NFL Player News

Whittington (shoulder) did not practice Tuesday.

Whittington also missed Monday's practice session due to his shoulder injury. The rookie sixth-round pick hasn't logged a target in any of his last six appearances, but he has played a notable role as a kick returner. Wednesday's final practice report of Week 15 will reveal whether Whittington has a chance of suiting up for Thursday's game against the 49ers.

Johnson played five of the Bears' 53 snaps on offense and finished with a six-yard reception on his lone target in Sunday's 38-13 loss to the 49ers.

Johnson's reception -- his first of the season -- came on the Bears' final drive of the game, when interim head coach Thomas had already subbed out most of Chicago's key players amid the blowout. The 27-year-old remains buried on the depth chart at receiver and will likely play most of his snaps on special teams while Chicago has DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze available.

Thompkins played 11 of the Panthers' 71 snaps on offense and hauled in his lone target for a seven-yard reception in Sunday's 22-16 loss to the Eagles.

Thompkins also contributed in the return game for the first time all season, bringing back two kickoffs for 46 yards and one punt for 15 yards. The increased involvement on special teams came after Raheem Blackshear (chest) exited early with an injury that could affect his availability for Sunday's game against the Cowboys, but the Panthers could choose to use the newly signed Velus Jones as their return man over Thompkins if Blackshear isn't available. Meanwhile, Thompkins' role on offense will likely remain muted with fellow receivers Adam Thielen, Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker (quadricep) and David Moore comfortably ahead of him on the depth chart.

Virgil went without a target while taking the field for one of the Bills' 60 snaps on offense in Sunday's 44-42 loss to the Rams.

Virgil has been active for each of the Bills' last six games but has yet to draw a target over his 36 snaps on offense. He'll continue to bring most of his value to Buffalo on special teams.

Robinson (shoulder) was listed as a non-participant on Tuesday's estimated practice report, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Robinson hasn't logged any practice activity yet this week, putting his availability for Thursday's game against the 49ers in question. If Robinson is unable to go on the short week, Tutu Atwell would be next in line for snaps behind Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. The Rams will release their final injury report of the week Wednesday.

The Browns signed Gill to their practice squad Tuesday.

Gill signed with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in May but was let go as a part of final roster cuts, and he will now get another opportunity with the Browns. The 25-year-old could provide depth to Cleveland's short-handed receiving core, as both Cedric Tillman (concussion) and Jamari Thrash (shoulder) are dealing with injuries.

Fitzpatrick signed to the Chargers' practice squad Tuesday.

The wide receiver was cut from the Bolts' practice squad Dec. 5 to make room for Laviska Shenault. Fitzpatrick was brought back Tuesday when the team also released tackle Alex Leatherwood. Fitzpatrick has played in six games and on 102 offensive snaps across three seasons, though he last played on an offensive snap in 2022 with the Titans.

Cooks caught one of three targets for a three-yard touchdown in Monday night's loss to the Bengals.

Cooks made the most of his lone catch, securing a third-quarter touchdown from Cooper Rush to tie the game at 17-17. In his second game back from a seven-game absence, Cooks' playing time also spiked to 60 percent of the offensive snaps after he played just 39 percent the previous week. Cooks will square off with Carolina's secondary in Week 15 next Sunday.

Samuel caught two of three targets for 15 yards and rushed once for one yard in Sunday's 44-42 loss to the Rams.

Samuel played 36 of the Bills' 60 offensive snaps Sunday, behind Khalil Shakir (47) and Mack Hollins (46), but ahead of Amari Cooper (32). The veteran wideout continued what has been a mostly disappointing season in Buffalo, recording just 23 receptions for 200 yards and one touchdown in 12 appearances this season. Samuel has also found little success on the ground this season, totaling just five rushes for 14 yards in the 2024 campaign. Due to his inconsistent and underwhelming production, Samuel should not be trusted for fantasy purposes going forward. The Bills will visit the Lions in Week 15.

Hodge played one snap on offense and 14 on special teams in Sunday's 42-21 loss to the Vikings.

Hodge was one of five wideouts active for Atlanta in Week 14, but he and practice-squad call-up Chris Blair combined to play just one snap on offense while the trio of Drake London, Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud took on nearly all the available reps at receiver. Though the 29-year-old Hodge is expected to continue to suit up on game days, he'll continue to see most of his opportunities on the Falcons' kick coverage units.