NFL Player News

White cleared waivers Monday, after the Chiefs let him go with a non-football injury designation.

There hasn't been any report on the nature of White's injury. The undrafted rookie signed with Kansas City in late April, after putting up 922 yards and six touchdowns for Michigan State last season.

Hasting re-signed with the Patriots on Monday, Jim McBride of The Boston Globe reports.

The undrafted rookie out of Auburn was signed by the Patriots in April but released on Sunday. The team subsequently found itself with some extra roster space, as a number of New England players are opting out of the 2020 season for health reasons. Hastings nonetheless figures to face an uphill battle toward earning a spot on the Week 1 squad.

Goodwin is in line to opt out of the 2020 NFL season due to COVID-19 concerns, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Per the report, Goodwin based his decision on a desire to remain with his family in the coming months. The Eagles acquired the speedy wideout from the 49ers in a deal during this year's draft. Goodwin logged 12 catches for 186 yards and a TD in nine games with San Francisco last season.

49ers general manager John Lynch acknowledged Tuesday that Samuel (foot) could miss multiple games, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports. "Not going to put an exact timeline on it," Lynch said. "But it's fair to say [Samuel] may miss some games at the start of the year."

Samuel had surgery June 18 to address a Jones fracture, with early reports putting his recovery/rehab timeline at anywhere from eight to 16 weeks. Matt Barrows of the Athletic has mentioned a narrower window of 10-to-12 weeks, which still would put Samuel's Week 1 availability in serious question. With the second-year pro in danger of missing games, the Niners may need significant September contributions from Brandon Aiyuk and Kendrick Bourne, among others.

James (illness) was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list Monday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

James already had a steep climb to make the 49ers' regular-season roster due to a broken bone in his wrist and his standing well down the depth chart. Now with a positive test or exposure to the virus, he'll be away from the team for the time being until he passes the requisite number of tests. At the very least, James provides utility as a returner, averaging 23.4 yards on 43 kick returns and 7.5 yards on 45 punt returns in 29 career games.

Jefferson was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list ahead of the start of training camp Tuesday.

Jefferson's placement on the list doesn't necessarily indicate he has COVID-19 as he could be under quarantine due to exposure to someone with the illness or a similar issue. The Vikings start training camp Tuesday, and the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 draft is a clear favorite to emerge as Minnesota's No. 2 receiver.

Proche is the favorite to take over as the team's primary returner following De'Anthony Thomas' decision to opt out of the 2020 season, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

The rookie out of SMU still has his work cut out for him in terms of making an impact on offense, but Proche will likely get the chance to contribute on special teams right away. Proche logged 50 punt returns in college and averaged a career-best 9.6 yards per return in 2019. However, Proche (4.63 40-yard dash) lacks standout speed, so it's not a lock that he'll remain the team's returner all season.

The Bills cut McCloud on Monday, Maddy Glab of the team's official site reports.

A sixth-round pick by Buffalo in 2018, McCloud was heading into his second stint with the Bills after re-signing with the club in January following a brief stay on the Carolina roster. McCloud had been buried on the depth chart at receiver and faced an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster, so his release at least affords him a chance to try and find work elsewhere before training camps get in full swing.

Ward's roster spot should be secure, according to Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com.

The Eagles drafted three wide receivers and traded for Marquise Goodwin, but they lost Nelson Agholor to the Raiders and have Alshon Jeffery rehabbing from major foot surgery. While Ward isn't likely to reprise his role from the final four weeks of last season -- three-quarters of offensive snaps and 7.5 targets per game -- he could enter training camp as the team's top slot man. Even if he loses that spot, Ward's familiarity with the Philadelphia offense and ability to field punts should help him stick around on the 53-man roster.

Arcega-Whiteside should be able to focus on the "X" receiver spot this year, Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com reports.

The 2019 second-round pick was a huge disappointment as a rookie, catching only 10 passes on 486 offensive snaps. Arcega-Whiteside said nagging injuries were part of the problem, and he also mentioned the difficulty of moving around to different positions because of the more serious injuries his teammates suffered. He now should be able to focus on the X spot, which was occupied by Alshon Jeffery (foot) for the better part of the past three seasons. Jeffery is coming back from surgery and may not be ready for the season opener, but that doesn't mean Arcega-Whiteside will have anything given to him, as the Eagles also have rookie first-round pick Jalen Reagor and veteran speedster Marquise Goodwin as options to handle wideout snaps opposite DeSean Jackson. That said, coach Doug Pederson claims Reagor will start off learning the "Z" spot behind Jackson.