NFL Player News

Isabella left practice Monday with an undisclosed injury, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

The wide receiver signed with the 49ers on Thursday with the possibility of competing for a depth spot in a crowded receiver room. At the same time, Isabella was not able to elevate from Pittsburgh's practice squad in 2024, got cut by the Bills before last season and last caught an NFL pass in 2022 with the Cardinals. Any missed time will naturally hurt his chances of latching on to a roster spot.

Okuayinonu (groin) sat out of practice Monday, Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said the defensive end would likely miss a couple weeks with the injury, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Okuayinonu found his role as a rotational player a year ago, recording 35 tackles (25 solo), including 3.0 sacks, a pass breakup and a forced fumble, and he projects to fill a similar role in 2025.

Smith (concussion) exited practice early Monday, Andrew DiCecco of InsideTheBirds.com reports.

The edge rusher was dealing with a concussion as early as last Tuesday, an injury he likely suffered the previous day, July 28, per Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia. If this is the same issue, Smith's exit from Monday's session may just be a precaution. The Georgia product broke out in his second NFL season last year, recording 42 tackles (21 solo), including 6.5 sacks, two pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble in the regular season and 4.0 more sacks during Philadelphia's Super Bowl run.

Watson, who is expected to begin the season on the reserve/PUP list, hasn't looked like a player recovering from a torn ACL during training camp, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.

Watson suffered an ACL tear in his right knee in Week 18 of last season, but he appears to have made significant strides in his recovery. Despite that positive impression, the wideout opened training camp on the active/PUP list and seems destined to move to reserve/PUP on cut-down day Aug. 26. The Packers' medical staff tends to be overly cautious with rehabs from serious injuries, so even if it seems as though Watson could suit up during the first four weeks of the season, he'll likely continue to build up strength in his right leg instead given his history of hamstring issues.

Jones is listed among the first-team offense on the Cardinals' first unofficial depth chart of training camp, Bo Brack of GoPHNX.com reports.

Such depth charts need to be taken with a grain of salt, considering they're put together by media relations staff. Nevertheless, it's somewhat notable to see Jones listed ahead of Greg Dortch. Jones managed just eight catches and 240 offensive snaps in 11 games last season, as opposed to Dortch's 37 and 407, respectively, in 17 contests. Dortch operates primarily out of the slot however, so the fact he's listed as the No. 2 in that spot indicates Michael Wilson (concussion) may see a fairly even split between outside and slot reps in 2025. In such a scenario, Jones would line up outside opposite Marvin Harrison (knee/illness).

Vannett signed with the Vikings on Monday.

The 10-year veteran landed with a team that is suddenly needy at his position, with Gavin Bartholomew still down with an ankle injury and T.J. Hockenson missing practice Saturday with an undisclosed issue, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. Vannett played on 374 offensive snaps in 17 regular-season games with the Titans last year, catching 17 passes for 135 yards and three scores.

Baker (knee) was waived with an injury designation by the Giants on Monday, Patricia Traina of SI.com reports.

If the running back goes unclaimed, he will revert to New York's injured reserve list, at which point he would need to reach an injury settlement with the team to have a chance to play in 2025. Baker suffered the injury during one-on-one route-running drills Saturday. The undrafted free-agent signing out of Elon was competing for a depth spot behind Tyrone Tracy, Devin Singletary and Cam Skattebo.

Brown (ankle) did not participate in practice Monday, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The safety appears to be dealing with the same issue that kept him out of minicamp in June, as he has now missed two sessions during training camp as well, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Brown has participated in most training camp practices, though, so the injury does not appear to be serious. The 2023 third-round pick stepped into a starting role last year, recording 77 tackles (48 solo) and six pass breakups.

Pierce (quadriceps) passed a physical Monday and was activated from the active/PUP list, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Pierce opened training camp on the PUP list due to an undisclosed injury, which Wilson revealed to be a strained quad. The running back was described as going high speed on the side during Monday's practice, per DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com, and that activity was enough for him to pass a physical. Houston's No. 1 RB Joe Mixon currently is on the active/non-football injury list due to the combination of ankle and foot issues, and he's slated to be evaluated again closer to the regular season. If his recovery extends into September, Pierce could be in the mix for touches in Week 1 alongside Nick Chubb and rookie fourth-round pick Woody Marks.

Juszczyk (Achilles) did not participate in practice Monday, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The fullback initially suffered the injured Saturday when a teammate stepped on the back of his leg, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Juszczyk is "considered day to day," according to Barrows. The veteran is the only fullback on San Francisco's roster.