to begin practicing "within the next couple of weeks," The Dallas Morning News reports.

When asked if he would be on the field right away if it were up to him, the wide receiver responded, "No, I wouldn't be out there today. But, as far as the couple of weeks are concerned, it's, you know, just me talking and communicating with the trainers." That timetable gives Cooper a shot at playing in one or both of the Cowboys' final two preseason games, but it's just as likely the team keeps him out of exhibition action entirely with an eye on getting him ready for Week 1. As yet, there's no sign the ankle issue will cause him to miss any regular-season snaps.

Chase is still "fighting the rookie learning curve" in camp, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

Chase drew raves during earlier minicamps, but lining up against Chidobe Awuzie has proven to be a challenge in training camp, as Chase has struggled to create separation and has had his share of drops to boot. It's not all negative with the fifth overall pick in this year's draft, but early-season expectations should be tempered.

Jefferson is dealing with a COVID-19 situation that coach Sean McVay believes is a false positive test result, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports.

It appears Jefferson tested positive for the virus, though there's been no confirmation that's the case. The 25-year-old figures to remain away from the team until the issue is settled, or until he clears the health and safety protocols if a positive result is confirmed.

Callaway is operating as the Saints' No. 1 receiver in training camp by default, Katherine Terrell of The Athletic reports.

With Michael Thomas (ankle) and Tre'Quan Smith (undisclosed) sidelined while Deonte Harris faces a possible suspension for off-field conduct, Callaway seems to have a solid chance to open the regular season as the team's clear top receiver. Not only has he reportedly caught more passes than any other wideout during training camp, but Callaway is "by far" the go-to option for quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill. While it's possible that Smith and Harris could both be available for Week 1, Callaway will probably have a significant role in the passing game regardless of their status.

St. Brown has been Detroit's most consistent receiver thus far in training camp, Nick Baumgardner and Chris Burke of The Athletic reports.

With Tyrell Williams, Breshad Perriman (hip) and Quintez Cephus (head) all having missed time due to injury, St. Brown has logged plenty of reps with the first-team offense. While Williams is still expected to open the regular season as the No. 1 option at wideout, there probably isn't a wide receiver corps in the league that is less settled than Detroit's. At the very least, St. Brown seems to have an inside track to regular snaps in three-wide formations, and it may not be that big of a surprise if the rookie can edge out Perriman and Cephus for work in two-receiver sets as well.

Coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday that Eskridge (toe) has put together five "really good days" of running in a row as he improves his conditioning, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Eskridge remains on the preseason PUP list, the result of a toe injury that has lingered since mandatory minicamp back in June. Considering Carroll's comments however, Eskridge may be closing in on a return to the field, which would give him a chance to get in some exhibition action before Week 1. The 2021 second-round pick is a long shot to suit up Saturday in Las Vegas, but the Seahawks have a pair of contests after that in which Eskridge could make an impact.

Bateman suffered a groin injury at Tuesday's practice and is deemed week-to-week, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

After Bateman fell to the ground on a slant route and limped to the sideline Tuesday, Garafolo reported the rookie was expected to be out "a while but not a crazy length of time." Bateman's week-to-week prognosis seems to back that up and may also keep him off the field for the Ravens' preseason slate and potentially even the start of the regular season. On this latter point, Garafolo noted "it's too early to know" whether that'll come to pass, but Bateman is slated to miss some key acclimation time as he adjust to the pros.

Powell is listed as a fifth-string wideout on the Chiefs' initial depth chart release, Charles Goldman of USA Today reports.

Powell was selected in the fifth round of this year's draft, which Goldman suggests may not prevent him from being a roster casualty if things don't pick up. That being said, it's still fairly early in camp and there is plenty of time for things to change. At the very least, Powell doesn't appear to be in a good spot to earn many reps as a rookie and may be competing just to hang on to a roster spot instead.

Bateman suffered a soft-tissue injury of unknown severity at Tuesday's practice, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

While running a slant route Tuesday, Bateman tumbled to the ground and walked to the sideline with a visible limp. Fortunately for the rookie first rounder, he didn't suffer any structural damage, meaning a period of rest and rehab likely is in his future. The Ravens' receiving corps is pretty banged up at the moment, with Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin also tending to hamstring issues.

Waddle is listed as a backup on the Dolphins' first depth chart of the season, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports.

Waddle is listed behind entrenched starters DeVante Parker and Will Fuller (suspension/foot) in addition to Albert Wilson, who opted out of the 2020 season. Wilson is an experienced slot playmaker who could certainly contribute on offense if he's retained his explosiveness heading into his age-29 season, but Waddle's status as a first-round pick should let him find his way into the starting lineup sooner rather than later. As Mark Inabinett of AL.com reports, Waddle recently said his surgically repaired right ankle feels "totally back to normal." Both Waddle and Wilson have drawn positive reviews through the early portion of training camp.