NFL Player News

Bell (lower body) participated in full-team drills Monday, Jon Scott of Channel 2 Buffalo reports.

The rookie out of UConn hasn't played in either of Buffalo's first two preseason games, but after practicing fully Monday, Bell appears on track to play in Thursday's exhibition finale versus the Steelers, per Alex Brasky of SI.com. Bell's injury during training camp may have pushed back his timeline for contributing on the field early this season, even if he gets a preseason game under his belt.

Johnson (lower leg) didn't practice Tuesday, but head coach Joe Brady said that the running back has resumed sprinting, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News reports.

Though Johnson hasn't practiced in more than two weeks while nursing a lower-leg injury and looks unlikely to play in Thursday's preseason finale versus the Steelers, Brady noted that the running back is "in a good head space" and could still be available for Week 1 in Houston. If Johnson ends up being sidelined to begin the regular season, however, lead back James Cook could take on a heightened role on passing downs.

Sanders appears to be the frontrunner to open the season as the Jets' kicker after Cade York was waived Tuesday, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports.

The Jets brought in both Sanders and York on one-year deals to compete for the kicking job. Sanders' longer record of NFL success gave him an early edge, and he ended up pulling away after converting both of his point-after attempts as well as field-goal attempts from 39 and 47 yards in the first two preseason contests. Jets special teams coach Chris Banjo said Tuesday that Sanders "has won the job" at placekicker, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Washington (undisclosed) is taking part in Tuesday's joint practice with the Buccaneers, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Jaguars labeled Washington as day-to-day last week while he dealt with an undisclosed injury, but he took part in a walk-through session Sunday and is seemingly operating with no restrictions in the first of two joint practices with the Buccaneers. Washington made a big play early in Tuesday's session during red-zone drills, going high over cornerback Jacob Parrish to bring down a lob pass in the end zone.

McMillan (knee) isn't participating in Tuesday's practice, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

McMillan was able to return to practice last Tuesday, but the third-year wideout is apparently still dealing with some limitations as he works his way back from a knee injury that has kept him off the field for much of August. The Buccaneers haven't clarified whether McMillan's absence from practice Tuesday is the result of a setback, or if he's simply getting a maintenance day. He seems to be trending toward sitting out Friday's preseason finale versus the Jaguars.

Johnson (groin) is taking part in Tuesday's practice, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

Though it's not clear whether Johnson will be a full or limited participant in Tuesday's session, his presence on the field in any capacity is a sign that he's made good progress in his recovery from a groin strain he sustained earlier this month. Johnson at least appears to be in a better spot on the health front than fellow wideouts Emeka Egbuka (toe) and Jalen McMillan (knee), who are both remaining sidelined Tuesday.

Egbuka (toe) isn't participating in Tuesday's practice, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

Egbuka has been managing a sprained toe since Aug. 12, when the injury forced him out of practice. Almost two weeks later, the wideout has yet to return to team drills, with head coach Todd Bowles having previously described him as both "day-to-day" and "week-to-week." Egbuka looks safe to rule out for Friday's preseason finale versus the Jaguars, and his availability for the Buccaneers' Week 1 matchup with the Bengals will be murky until he's able to return to full practice.

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said that Sinnott is dealing with an oblique injury and is unlikely to play in Friday's preseason finale versus the Ravens, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reports.

Sinnott won't practice this week after sustaining the injury this past Saturday. Quinn didn't indicate that the tight end's availability for the Commanders' Sept. 13 season opener versus the Eagles is in any peril, but Sinnott will likely need to return to full practice at some point over the next two-plus weeks to put himself on a path to play.

The Jets will waive York on Tuesday, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.

He came up short in the battle for the Jets' kicking job, with Jason Sanders emerging as the victor. Since converting 24 of 32 field-goal attempts while appearing in all 17 games as a rookie with the Browns in 2022, York has bounced around the league over the last four years, spending time in the Giants, Commanders, Bengals and Jets organizations.

Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley said that he's tentatively planning on having Bell (knee) play in Friday's preseason finale versus the Falcons, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.

After completing his recovery from December surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee, Bell was reinstated from the NFI list Aug. 17 and returned to practice as a limited participant. The Dolphins were comfortable clearing him for full participation Monday, and Bell seems to have bounced back well from that practice session. Even if the rookie wideout ends up not getting cleared for the Falcons game, he looks like he'll be on track to have a role in Week 1 versus the Raiders.