NFL Player News

Smith (hamstring) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday.

After sitting out the first week of Super Bowl prep due to a hamstring injury, Smith now has logged back-to-back capped sessions to begin this week, giving him only one more chance to get back to full participation or else risk entering the weekend with a designation for Sunday's game against the Chiefs. Friday's practice report will reveal whether or not that comes to pass.

Means (ankle) received medical clearance late January and will enter the offseason at full health, Jeff Nowak of WWL Radio reports.

Means missed the final nine regular-season games of his rookie campaign due to a high-ankle sprain sustained Week 8. He was cleared to resume practicing early December, but then suffered a setback in his recovery. Across seven regular-season appearances as a rookie, Means secured nine of 15 targets for 118 yards and a score.

Thielen relayed Thursday that he intends to continue his playing career during the 2025 season, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

Thielen has one year remaining on the three-year, $25 million deal that he signed with the Panthers in March 2023. In two campaigns in Carolina, he has one 1,000-yard season under his belt (2023), averaged 10.8 YPC and 8.2 YPT and scored nine touchdowns in 27 games. Even as he enters his age-35 season, Thielen clearly still has something to give to what appears to be an ascendant offense under the direction of 2023 top overall pick Bryce Young.

Moore (abdomen) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice.

Moore has been on injured reserve since late October due to a core-muscle injury. The Chiefs designated him for return from IR last Thursday, and he was listed as doubtful for Sunday's Super Bowl matchup with the Eagles when Kansas City released its injury report last Friday. Moore would give himself a better chance at being activated from IR and playing Sunday if he were to fully participate in practices Thursday and Friday.

Covey (neck) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice.

Covey hasn't played since Week 13 due to a neck injury, which was significant enough for the Eagles to place him on injured reserve. If he can log full practices all week, Covey would be a candidate to be activated from IR ahead of Sunday's Super Bowl matchup with the Chiefs. The 27-year-old wideout caught seven passes (on eight targets) for 34 yards across five appearances during the regular season and also contributed as a punt returner.

Smith (hamstring) was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice.

Smith was held out of all drills last week due to a hamstring injury, after which he didn't receive a game designation on last Friday's practice report for Super Bowl LIX. With some practice reps under his belt to begin this week, he appears to be ramping up his activity level in advance Sunday's game against the Chiefs. He may need to upgrade to full participation by Friday, however, to avoid taking a designation into the Super Bowl.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Wednesday that Rice (knee) is doing well in his recovery from October surgery to repair the LCL in his right knee, which Reid called "a good sign for next year," Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.

Rice remains on injured reserve and isn't a candidate to contribute for Kansas City's matchup against the Eagles in the Super Bowl on Sunday, but he is now nearing the end of the estimated four-month recovery timeframe for the knee procedure, which also addressed a tear of his hamstring tendon. As such, the 2023 third-round pick seemingly remains on track to kick off the 2025 campaign at full health. Rice operated as Patrick Mahomes' clear top target in the first four games of the season, and if health isn't a factor, he could settle back in atop the depth chart in 2025. He will, however, still be a candidate for a future suspension related to his involvement in a hit-and-run car crash that occurred in Dallas last March, and for which Rice received criminal charges.

The Bengals signed Tinsley to a reserve/future contract Tuesday.

Tinsley spent his first two years in the league with Washington, but now he'll have a chance to make a positive impression on a new coaching staff in Cincinnati. He has just three regular-season offensive snaps under his belt going into 2025.

The Panthers signed Tremayne to a reserve/future contract Tuesday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.

Tremayne has spent most of the past two seasons on Washington's practice squad, but he's now getting a fresh start in Carolina. He played a total of 19 offensive snaps over two appearances with the Commanders in 2024, catching his only target for a loss of two yards.

Kupp announced Monday evening that the Rams informed him they will be looking to trade him in the immediate future.

"I was informed that the team will be seeking a trade immediately and will be working with me and my family to find the right place to continue competing for championships," Kupp wrote Monday. "I don't agree with the decision and always believed it was going to begin and end in LA." He said after the Rams' divisional-round loss to the Eagles that he planned to continue his playing career, but it always felt like it was headed this direction, with the Rams and Kupp parting ways. Kupp turns 32 years old in June and is coming off an extremely slow finish to the 2024 season, one in which he was clearly overtaken as the Rams' WR1 by Puka Nacua. Kupp has two years left on his current contract, one that is set to pay him $12.5 million and $14.85 million salaries the next two seasons. It may be a difficult contract to move, but the acquiring team would likely look to restructure Kupp's deal. The Rams may envision Jordan Whittington as Kupp's much cheaper replacement out of the slot.