NFL Player News

Coutee has emerged as a favored target for quarterback Tyrod Taylor during the first week of training camp, Aaron Reiss of The Athletic reports.

Coutee was handed an opportunity when the Texans traded Randall Cobb to the Packers, removing one impediment to playing time in the slot. He's taken advantage, but things may change as recent addition Anthony Miller, another receiver with heavy usage in the slot, gets comfortable with the new offense. Thus far in camp, Coutee has received as many snaps with Taylor as Miller has, if not more.

Claypool secured three of four targets for 62 yards during the Steelers' 16-3 preseason win over the Cowboys in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game. He remained down for some time after a 45-yard catch in the second quarter, but Adam Beasley of Pro Football Network reports head coach Mike Tomlin relayed Claypool was okay after the game.

The second-year standout co-led the Steelers in receptions and paced the club in yards with his strong night, one that was highlighted by the game-long grab on which he appeared to be shaken up momentarily. Claypool made an immediate impact as a rookie with a 62-873-9 line across 16 games while adding two rushing touchdowns. However, he was also charged with seven drops, and the Notre Dame product will therefore look to tighten up his poor 56.4 percent catch rate and reach the 1,000-yard threshold as one of Ben Roethlisberger's top pass-catching options in the coming season.

Johnson secured both his targets for 19 yards during the Steelers' 16-3 preseason win over the Cowboys in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game.

After a 2020 season in which he was charged with 15 drops, Johnson encouraging got his first official on-field action of the 2021 campaign on the right foot by securing both passes thrown his way. Johnson logged a whopping 144 targets a year ago in 15 games, and despite the somewhat surprising return of JuJu Smith-Schuster on a one-year deal this offseason, the third-year pro should still serve as Pittsburgh's most explosive and prolific fantasy asset at wideout.

Mooney caught a pair of deep passes in Thursday's practice, as he looks to become a consistent downfield target for the Bears this season, Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com reports.

Mooney was frequently able to get open downfield as a rookie in 2020, but the lack of quality quarterback play limited him to just six receptions of over 20 yards. However, if Andy Dalton and Justin Fields are able to show accuracy on deep passes this year, Mooney could potentially see a significant bump in production from last season.

Schwartz (hamstring) has not yet participated in training camp, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

The injury is a missed opportunity for Schwartz, the 2021 third-round pick who has watched 2020 sixth-round pick Donovan Peoples-Jones become the early star in camp. If he were healthy, Schwartz could gobble up reps that are available because the Browns are playing it cautious with Odell Beckham (knee) and Jarvis Landry.

Kirk (undisclosed) was limited Thursday in his return to practice and may not get back to full participation until next week, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

His return after only a few days, even in a limited capacity, suggests the undisclosed injury isn't serious. Kirk at least seems to be a bit healthier than fellow Cardinals receivers A.J. Green and Rondale Moore, with the former missing Thursday's practice and the latter leaving it early.

Hopkins had a veteran's day off Thursday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Hopkins missed a practice last week with a minor undisclosed injury, but his latest absence has been chalked up to rest/maintenance. He's been in and out of practice for a few years now, typically playing through one lower-body injury or another without showing any ill effects. Hopkins has missed only two games in eight pro seasons, and he's played more than 90 percent of his team's offensive snaps in each of the last seven.

Moore left Thursday's practice with an undisclosed injury that isn't believed to be serious, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

Coach Kliff Kingsbury used the term 'precautionary' when discussing the rookie's early exit from Thursday's practice. Kingsbury also mentioned that he views Moore as primarily a slot/inside receiver, whereas 2019 second-round pick Andy Isabella is more of a perimeter guy. Even so, there should be plenty of first-team practice reps for Isabella and a few other backups, as Moore joins A.J. Green and Christian Kirk on the injured list, and DeAndre Hopkins has also been in and out of practice.

Kirk (undisclosed) is returning to practice Thursday, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

Kirk has been out since the weekend with a minor, undisclosed injury. A few missed days shouldn't make much difference as he enters his third season in coach Kliff Kingsbury's system, though Kirk presumably is preparing for more slot work after the Cardinals signed A.J. Green (undisclosed) in the offseason. Green is now the one missing practice with a minor injury.

Lamb may not play in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against Pittsburgh, according to DallasCowboys.com.

Lamb is healthy and isn't on the list of 16 players who won't make the trip, but that doesn't mean he'll actually play snaps in the first of Dallas' four preseason games. Reports out of Cowboys camp suggest the second-year pro has been fantastic this summer, with David Helman of the Cowboys' official site even noting that Lamb has reached the "Dez [Bryant] level" of domination in practice.