NFL Player News
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Jayden Higgins WR | HOU
Texans' Jayden Higgins: Listed as starter
Higgins is listed as a starter on Houston's initial preseason depth chart, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.
The Texans list three starting wide receivers, with Higgins unsurprisingly joined by Nico Collins and Christian Kirk. It's a good sign for the 34th overall draft pick, although this hardly guarantees he'll be a starter come Week 1. With Kirk mostly working the slot this summer, there is some chance Higgins starts off as a regular in both two-wide and three-wide formations.
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Ja'Marr Chase WR | CIN
Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase: Likely playing Thursday night
Chase and other Bengals starters are scheduled to play a couple of drives in Thursday's preseason game against the Eagles, Jay Morrison of SI.com reports.
Coach Zac Taylor said he's going to play his starters more than ever before in the preseason. Chase may be an exception who only takes a few snaps, but even the possibility of playing at all puts him on the board as an option for preseason DFS contests. There's been no report of injury trouble this offseason, with Chase apparently staying active in practice since he signed a four-year, $161 million extension in March. He remains a popular No. 1 overall pick in fantasy drafts this summer.
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Dominic Lovett WR | DET
Lions' Dominic Lovett: Exits practice with abdominal issue
Lovett exited Monday's practice with an abdominal injury and was unable to return, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.
Lovett was a seventh-round pick out of Georgia, 244th overall, by the Lions back in April. He can't afford to miss many valuable reps he'd be getting in practice and the preseason. Lovett played 36 offensive snaps in last week's Hall of Fame Game against the Chargers, securing five of nine targets for 31 yards.
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Andy Isabella WR | SF
49ers' Andy Isabella: Exits practice Monday
Isabella left practice Monday with an undisclosed injury, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
The wide receiver signed with the 49ers on Thursday with the possibility of competing for a depth spot in a crowded receiver room. At the same time, Isabella was not able to elevate from Pittsburgh's practice squad in 2024, got cut by the Bills before last season and last caught an NFL pass in 2022 with the Cardinals. Any missed time will naturally hurt his chances of latching on to a roster spot.
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Christian Watson WR | GB
Packers' Christian Watson: Looking good in recovery
Watson, who is expected to begin the season on the reserve/PUP list, hasn't looked like a player recovering from a torn ACL during training camp, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.
Watson suffered an ACL tear in his right knee in Week 18 of last season, but he appears to have made significant strides in his recovery. Despite that positive impression, the wideout opened training camp on the active/PUP list and seems destined to move to reserve/PUP on cut-down day Aug. 26. The Packers' medical staff tends to be overly cautious with rehabs from serious injuries, so even if it seems as though Watson could suit up during the first four weeks of the season, he'll likely continue to build up strength in his right leg instead given his history of hamstring issues.
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Zay Jones WR | ARI
Cardinals' Zay Jones: First-teamer on initial depth chart
Jones is listed among the first-team offense on the Cardinals' first unofficial depth chart of training camp, Bo Brack of GoPHNX.com reports.
Such depth charts need to be taken with a grain of salt, considering they're put together by media relations staff. Nevertheless, it's somewhat notable to see Jones listed ahead of Greg Dortch. Jones managed just eight catches and 240 offensive snaps in 11 games last season, as opposed to Dortch's 37 and 407, respectively, in 17 contests. Dortch operates primarily out of the slot however, so the fact he's listed as the No. 2 in that spot indicates Michael Wilson (concussion) may see a fairly even split between outside and slot reps in 2025. In such a scenario, Jones would line up outside opposite Marvin Harrison (knee/illness).
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Ladd McConkey WR | LAC
Chargers' Ladd McConkey: Not practicing Monday
McConkey (undisclosed) didn't practice Monday, Kris Rhim of ESPN.com reports.
Per Daniel Popper of The Athletic, McConkey was present for Sunday's walkthrough but then worked off to the side. Given that offensive coordinator Greg Roman told Popper on Saturday that the wideout's injury is "extremely minor," consider the 2024 second-rounder day-to-day as Sunday's preseason contest against the Saints approaches.
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Jauan Jennings WR | SF
49ers' Jauan Jennings: Sidelined by calf again
Jennings (calf) isn't practicing Monday, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Jennings was bothered by a calf injury during the offseason program and then aggravated it in the first week of training camp. He's been absent from practices for more than a week now, freeing up more first-team reps for Ricky Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson and Jordan Watkins. Fellow 49ers wideouts Brandon Aiyuk (ACL) and Jacob Cowing (hamstring) also haven't been practicing.
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Allen Lazard WR | NYJ
Jets' Allen Lazard: Top-three WR per depth chart
Lazard is listed as a starter on the unofficial depth chart the Jets released Sunday.
Lazard is penciled in as a starter alongside Garrett Wilson and Josh Reynolds. With Xavier Gipson (shoulder) and Jamaal Pritchett behind Lazard on the depth chart, it looks like the 29-year-old Lazard is ticketed for slot duties in three-receiver sets if this pecking order holds.
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Tyler Johnson WR | NYJ
Jets' Tyler Johnson: Listed as backup on depth chart
Johnson is listed as a reserve on the unofficial depth chart the Jets released Sunday.
Garrett Wilson, Josh Reynolds and Allen Lazard are listed as starters, with Johnson behind Reynolds on the depth chart. Lazard's placement on the depth chart suggests he could be utilized in the slot, with Johnson as a reserve on the outside. Earlier reports from Jets beat writers in training camp suggested that Johnson has been outplaying Lazard.