NFL Player News

Watson (chest) has been ruled out for Thursday's contest against the Bears.

Watson missed a trio of practices this week, so it's not surprising to see him be ruled out for the Thursday night game. With Chris Godwin (hamstring) also sidelined and both Mike Evans (ankle) and Scotty Miller (hip/groin) listed as questionable, depth receivers like Tyler Johnson, Jaydon Mickens and Cyril Grayson could see expanded opportunities Thursday.

McLaurin isn't practicing Wednesday due to a thigh injury, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

McLaurin also missed practice with the same injury leading up to the Week 4 loss to Baltimore, but he played 90 percent of snaps during the contest and finished with 10 receptions for 118 yards on 14 targets. Garafolo notes that Washington is optimistic that McLaurin will be able to manage a similar feat and suit up versus the Rams on Sunday.

Miller (hip/groin) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game at Chicago, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

Among the Buccaneers' top four wide receivers, Miller was the only to manage at least some limited activity in practice this week. The team ruled out Chris Godwin (hamstring) and Justin Watson (chest), while Mike Evans (ankle) also is questionable. As a result, Miller should be poised for another significant workload Thursday, assuming he's active. Over the last two games, Miller combined for eight catches (on 12 targets) for 166 yards and one touchdown.

Parker (ankle) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Josh Tolentino of The Athletic reports.

Parker briefly exited the Week 4 loss to the Seahawks in the first quarter due to the injury, but he managed to return prior to halftime. The wideout finished the game with 10 catches for 110 yards and played all 38 of Miami's offensive snaps in the second half, a hint that the injury didn't significantly impede him. Barring any setbacks, there's not yet any real reason to be worried about Parker's availability for Sunday's game in San Francisco.

Evans (ankle) is listed as questionable for Thursday's contest at Chicago, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

Evans was unable to practice this week, but he'll have a chance to suit up Thursday, unlike fellow wideouts Chris Godwin (hamstring) and Justin Watson (chest). Assuming Evans is active, he'll be the primary pass-catching option for Tom Brady, while Scotty Miller (hip/groin) -- who is also questionable -- is the top option to fill in for Godwin in the slot.

Godwin (hamstring) has been ruled out for Thursday's game at Chicago, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

As expected, Godwin won't be available to the Buccaneers in Week 5 due to a strained right hamstring. Justin Watson (chest) also won't play, so the receiving corps likely will be led by Mike Evans (ankle) and Scotty Miller (hip/groin), both of whom are listed as questionable.

Shenault was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice due to a hamstring injury.

Shenault likely picked up the injury in Jacksonville's Week 4 loss to the Bengals, during which he notched a career-best 86 receiving yards while hauling in five of six targets. According to Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com, coach Doug Marrone said Wednesday that Shenault "has a chance" to suit up Sunday in Houston, though a final decision on the rookie's availability could come down to what he's able to do in practice over the next two days.

Mooney (shoulder) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against Tampa Bay, despite being listed as a full practice participant each day this week.

The Bears presumably would list Mooney as "probable" if the designation still existed. The rookie wideout should be available Thursday night, coming off season highs for targets (nine), catches (five) and yards (52) in Sunday's 19-11 loss to the Colts. Mooney has landed between 60 and 74 percent snap share the past three weeks, averaging 5.7 targets per game in the process.

Smith (abdomen) was designated to return to practice Wednesday, setting him up to come off IR before Sunday's game against the Cardinals.

The Jets are finally getting some of their injured skill position players back but they'll be without starting quarterback Sam Darnold (shoulder) against Arizona. Smith is returning from Aug. 18 core surgery. If Smith suits up against the Cardinals, he'll be catching passes from backup quarterback Joe Flacco and could factor in on special teams as a kick returner.

Arcega-Whiteside (calf) is expected to take part in Wednesday's practice, Daniel Gallen of The Harrisburg Patriot-News reports.

Arcega-Whiteside missed last week's game due to his injury after dressing for the previous three contests and failing to record a catch. The 2019 second-round pick hasn't done much of note in his career to this point, but Arcega-Whiteside could benefit from increased opportunities in the injury-riddled Eagles receiving corps Sunday in Pittsburgh if he suits up.