NFL Player News

With Randall Cobb (toe) ruled out of Thursday's game against Detroit, Coutee could take over as the slot receiver Week 12, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Coutee filled in for Cobb, who left Sunday's win over the Patriots after just five snaps. The initial opinion is that it's a season-ending injury, but Cobb is seeking a second opinion. If the initial prognosis stands, Coutee could be the primary slot receiver going forward. He hadn't played since losing a fumble that was returned for a touchdown in Week 2, but Coutee impressed against the Patriots. He was targeted three times in the red zone and scored his first touchdown of the season, Coutee's first score since a playoff game during his rookie 2018 season.

Cobb (toe) is seeking a second medical opinion, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Cobb has been ruled out of Thursday's game against the Lions, but he's not accepting the initial diagnosis of a season-ending injury until he hears from a second doctor. Cobb was injured early in Sunday's win over New England and replaced by Keke Coutee, who caught his first touchdown of the season.

Ward caught three of four targets for nine yards in Sunday's 22-17 loss to the Browns.

Ward has at least three catches in eight games this year but has now been held to 10 or fewer yards in two of his past three outings. He has held onto the No. 3 receiver job so far despite the return of Alshon Jeffery, yet even prior to that, Ward had only topped 45 yards in a game once all season. The 25-year-old will need a big game in a prime matchup against Seattle in Week 12 if he wants to keep earning opportunities going forward.

Godwin caught seven of 10 targets for 53 yards and a touchdown in Monday night's 27-24 loss to the Rams.

Godwin trailed only Antonio Brown for Tampa Bay's lead in receptions, targets and yards through the air. However, unlike Brown, Godwin was able to find the end zone, triumphantly leaping from a few yards to complete a 13-yard score in the fourth quarter. That play marked Godwin's third touchdown in seven appearances this season, and Monday also brought about a new high in targets from quarterback Tom Brady, which bodes well for Godwin in advance of Week 12's matchup against the Chiefs.

Evans caught five of nine targets for 49 yards and a touchdown in Monday night's 27-24 loss to the Rams.

Evans showed great power and determination as he took a short pass and dragged two opponents into the end zone for a nine-yard score to start the second quarter. That play came on one of the rare occasions Evans didn't draw coverage from cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who he battled with all evening. Despite the tough matchup, Evans held his own and caused a couple pass interference calls on Ramsey in the first half. More importantly, he built his touchdown tally to nine this season, compensating for another game with only decent yardage. Next up for Evans is what could be a high-scoring encounter with the Chiefs this Sunday.

Woods caught 12 of 15 targets for 130 yards and a touchdown in Monday night's 27-24 win over the Buccaneers.

Woods and teammate Cooper Kupp took advantage of Tampa Bay's young secondary, as both receivers had at least 10 catches and 130 yards. Unlike Kupp, however, Woods was able to find the end zone, scoring from four yards out to give the Rams their first points of the game. That play brought Woods' season tally to five touchdowns, all of which have come over his last eight outings. With campaign highs in all other receiving categories Monday, it was undoubtedly Woods' best performance yet, giving him considerable momentum ahead of Week 12's game against the 49ers.

Kupp caught 11 of 13 targets for 145 yards in Monday night's 27-24 win over the Buccaneers.

Kupp was involved early and often during the first half, hauling in nine passes for over 100 yards, including a couple long gains running after the catch. The wideout then went for 19 yards on a key third down to set up the Rams' game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter. Overall, Kupp matched his season high in receptions while posting a new best mark for the campaign in yards. That came despite running mate Robert Woods catching 12 of 15 targets for 130 yards and a touchdown, evidencing there was plenty of production to go around between them Monday. The duo will now turn its attention toward Sunday's game versus the 49ers, with Kupp likely eager to exact revenge after having his worst performance of the year against San Francisco back in Week 6.

Smith-Schuster (toe) was listed as a non-participant on Monday's estimated practice report, Missi Matthews of the Steelers' official site reports.

In an unfortunate turn of events, Smith-Schuster tripped over the weighted portion of a penalty flag near the end of this past Sunday's win in Jacksonville. While he didn't return to the game, the team noted he could have taken the field again, if he was needed. Smith-Schuster will look to increase his activity level in advance of Thursday's game versus the Ravens.

The Bills designated Hodgins (shoulder) to return from injured reserve Monday, opening the 21-day window for him to be activated, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports.

The rookie sixth-round pick showed enough in training camp to make the active roster, but he was subsequently placed on IR before playing a game. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound wide receiver is eligible to play in the Week 12 matchup against the Chargers if the upcoming practice week goes well. Rookie Gabriel Davis has already proven to be an effective depth option for the Bills, so Hodgins will shoot for the No. 5 receiver role once he's ready.

The Vikings placed Thielen (undisclosed) on the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday.

Thielen's placement on the COVID-19 list is an indication that he's either tested positive for the virus or is required to quarantine after having come into close contact with someone who has. In any case, the star wideout's status for Sunday's upcoming game against the Panthers now could be in jeopardy. Thielen has four touchdowns over the last two weeks, so his presence would be extremely difficult for the Vikings to replace on offense, even with Justin Jefferson putting together a wildly impressive rookie season.