NFL Player News

Smith-Schuster (abdomen) returned to a limited practice Thursday, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

Smith-Schuster is thus trending in the right direction as Sunday's game against the Ravens approaches. We'll circle back on his status Friday to see if the wideout heads into the weekend listed as questionable, or is removed from the Steelers' Week 4 injury report altogether. Through the first three weeks of the season, Smith-Schuster leads the Steelers with 27 catches (on 38 targets) for 356 yards and a TD. Meanwhile, established star Antonio Brown has hauled in 24 of his 42 targets for 210 yards and two TDs.

Pryor (ankle) was a limited participant at Thursday's practice after dealing with groin soreness during the session, Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York reports.

Pryor showed up on the Jets' initial injury report Wednesday with a knee issue, but the fact that he put in a full practice that day suggested his health was never much of a concern. The groin issue he picked up Thursday, is more worrisome, on the other hand. Coach Todd Bowles said Pryor's availability for Sunday's game against the Jaguars will depend on how he responds to treatment in the coming days. The Jets should have a better idea regarding which way Pryor's status is leaning based on his involvement in Friday's practice.

The Titans officially released Matthews on Thursday, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.

Matthews wasn't present for practice Wednesday after leaving the team, with head coach Mike Vrabel stating that the wideout was away for "personal reasons." The 28-year-old later clarified his absence, telling A to Z Sports Nashville that he was dissatisfied with his role within the Tennessee offense and requested a release. After failing to gain much traction with other teams in trade conversations, the Titans quickly acquiesced to Matthews' wishes and cut him loose. He'll now be eligible to sign with any club of his choosing rather than being exposed to waivers since he's a vested veteran.

Matthews didn't report to the team for practice Wednesday and has asked the Titans to release him, Austin Stanley of A to Z Sports Nashville reports.

Coach Mike Vrabel labeled Matthews' absence as a "personal" matter, but it appears there may be more friction between player and team than the organization was letting on. Matthews posted Wednesday on his personal Instagram account about being "home for good," implying that he's not planning on reporting back to the Titans. The 28-year-old's dissatisfaction with the organization seems to stem from his minimal involvement in the offense, according to Stanley. Matthews caught three of six targets for 11 yards and played only 52 percent of the Titans' offensive snaps through the team's first three games.

Clay (ankle) cleared waivers Wednesday and shifted to injured reserve, per the NFL's official transaction log.

Before his injury, Clay was used strictly on special teams, and he has just six career receptions over four years. He'll be sidelined for the remainder of the season unless he's released with an injury settlement.

Goodwin (quadriceps) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

In his return Sunday from a one-game absence, Goodwin logged the second-most offensive snaps among 49ers wideouts, earning 42 of a possible 68. He took full advantage of the three-catch, 30-yard outing with an 11-yard touchdown in the loss to the Chiefs. Goodwin's game-breaking ability doesn't seem to be evident yet as he recovers from a deep right thigh bruise, which continues to affect his practice reps. Hurting his potential further is the loss of Jimmy Garoppolo (knee) for the season due to a torn ACL. Whenever Goodwin gets back to full health, he'll be on the receiving end of passes from second-year signal-caller C.J. Beathard.

Allen was listed as a non-participant at Wednesday's practice due to a knee injury.

Allen wasn't spotted on the field ahead of practice, so the injury offers an explanation for why he was absent. He was subbed out at a few different points during the second half of Sunday's 35-23 loss to the Rams, ultimately handling his lowest snap share (77 percent) of the young season. With nothing to suggest the injury is severe, Allen could put himself on track for the Week 4 game against the 49ers with a return to practice in any capacity Thursday.

Allen sat out practice Wednesday.

It remains to be seen if Allen's absence was caused by an injury or simply a case where the Chargers handed the veteran a maintenance day. So far there's been nothing to suggest that Allen's Week 4 status is in any danger, but an update will be provided if that changes.

Coutee (hamstring) only managed limited practice participation Wednesday, but he suggested he'll be ready to make his NFL debut Sunday in Indianapolis, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports. "I'm back," Coutee said. "I feel confident. With Bruce [Ellington] going down, it's a tragedy to see him go down with the same thing I've had. I'm ready to step up."

Coutee alluded to Ellington being placed on injured reserve earlier in the week due to a hamstring issue of his own, but it appears the rookie's injury is mostly in the rear-view mirror at this point. The fourth-round pick out of Texas Tech could make a quick push for the No. 3 wide receiver job, despite missing the entire preseason and the first three weeks of the regular season. Coutee will have to compete with Sammie Coates (hamstring) and Vyncint Smith for those duties.

Dorsett (knee) wasn't listed on Wednesday's injury report.

Dorsett was dinged up on a hard fall late in Sunday's loss to the Lions, but he's evidently fine and looks ready to go for the Week 4 matchup with the Dolphins. After being held without a catch in Week 3, Dorsett is merely a speculative fantasy play at this juncture, especially with newcomer Josh Gordon (hamstring) a candidate to make his Patriots debut versus Miami.