NFL Player News

Turner (back) is considered week-to-week, head coach Sean McVay revealed Thursday, Greg Beachum of The Associated Press reports.

Turner's injury will keep him out of Saturday's preseason opener against the Cowboys, and possibly beyond then. He has exactly one month to recover before the Rams kick off regular-season play Sept. 7 against the Texans.

McKinney (calf) could be sidelined for the remainder of training camp and the entire preseason, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

McKinney's optimistic that he'll be available for the regular-season opener against the Lions come Sept. 7, but the veteran safety may not see the field before then, especially with the Packers likely to take a cautious approach with his calf injury. He suited up for all 17 regular-season games in each of the previous two campaigns.

Hunter is slated to play both wide receiver and cornerback in Saturday night's preseason opener against the Steelers, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com reports.

With the Jaguars in line to play their key healthy players this weekend, Hunter is on track to make his two-way debut as a pro versus Pittsburgh, though it remains to be seen how long the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft will be out there Saturday. On the team's posted unofficial depth chart, Hunter is listed as a starting wideout alongside Brian Thomas and Dyami Brown, and as a second-string cornerback. In any case, it looks like the rookie out of Colorado is poised to see enough snaps and targets on offense out of the gate this season to yield fantasy dividends, while at the same time potentially adding to his value in leagues that also count IDP stats.

Verse was assisted off the field by trainers Thursday after bumping his knee with teammate Braden Fiske, Gary Klein of the Los Angles Times reports.

Verse's status will bear monitoring until an update is provided, though the 2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year is unlikely to miss extensive time as a result of Thursday's injury. The Rams begin preseason play Saturday against the Cowboys.

Rams coach Sean McVay said Thursday that Stafford (back) will resume practicing Monday if his preliminary workout before Saturday's preseason opener against the Cowboys goes well, Adam Grosbard of The Orange County Register reports.

McVay emphasized that if Saturday's matchup against Dallas were a regular-season contest, Stafford would be able to take the field. The veteran quarterback has received an epidural to help manage an aggravated disc in his back, but Los Angeles' communications have consistently expressed that the expectation is for him to be available Week 1. Jimmy Garoppolo has handled first-team quarterback reps for roughly the last two weeks with Stafford sidelined, but barring any setbacks the Rams' starting QB will be back in the lineup to begin next week's practices. Having said that, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports that he won't participate in a joint practice with the Chargers.

Vaughn (hamstring) returned to practice Thursday, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Vaughn's return to practice should pave the way for him to suit up in Saturday's preseason opener against the Rams. He's vying for a depth role in a Dallas backfield that also includes Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders (knee), Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah. Vaughn is the only member of that group that was with the Cowboys last season.

Johnson (foot) is not participating in practice Thursday, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Johnson's status now looks uncertain for Sunday's preseason opener against the Dolphins, though there's not yet any reason to suspect his foot injury is anything more than minor. Per Mark Carman of CHGO Bears and WGN Radio, Johnson spent Tuesday's practice mostly working in as a short-yardage specialist around the goal line. He appears to be facing real competition from rookie seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai for the No. 2 role behind D'Andre Swift.

Hernandez (knee) signed a one-year contract with the Cardinals on Thursday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Hernandez is back in Arizona, where he started 35 regular-season games from 2022 through 2024 before tearing his ACL in Week 5 of the 2024 season. The team is encouraged with his rehab from the knee injury but a clear return timeline for Hernandez has yet to be established. He will begin his latest tenure with the team on the active/PUP list, per Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com.

Robinson (leg) has participated in training camp practices this week, Connor Hughes of SNY.tv reports.

Robinson missed time earlier in training camp due to a minor leg injury, but he's resumed taking part in 11-on-11 drills as Saturday's preseason opener against the Bills approaches. It remains to be seen, however, whether New York's starters will be given the green light to suit up for action Saturday. Robinson's average depth of target in 2024 was a shocking 4.8 yards, which would be a low margin even for a tight end, but having Russell Wilson locked in under center to kick off the 2025 campaign will provide him an opportunity to improve his efficiency. That said, the 5-foot-8 slot specialist will be a candidate to see his target volume decline after drawing 140 looks across his 17 regular-season appearances last season.

Slayton (undisclosed) is not participating in Thursday's practice, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

Slayton is missing a second consecutive practice due to an undisclosed injury. The Giants' lack of commentary on Slayton's status seems like an indication that the issue is minor, but it remains to be seen whether he'll be cleared in time to potentially suit up for Saturday's preseason opener against the Bills. After re-signing with New York on a on a three-year, $36 million this offseason, Slayton enters the 2025 campaign positioned to start alongside Malik Nabers (shoulder/toe) and Wan'Dale Robinson (leg) in three-wide sets.