NFL Player News

Washington is expected to step into a starting role if JuJu Smith-Schuster (groin) can't play in Sunday's game at New Orleans, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The rookie second-round pick has caught just 13 of his 33 targets, but he took a step forward in last week's 17-10 win over the Patriots, nabbing three of four looks for 65 yards. Teammate Antonio Brown expects Smith-Schuster, who is listed as questionable, to give it a go, but an absence from Friday's practice suggests the second-year pro is truly questionable for the contest. Even if he does settle into a much larger role, Washington may have trouble dealing with a red-hot Saints defense that held each of its last six opponents to 17 points or fewer.

Cobb (concussion) is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game at the Jets, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Cobb didn't practice at all this week and doesn't seem to have any real shot at making it through the concussion protocol before Sunday. His presumed absence will free up more snaps for some combination of Equanimeous St. Brown, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Jake Kumerow (hand), J'Mon Moore and recent signing Allen Lazard. It was St. Brown who led the aforementioned group with a 62 percent snap share in last week's 24-17 loss to Chicago, finishing comfortably ahead of Valdes-Scantling (31 percent) and Kumerow (31 percent) while Moore strictly played special teams.

Smith-Schuster (groin) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Saints.

Given that Smith-Schuster left Thursday's practice early and sat out the entire session Friday, the wideout's Week 16 status is truly up in the air. Hopefully, added clarity regarding his availability will arrive prior to the early wave of games Sunday, especially with the Steelers and Saints not kicking off until 4:25 p.m. EST. If Smith-Schuster is unable to go, James Washington would be called upon to start in his place, per Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Agnew (knee) is questionable for Sunday's game against Minnesota.

Agnew was activated off injured reserve Wednesday and was a limited practice participant. The 23-year-old missed more than two months with the knee injury, so the likelihood of him playing Sunday remains up in the air.

Coutee (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Eagles after practicing in a limited fashion all week.

Coutee last played Nov. 26 and hasn't practiced fully since that time, making his status a tough one to predict heading into Sunday's 1 p.m. EST kickoff. Even if Coutee is cleared to play when the Texans release their inactive list 90 minutes prior to game time, it's unclear how heavily he would be utilized. DeAndre Carter is a candidate to garner snaps out of the slot if Coutee sits out again or is limited.

Hopkins (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Eagles after practicing in a limited fashion Wednesday through Friday.

The designation implies that Hopkins, who has been a regular on the injury report all season but has yet to miss a game, is a bit more banged up than usual. Still, it would be quite surprising if he didn't suit up this weekend, with his active status a likely outcome that will be confirmed in advance of the first wave of kickoffs Sunday. Assuming he plays, Hopkins -- who has been targeted 33 times over his last three outings -- will be in line to handle a high-volume role in the Houston offense.

Smith-Schuster (groin) wasn't in uniform and didn't participate in the portion of Friday's practice that was open to the media, Peter Diana of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

It's not an encouraging sign for Smith-Schuster's Week 16 availability that he was a spectator one day after exiting practice with the groin issue. The severity of Smith-Schuster's injury remains unknown after the second-year player declined to discuss the matter with the media Friday, but teammate Antonio Brown said he expects his fellow wideout to "be there" Sunday against the Saints, per Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Once the closed portion of practice wraps up, the Steelers will provide an injury designation for Smith-Schuster, though it's uncertain if coach Mike Tomlin or any team personnel will offer any further clarity regarding the receiver's situation. James Washington would be the leading candidate to take on an enhanced role in Week 16 if Smith-Schuster is ultimately sidelined.

Pascal (knee) practiced fully Friday and doesn't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Giants.

The Colts should have their full cadre of receivers available in Week 16, as Dontrelle Inman (shoulder) also avoided a designation while T.Y. Hilton (ankle) is listed as questionable but generally expected to suit up. Unless Hilton suffers a setback and is included on the inactive list, it will be difficult to count on Pascal to provide much value. Since Hilton returned from a two-game absence in Week 7, Pascal has cracked 20 receiving yards in just one of the Colts' subsequent eight contests.

Shepard is expected to serve as the Giants' No. 1 receiver in Sunday's game against the Colts with Odell Beckham (quadriceps) sidelined for the third straight week, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

During the prior two games Beckham missed, Shepard noticed a spike in volume (15 targets) but was wildly inefficient, notching four receptions for 54 yards and a score. While the Colts lack a standout cornerback, they rank near the middle of the pack in terms of yards per attempt allowed (7.4, 14th in NFL), so the matchup isn't a fantastic one for Shepard. Due to the lack of established depth behind him, Shepard should at least rank as no worse than the No. 3 option in the Giants' passing attack, as running back Saquon Barkley and tight end Evan Engram will continue to see heightened involvement with Beckham out.

Allen (hip), who is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Ravens, is on track to play in the contest, Steve Wyche of NFL Network reports.

Echoing the notion put forth Thursday by Adam Schefter of ESPN, Wyche relays that he has "been given every indication that (Allen) will be playing." The Chargers' top receiver is thus trending toward an active status, but those considering Allen in weekly lineups are still advised to verify his availability when the team releases its inactive list 90 minutes prior to the 8:20 p.m. EST kickoff.