NFL Player News

Johnson (undisclosed) missed another practice Monday, Dale Lolley of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

Johnson has been held out of practice since Wednesday without any update on the nature of his injury. He had sports hernia surgery at some point in January or February, but reports suggested he'd made a full recovery by the end of June. It isn't clear if the current issue is related.

Higgins (hamstring) made a couple highly difficult catches during Monday's practice, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

Sidelined by a hamstring injury through most of training camp, Higgins returned to practice over the weekend and reportedly looked good Monday. A.J. Green remains absent while nursing a hamstring injury of his own, but there's plenty of competition for first-team reps alongside Tyler Boyd, with Higgins joined by John Ross and Auden Tate. It still isn't clear if the 33rd overall pick from the 2020 NFL Draft will have a regular spot in three-wide formations Week 1.

Though Slayton (undisclosed) didn't practice Monday, he was spotted working with trainers toward the end of the session, Zack Rosenblatt of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

When asked about Slayton, coach Joe Judge replied that "trainers are dealing with him" and that more information regarding the wideout's status will be made available at a later time. Until further details are provided, we'll consider Slayton day-to-day.

Hill (hamstring) returned to practice Monday, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports.

The report notes that Hill didn't participate in team drills, but the speedy wideout's participation, in any capacity, confirms that his hamstring issue wasn't a major one. Also on the field Monday was Sammy Watkins, marking the first time since early in camp that the duo has practiced together.

Johnson (undisclosed) was held out of practice Monday, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Coach Bruce Arians said Johnson is dealing with the same injury that caused him to miss the first week of practice. Arians hasn't elaborated on the nature of the injury, but he did note that the rookie wideout has "missed a ton" of practice time. Johnson appears unlikely to emerge ahead of Scotty Miller and Justin Watson in a competition for the No. 3 receiver job.

Patrick (undisclosed) got banged up during Sunday's practice and isn't participating Monday, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

With rookie second-round pick KJ Hamler nursing a hamstring injury, Patrick was looking at an easier path to a top-three role Week 1. It isn't yet clear if his own injury might threaten that status, but the Broncos figure to give DaeSean Hamilton most of the No. 3 receiver reps for the time being. Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy appear locked in as the lead duo.

Coutee (undisclosed) missed another practice Monday, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Coach Bill O'Brien said Friday that Coutee was merely being rested, but it now seems more likely the slot receiver is dealing with an injury or soreness, considering he's absent from practice for a fifth consecutive day. The 2018 fourth-round pick struggled with hamstring injuries throughout his rookie season, but his seven absences last season mostly were coach's decisions. It's hard to see how Coutee will earn regular snaps in a receiving corps with Will Fuller, Brandin Cooks, Randall Cobb and Kenny Stills.

Williams is considered week-to-week with a shoulder sprain, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Williams suffered the injury during Sunday's practice, exactly three weeks before the Chargers' season opener in Cincinnati. Rapoport suggests the wideout is no lock to play in that contest, though it sounds like a long-term absence isn't expected. Williams' collarbone is intact, so he at least avoided the worst-case scenario that was initially speculated when he walked off the practice field with his arm hanging at his side. Any absence would be a big deal for the Chargers offense, which arguably has the weakest receiver depth in the league behind Williams and fellow starter Keenan Allen. If Williams were to miss the season opener, candidates to join the starting lineup would include Jalen Guyton, Darius Jennings and rookies Joe Reed and K.J. Hill.

Hodge did not practice Sunday due to personal reasons, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Hodge is on the lower end of the wide receiver depth chart and will be challenged to make the final roster. He spent a full season with the Browns in 2020, catching four of 10 targets for 76 yards.

Thomas did not participate in Sunday's practice, Phil Perry of NBCSports Boston reports.

Thomas reportedly suffered a leg injury Friday, the severity of which is still keeping him off the field. The undrafted rookie out of Miami (Fla.) managed to garner some positive buzz during the early days of training camp, but his chances of winning a roster spot will be negatively impacted if he's held out of practices for a significant amount of time.