NFL Player News

Jefferson (hamstring) wasn't listed on the Vikings' initial Week 1 injury report Thursday.

Jefferson suffered a mild left hamstring strain in practice July 24, and while he was able to begin working out on the side with team trainers within one week, he didn't return to the practice field until Aug. 18. The Vikings kept him out of all three of their preseason games with an eye toward him being healthy Week 1. He more or less confirmed as much Thursday, telling Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune that his hamstring feels great entering the season. "Missing the whole training camp and just staying in that training room definitely gets [to be] dark days, being by yourself and competing with yourself, but you got to think about the ending result: having a healthy body, having a strong body to maintain a full season," Jefferson said. He thus is poised to serve as the Vikings' top target for second-year pro and first-year starting QB J.J. McCarthy on Monday in Chicago and beyond.

Thornton is listed as a starter on the Raiders' unofficial depth chart heading into Sunday's regular-season opener against the Patriots, Levi Edwards of the team's official site reports.

Thornton is set to start alongside Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker at wide receiver. The rookie fourth-round pick out of Alabama beat out Jack Bech for a starting role, even though Bech was selected two rounds earlier than Thornton in the 2025 NFL Draft. Vegas currently has only four wide receivers on the 53-man roster after veteran Amari Cooper announced his intention to retire Thursday.

Williams (hamstring) was a limited practice participant Thursday.

Since coming down with a hamstring injury Aug. 19, Williams was sidelined until returning to the field Wednesday with a cap on his reps. He maintained that activity level one day later, giving himself just one more chance to return to full Friday before the Packers potentially make a ruling on his availability for Week 1. If he's able to suit up Sunday against the Lions and Jayden Reed (foot) and/or Dontayvion Wicks (calf) are limited or sidelined, Williams would be in line for an elevated snap count behind the top healthy WR duo of Matthew Golden and Romeo Doubs.

Boutte projects to start on the outside opposite Stefon Diggs against the Raiders on Sunday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

DeMario Douglas is set to handle slot duties, with Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism on hand to provide depth in New England's wide receiver room. The Patriots figure to rely primarily on the ground game, but Boutte's role in the offense opposite Diggs could give him some occasional fantasy utility.

Noel could see an expanded opportunity Sunday against the Rams, as both Christian Kirk and Braxton Berrios are dealing with hamstring injuries, the Houston Chronicle reports.

Noel could work in the slot if Kirk sits out, while fellow Iowa State rookie Jayden Higgins starts on the outside opposite Nico Collins. If Berrios doesn't play, Noel could also add punt return responsibilities to his ledger. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, Kirk is expected to miss 1-2 weeks as a result of his hamstring injury.

Wicks (calf) practiced on a limited basis Thursday.

Wicks is one of three Packers wide receivers to operate with a cap on his reps Thursday, the others being Jayden Reed (foot) and Savion Williams (hamstring). Reed actually returned to practice after sitting out Wednesday as he tends to a Jones fracture in his left foot, which has left his status up in the air for Week 1. In the end, Friday's injury report will provide a sense of each players' odds to suit up Sunday against the Lions, though an absent Reed and/or Williams could hand Wicks a higher target share than expected to begin the campaign.

Hill (oblique) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel has stated that he expects Hill to suit up Week 1, but the veteran wideout will only have one more chance to upgrade to full participation ahead of Sunday's road matchup against the Colts. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said Wednesday he and Hill are "good" entering Week 1, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN, downplaying offseason concerns about their relationship by saying "people might've blown it out of proportion." If there was once any tension between the two after Hill pulled himself out of the 2024 regular-season finale early, Tagovailoa said "we've worked on it, and I think that conversation is dead now."

Kirk is dealing with a strained hamstring that is expected to sideline him for at least Sunday's season opener versus the Rams, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Official confirmation of Kirk's status will arrive when the Texans post their injury report Friday, but Schefter suggests that the wideout could miss time beyond this weekend, with one source estimating that his hamstring strain could be a two-week injury. In such a scenario, rookie wideouts Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel as well as Xavier Hutchinson would be in line for added opportunities behind top target Nico Collins.

Brown (knee) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

Brown has been limited in both of the Commanders' first two Week 1 sessions, so he may need to upgrade to full participation Friday to avoid carrying a designation into Sunday's game against the Giants. The 29-year-old projects to open the season as the Commanders' No. 3 wideout behind Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel, a role that may not translate to consistent target volume on a weekly basis.

Flournoy was elevated from the practice squad ahead of Thursday's game against the Eagles.

If Flournoy suits up for Thursday's season opener, he could contribute on special teams and provide depth at wide receiver. Flournoy had just 10 catches for 102 yards in 11 regular-season games as a rookie in 2024.