NFL Player News

Petaia (undisclosed) was waived with an injury designation Thursday.

Petaia had been in the Chargers organization since signing with the team in April as part of the International Player Pathway training program. The former rugby player from Australia may opt to pursue that sport again once healthy. Even if he sticks with football, Petaia won't be eligible to play in 2025.

Jenkins (back) popped up on the injury report Thursday, Bill Huber of SI.com reports.

Jacob Monk filled in at center with Jenkins sidelined Thursday. Jenkins was previously on the non-football injury list for the first week of training camp due to an undisclosed injury, but it isn't clear if this back injury is related. His status for Saturday's preseason opener against the Jets is up in the air.

Ferguson (lower back) departed the practice field early Thursday after a collision in 11-on-11 drills, Joe Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Ferguson appeared to grab his lower back when leaving the field, per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and he skipped a visit to the injury tent entirely before entering the locker room. The No. 1 tight end is less than two weeks removed from signing a four-year, $52 million extension with the Cowboys, and while the severity of his injury remains unknown, he now looks like a candidate to be unavailable for Saturday's preseason opener against the Rams. Luke Schoonmaker, who filled in admirably for Ferguson over a three-game stretch last season, figures to handle the bulk of first-team TE reps if Dallas' starter misses any time.

Stilianos signed with the Lions on Thursday.

Stilianos will provide organizational depth at tight end heading into the preseason. He's unlikely to make the team and has yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game.

Rakestraw (shoulder) was placed on injured reserve Thursday.

Rakestraw will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery after being injured in practice this past Sunday. He will miss the entire 2025 season. The 2024 second-round draft pick appeared in eight games during his rookie regular season.

Williams is unlikely to suit up for Saturday's preseason game against Denver after exiting Thursday's practice due to a knee injury, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan relayed after Thursday's practice that Williams will likely miss around a week, adding that the team hopes Williams only hyper-extended his knee. Shanahan's language suggests additional tests may be needed to confirm the nature of the rookie first-round pick's knee injury. Williams dealt with an unrelated ankle injury earlier in training camp.

Hill (undisclosed) suited up for Thursday's practice Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post reports.

After being absent from Wednesday's session, Hill was on the field one day later, though Schad notes that the wideout mostly worked on lower-body stretching and sprinting with trainers in the process. While his presence Thursday is encouraging, it's unclear if Hill will play in Sunday's preseason opener against the Bears.

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday that James will miss a couple weeks due to a broken finger, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

James will require surgery to address his finger injury, ruling him out for Saturday's preseason opener against the Broncos and potentially also the 49ers' second preseason matchup, which will occur Aug. 16 versus the Raiders. With Isaac Guerendo (shoulder) also expected to miss a couple weeks, all of Patrick Taylor, Ameer Abdullah and Corey Kiner will benefit from increased reps behind star running back Christian McCaffrey.

Blue (lower body) spent time in the injury tent Thursday before walking off the field under his own power, Joe Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Blue took a big hit during 11-on-11 work and appears to now have ended Thursday's practice early, which leaves his availability uncertain for Saturday's preseason opener against the Rams. The rookie fifth-round pick has recently earned practice opportunities with the first-team offense and is competing for standing in an uncertain Cowboys backfield, where veterans Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders represent his primary competition for touches.

Milton (thumb) is participating in practice Thursday, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Milton exited Tuesday's joint practice against the Rams early due to a thumb injury, but he's now back in action. The second-year signal-caller figures to be available for Saturday's preseason opener against Los Angeles. Milton is positioned as the No. 2 quarterback behind Dak Prescott, with Will Grier present as the No. 3 option.