NFL Player News

Bates (hamstring) is set to begin practicing Tuesday, Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site reports.

Bates suffered a hamstring injury in late July and has not practiced since the issue developed. The tight end is recovering well and is set to see at least a limited practice session Tuesday. While Bates has been absent, Ben Sinnott has been expanding his route tree in the hopes of obtaining the No. 2 tight end role. Bates will need to prove he can maintain his position behind Chig Okonkwo as he works his way back the remainder of the preseason.

The Dolphins signed Gronowski to a contract Sunday.

Gronowski's signing will bolster the Dolphins' quarterback room in the absence of Quinn Ewers (groin). Ewers went down during the team's 20-7 preseason loss to the Commanders on Friday, making Gronowski the current No. 3 quarterback behind Malik Willis and Cam Miller. The undrafted free agent was waived by the Dolphins in early August, so this second stint with the team will likely only last until Ewers regains his health.

The Ravens signed Ward to a contract Sunday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Ward signed with the Ravens practice squad in early December of 2025 to bolster the team's depth after Justice Hill went down with a neck injury. The running back must be well-liked within the organization because he is back for round two, set to once again bolster the team's depth as they approach Saturday's preseason showdown with the Vikings.

Bullard (foot) is still not practicing but has removed his walking boot, Weston Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site reports.

Bullard suffered a bone bruise on his right foot last Sunday and appears to be progressing well in his rehab. The starting slot cornerback is not yet ready to put the pads back on, but walking on his own power a week after the injury is a very good sign for Bullard's chances of playing in the Packers' Week 1 matchup against the Vikings.

Kraft said Sunday that he expects the Packers to limit his reps "probably until halfway through the season," Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Kraft has been trending toward returning Week 1 following a season-ending torn ACL suffered during Week 9 of the 2025 campaign, and he also returned to 11-on-11 drills for the first time Sunday. The fourth-year tight end added that he's hoping not to be on a rep count for the regular-season opener, per Demovsky, so it'll be worth monitoring his status leading into that game versus the Vikings on Sunday, Sept. 13. Kraft played at least 88 percent of the Packers' offensive snaps in each of their first seven games before going down last year. He finished with 32 catches for 489 yards and six touchdowns over eight contests in 2025. Kraft also was asked whether he expects a new contract by Week 1, saying "that's the goal," according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.

Van Ness (shoulder) did not participate in Sunday's practice, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports.

It is unclear when Van Ness suffered the injury. The starting weakside linebacker will likely sit out Friday's preseason contest against the Broncos if there is even a small chance of further aggravation. If the 2023 first-rounder does not play Friday, Brenton Cox should see more reps with the first-team defense, and Collin Oliver and Nyjalik Kelly could receive more depth snaps.

Wetjen (undisclosed) was a full participant in Sunday's practice, Alan Saunders of SteelersNow.com reports.

Wetjen missed Saturday's session with an undisclosed issue. The projected kick and punt returner seems to have quickly recovered from whatever injury he sustained during Thursday's preseason opener against the Packers. Wetjen caught both of his targets for 79 yards and a touchdown while also returning three kicks for 61 yards during Thursday's contest. The wide receiver also returned two punts for 10 yards. The fourth-round rookie's versatility and production could be a catalyst that quickly moves him up the depth chart in the coming weeks.

Brisker (undisclosed) did not play in Thursday's preseason opener against the Packers, Andrew Vasquez of steelerswire.com reports.

Brisker is dealing with an unknown issue that kept him out of Thursday's game as well as subsequent practices. The starting safety's return timeline is unknown, and the longer he misses, the more first-team reps Jack Henderson will see. The Steelers' secondary is now in dire straits, with Joey Porter (back), Jalen Ramsey (knee) and Donte Kent (undisclosed) all still on the active/PUP list. Brandin Echols (ankle) and Israel Mukuamu (undisclosed) are also dealing with injuries, meaning depth for the team is razor thin as they head into Friday's preseason game against the Jets.

Charbonnet (knee) remains on the active/PUP list as the Seahawks' second preseason contest (Sunday, Aug. 23 versus the Titans) approaches.

Since placing Charbonnet (who unsurprisingly was on Seattle's 'did not play' list in Saturday's preseason opener against the Cowboys) on the PUP list July 22, the Seahawks haven't offered a concrete update on when the running back might return to practice. However, given that surgery to repair the torn ACL Charbonnet sustained during last season's playoffs didn't occur until Feb. 20, it's reasonable to expect Charbonnet will remain sidelined out of the gate once the team's regular-season slate commences. In that scenario, fellow RBs Jadarian Price (lower body), George Holani and Emanuel Wilson (hamstring) would be in line to see added opportunities early on this season. Seattle's unofficial depth chart currently lists Holani ahead of Price (listed second) and Wilson (third), and while Holani figures to see his share of touches come Week 1, Price -- the No. 32 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft -- remains the upside play in fantasy terms and also should claim a decent portion of the workload, provided he can get (and stay) healthy before then.

Thornton (undisclosed) did not participate in Sunday's practice, Sam Warren of The Athletic reports.

Thornton was present at the Raiders' facility doing work off to the side out of pads. The wide receiver missed Thursday's preseason opener against the Cardinals and will continue to miss valuable reps as he recovers from a minor issue. The missed reps allow Malik Benson and Jack Bech to extend their lead in the competition for the No. 3 receiver spot, with Benson in particular pulling ahead as he continues to see reps with the first-team offense.