NFL Player News

Johnson isn't listed on the injury report for Sunday's season opener at Washington, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Giants coach Brian Daboll confirmed Johnson is "good to go" after making it through training camp and the preseason without any setbacks. It's been a smooth process, at least from a distance, which is perhaps surprising given Johnson's worrisome diagnosis back in December -- a Lisfranc injury that required surgery. The Giants didn't add much competition at tight end this offseason, potentially allowing Johnson to pick up where he left off in a near-every-down role (before the foot injury ended his rookie year).

Williams (hamstring) was limited in practice Wednesday.

Williams suffered a concussion in the early stages of training camp but was able to return to practice within days of the injury. He then picked up a hamstring issue on Aug. 19 that has sidelined him in the interim. With his return to the field Wednesday, Williams is putting himself on a path to play Sunday against the Lions. Because fellow WRs Jayden Reed (foot, DNP) and Dontayvion Wicks (calf, LP) also are tending to health concerns at the moment, the Packers' receiving corps is in flux ahead of Week 1 action.

Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said Wednesday that he expects Harris (eye) will play this Friday against the Chiefs.

Harris said Monday that he planned to play, with his full practice participation Tuesday then confirming he was on track. Harbaugh echoed that Wednesday, although he declined to answer reporters' questions about the extent of Harris' Week 1 role. "Those are really hard to predict," Harbaugh said. "Play counts and things of that nature. Get in there, play football and have at it. That's kind of the mindset. Not kind of, that is the mindset."

McKee (thumb) did not practice Wednesday and is ruled out for Thursday's regular-season opener against the Cowboys.

McKee won't be available at home versus Dallas in Week 1, leaving Sam Howell in position to serve as the top backup to quarterback Jalen Hurts. The 2023 sixth-round pick is working his way back from a thumb fracture on his right throwing hand suffered Aug. 24. His next chance to suit up will come Week 2 on the road at Kansas City on Sunday, Sept. 14.

Saints coach Kellen Moore said Wednesday that Kamara will take most of the team's carries, with other running backs ready to step up when there's a chance, Erin Summers of NFL Network reports.

It's what fantasy managers want to hear four days before the season opener, even if there's nothing surprising or unexpected about Moore's quote. Kendre Miller won the No. 2 RB job this summer, but he didn't necessarily do enough to earn a big Week 1 role, more or less defaulting into his depth chart spot after rookie Devin Neal missed much of the summer with a hamstring injury. Miller and Neal could get more involved as the season progresses, but Kamara figures to take well over half of the snaps and touches this Sunday against San Francisco.

Wicks (calf) practiced on a limited basis Wednesday.

Wicks has been tending to a calf injury since at least July 29 that kept him out of most practices and the entire preseason slate until he got back on the field last Wednesday. With a cap remaining on his reps to kick off Week 1 prep, he remains at less than 100 percent along with rookie third-round pick Savion Williams (hamstring), while Jayden Reed (foot) didn't participate at all Wednesday. The Packers thus have key question marks at wide receiver in advance of Sunday's contest against the Lions.

Smith (knee) is not listed on Wednesday's injury report, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

Smith missed time early August due to a knee injury, but he returned to practice Aug. 20 and is now at full health as Sunday's regular-season opener against the Jets approaches. Fresh off a career-best campaign in which he tallied an 88-884-8 receiving line across 17 regular-season appearances with the Dolphins, Smith is now positioned to work alongside Pat Freiermuth as one of the Steelers' top tight ends. While the Steelers don't have much in the way of proven pass-catches for quarterback Aaron Rodgers behind WR DK Metcalf, the fact that Smith and Freiermuth will split snaps is a notable barrier to either tight end surfacing as a consistent weekly fantasy option.

Otton (groin) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday, Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Otton sustained a hamstring injury early in training camp, got back on the practice field as of Aug. 11 and played in preseason Week 2, when he didn't gather in either of his two targets. He then came down with a leg issue last Wednesday that now has been confirmed as a groin concern. Otton's status thus bears monitoring as the week goes on to get a sense of his chances to suit up Sunday in Atlanta.

Hopkins (knee) isn't on the Week 1 injury report.

Hopkins missed a bit of practice time here and there but was mostly available for training camp. He'll likely be the No. 3 receiver for Sunday's game at Buffalo, although the role could entail far more snaps than is typical for Baltimore's offense depending on the health of TE Isaiah Likely (ankle) and FB Patrick Ricard (calf). Likely isn't expected to play, while Ricard's availability is unknown.

Gesicki (hamstring) is not listed on Wednesday's injury report, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

Gesicki missed much of August due to a hamstring injury, which gave Noah Fant an opportunity to handle expanded first-team reps at tight end, but he's back to full health ahead of Sunday's regular-season opener on the road against Cleveland. With premier target hogs Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins atop the wide receiver depth chart and backfield mates Chase Brown and Samaje Perine both boasting a three-down skillset, Gesicki has a difficult path to earning consistent target volume on a weekly basis, especially with Fant now offering competition. He is still, however, the favorite to lead the Bengals' tight end position in targets after having inked a three-year, $25.5 million extension with the team this offseason.