NFL Player News

Bourne (illness) tested negative for COVID-19 on Thursday, but he'll remain out for the 49ers' game against the Packers later in the day, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

According to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area, Bourne believes that his COVID-19 test result from Wednesday was a false positive, as he and the three other individuals that live with him all tested negative a day later. Even so, NFL protocols won't afford Bourne enough time to gain clearance for Thursday's game, leaving the 49ers extremely thin at wide receiver with Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk also on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Considering Samuel and Aiyuk were placed on the list due to being high-risk close contacts of Bourne, Chan notes that all players likely would have removed from the list had the 49ers been playing a Sunday or Monday game this week. With that in mind, Bourne should be ready to go for the 49ers' Week 10 game Nov. 15 in New Orleans.

Pettis (shoulder), whom the Giants claimed off waivers Wednesday, won't be eligible to play in Sunday's game at Washington while he waits to clear the NFL's COVID-19 protocol, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

All players moving from one organization to another must self-isolate for five days before reporting to work with their new clubs, so Pettis won't have enough time to get settled in with the Giants before Sunday's game. Pettis should be ready to join the Giants when the team begins Week 10 prep, and he'll likely have a clearer path to playing time in New York than he did in San Francisco. While Pettis likely won't be much more than a depth option at receiver so long as Darius Slayton, Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate are all available, special teams coach Thomas McGaughey said Wednesday that he thinks Pettis could take over as the team's punt returner.

Lazard (core) joined the Packers for their flight to San Francisco ahead of Thursday's game against the 49ers, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Lazard underwent core-muscle surgery Oct. 1, and the Packers placed him on injured reserve not long after. The team opened his 21-day window to return to the active roster last Wednesday, and after putting in a week's worth of reps, he may be ready to give the Green Bay passing game a boost. Of course, the Packers will need to activate Lazard by 4 p.m. ET on Thursday for him to rejoin his teammates. Prior to his surgery, Lazard piled up 13 catches (on 17 targets) for 254 yards and two touchdowns through the first three contests of the campaign.

Edwards (foot/ankle) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.

Edwards practiced last week for the first time since injuring his foot and ankle Week 3, but three consecutive limited showings weren't enough for the Raiders to clear the rookie third-round pick for action. He's kicking off this week in the same fashion, so it'll be interesting to see if he can elevate to full activity by Friday. If Edwards is unable to make the requisite progress, Henry Ruggs, Nelson Agholor and Hunter Renfrow will be the team's most utilized wide receivers Sunday against the Chargers.

The 49ers placed Samuel (hamstring) on the reserve/ COVID-19 list Wednesday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Samuel already was ruled out for Thursday's game against the Packers with the hamstring injury, but after fellow wide receiver Kendrick Bourne landed on the COVID-19 list Wednesday, contact tracing went into effect, and the former was deemed to be in the "high-risk" category. Brandon Aiyuk is in the same boat, meaning the 49ers may be down to two wide receivers (Trent Taylor and Richie James) in Week 9.

The 49ers placed Aiyuk on the reserve/ COVID-19 list Wednesday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

The hits keep coming for the 49ers, who placed Kendrick Bourne on the COVID-19 list earlier Wednesday due to a positive test result. Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel (hamstring) have been deemed to be high-risk close contacts of Bourne, meaning they'll be sidelined Thursday against the Packers. With that trio sidelined, San Francisco may be down to just two available wide receivers -- Trent Taylor and Richie James -- in Week 9, but the latter player is questionable to play himself due to an ankle injury.

Beckham (knee) is scheduled to undergo surgery next week to repair his torn ACL, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.

Assuming no unexpected complications with his surgery, Beckham should be at or close to full health by the time training camp begins in 2021. Beckham's absence for the remainder of the season should free up more targets for fellow wideouts Jarvis Landry and Rashard Higgins over the second half of the Browns' schedule.

Callaway (ankle) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice.

The undrafted rookie out of Tennessee posted a career-high eight receptions for 75 yards Week 7 against the Panthers before sitting out the Saints' Week 8 win over the Bears with the ankle injury. His presence on the practice field to begin the week bodes well for his chances of suiting up Sunday in Tampa Bay, but Callaway's opportunities are expected drop off with Emmanuel Sanders (COVID-19) and possibly Michael Thomas (hamstring/ankle) returning to the lineup this weekend.

St. Brown (knee) doesn't carry an injury designation heading into Thursday's game against San Francisco.

The Notre Dame product was listed as a limited participant throughout the week, so the fact that he's ready to play is a positive sign for the offense. St. Brown saw just 22 offensive snaps and three targets in last week's loss to Minnesota, so expect him to handle a similar role for Thursday's matchup with the 49ers.

James (ankle) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Packers, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

If he can move past the ankle injury to play Thursday, James would likely be in store for the biggest offensive role of his career. The 49ers placed fellow wideout Kendrick Bourne (illness) on the reserve/COVID-19 list earlier Wednesday, and Dante Pettis no longer on the team. Additionally, top receiver Deebo Samuel (hamstring) has also been ruled out. If James can't go, on the other hand, the 49ers will be down to only Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Taylor as their healthy options at wide receiver.