NFL Player News

Norman-Lott (ankle) is inactive for Friday's game against the Chargers, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Norman-Lott was a limited practice participant all week, but his NFL debut will have to wait. Given his practice status, he should have a good chance of suiting up for Week 2 against the Eagles.

Thornton is a candidate to see added work early on this season, with Rashee Rice (suspension) set to miss the Chiefs' first six games, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

In Rice's absence, Xavier Worthy is in line to have a high profile in the passing offense, while Hollywood Brown and Thornton also figure to factor in, per Rapoport. Thornton earned a roster spot with a strong training camp, and now the speedster has a chance to make his mark out of the gate this season. Also in the team's WR mix are veteran option JuJu Smith-Schuster, with Jason Brownlee and Nikko Remigio on hand as well.

Wiley (coach's decision) is inactive for Friday's game against the Chargers, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Wiley appeared in seven regular-season games for the Chiefs as a rookie in 2024, though he saw only 97 total snaps. He slipped behind Robert Tonyan on the depth chart this offseason and will begin 2025 on the inactive list.

Gadsden (coach's decision) is listed as inactive for Friday's game versus Kansas City, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.

The Chargers apparently feel good rolling into Week 1 with just Will Dissly and Tyler Conklin available at tight end, so Gadsden will have to wait at least another week to make his regular-season debut. His absence might mean a few more snaps from the slot for Keenan Allen.

Becton (illness) is active for Friday night's season opener against the Chiefs.

Becton had been listed as questionable after being added to the injury report Friday morning with an illness, but he'll be available for Week 1 action, after all. Assuming no setbacks, Becton is slated to work as the Chargers' starting right guard Friday.

Noel is set for a larger role for the Texans on Sunday versus the Rams due to both Christian Kirk (hamstring) and Braxton Berrios (hamstring) being ruled out for the game, Sam Warren of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Both Kirk's duties out of the slot and Berrios' as a punt returner appear as if they'll fall on Noel's shoulders in the latter's pro debut. A rookie third-round pick, Noel racked up an 80-1,194-8 line on 125 targets at Iowa State last season and also turned 13 punt returns into 199 yards (15.3 per), earning Big 12 Co-Special Teams Player of the Year honors in the process. Noel, along with rookie second-rounder Jayden Higgins, will be in the mix for targets from QB C.J. Stroud behind top WR Nico Collins.

Higgins is in line for an elevated role in the Texans' passing game Sunday against the Rams after fellow WR Christian Kirk (hamstring) was ruled out for that contest.

Higgins isn't a candidate to take on Kirk's role in the slot, as fellow rookie Jaylin Noel should handle most of those duties, but targets have opened up a bit behind top option Nico Collins. In three appearances this preseason, Higgins recorded a modest 5-40-0 line on seven targets. However, the 2025 second-round pick is coming off a final season at Iowa State in which he averaged 13.6 yards per catch and 8.6 yards per target, so he could make a bigger impact if he's deployed on routes further down the field.

Greenlaw (quadriceps) has been ruled out ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Titans, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

Greenlaw's absence Sunday comes as no surprise after he missed the entire week of practice due to a quadriceps injury. The first-year Bronco appeared in two games for the 49ers in 2024 after recovering from a torn Achilles, posting nine total tackles on just 34 defensive snaps. Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette reports that Justin Strnad is expected to fill in for Greenlaw at linebacker during Denver's regular-season opener.

Parsons (back) is listed as questionable ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Lions, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Parsons has yet to practice in full since joining the Packers on Aug. 28., but he did manage three consecutive limited sessions this week, keeping him in play for Sunday's divisional contest. Despite his questionable designation, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Thursday that the All-Pro edge rusher is expected to suit up Week 1. If Parsons can play through his back issue, he'll likely line up opposite Rashan Gary to form one of the NFL's scariest pass-rush tandems. Should Parsons be sidelined, though, Lukas Van Ness and Kingsley Enagbare would likely see increased first-team defensive work.

Hobbs (knee) is listed as questionable ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Lions, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Hobbs upgraded from a DNP at Wednesday's practice to limited sessions Thursday and Friday, so it appears he's trending in the right direction ahead of Green Bay's regular-season opener. The first-year Packer appeared in 11 games for the Raiders in 2024, recording 49 total tackles and five passes defended, including one interception. If Hobbs can suit up Sunday, he's expected to start opposite Keisean Nixon, serving as part of the Packers' top outside cornerback duo.