NFL Player News

Chase and other starters are scheduled to play in Thursday's preseason opener against Detroit, Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor also said QB Joe Burrow and WR Tee Higgins will play. In the past two preseason openers, Burrow played a total of three drives and ended each with a TD pass, including one to Chase.

Burrow and other starters are scheduled to play in Thursday's preseason opener against Detroit, Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

WR Ja'Marr Chase, WR Tee Higgins and DT Dexter Lawrence are also expected to play, so it sounds like all healthy starters will get some action. Last year, Burrow played two drives in Cincinnati's preseason opener, completing nine of 10 passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns. In the 2024 preseason opener, he played a single 12-play drive, which also ended in a TD pass.

Judkins is expected to take on a larger role in the passing game this year, according to Scott Petrak of BrownsZone.

The report also notes that "the plan is for Judkins to be a workhorse" under new Browns head coach Todd Monken. A couple of weeks ago, RBs coach Duce Staley said the second-year back "can play all three downs" once he has the mental aspect mastered. The Browns still have Dylan Sampson as an option for passing downs or to mix in on early downs, but it sounds like Judkins will get the lion's share of touches come Week 1. He's been a full practice participant since OTAs, coming back strong from late-December surgery on a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula.

Flowers (quadriceps) will take part in Tuesday's practice, Sam Cohn of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Flowers could be in store for limited reps Tuesday after he exited Saturday's session due to a left quad contusion, but his presence on the field in any capacity suggests the Ravens aren't viewing the injury as a major concern. Earlier this month, the 25-year-old landed a four-year contract extension worth up to $140 million, solidifying his standing as the Ravens' No. 1 wideout both this season and beyond.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday that Jacobs (groin) will be "out for at least this week," Weston Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site reports.

Jacobs initially was held out of practice last Thursday, so this essentially confirms that his absence will stretch to at least a week and a half. He won't play in Green Bay's preseason opener this Thursday against Pittsburgh, and it'd be surprising to see Jacobs in the lineup a week later versus Denver. The Packers recently got Chris Brooks (hamstring) back from the NFI list, joining MarShawn Lloyd, Pierre Strong, Damien Martinez and Jaden Nixon in the backfield. Lloyd is the current favorite for the No. 2 RB role behind Jacobs, who dealt with nagging injuries throughout much of last year.

Pierce (ankle) was present for Tuesday's practice and took part in individual work off to the side under the supervision of a trainer, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Colts general manager Chris Ballard spoke about Pierce's situation Tuesday, noting that the wideout received a platelet-rich plasma injection in January before opting for surgery on his ankle two months later when the shot didn't yield the desired results. Pierce has suffered no setbacks and required no follow-up procedures, and any concern about his ankle didn't deter the Colts from signing him to a four-year, $114 million contract in March. The fifth-year player still looks like he has a few more hurdles to clear before returning to action, and he currently remains on the PUP list.

Love is scheduled to play in Thursday's preseason game at Pittsburgh, though Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday that he reserves the right to change his mind, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

If Love does end up playing, history suggests it'll be his lone appearance of the preseason. He may be stuck with a mixed crew of starters and backups, given that RB Josh Jacobs (groin), TE Tucker Kraft (knee), WR Jayden Reed (ankle) and WR Matthew Golden (toe) have all missed time recently.

Downs (groin) is back at practice Tuesday, Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star reports.

While the extent of Downs' participation is uncertain, a quick return to practice confirms his groin injury isn't serious. He was held out over the weekend and now seems ready to return after missing just a few days. With Alec Pierce (ankle) still unavailable, Downs is the unquestioned No. 1 WR at Indianapolis practices these days.

McMillan (knee) is doing individual drills at Tuesday's practice, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Even if he isn't a full participant, McMillan's relatively quick return to practice seemingly confirms that his knee injury isn't serious. He's been out for about a week but may now be ready for a preseason appearance. McMillan is the favorite for Tampa Bay's No. 3 WR job, behind returning starters Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin. Competition for snaps primarily comes from Tez Johnson and rookie Ted Hurst.

Smith (hamstring) isn't participating in Tuesday's practice, Martin Frank of The Delaware News Journal reports.

Though Smith will sit out his fifth consecutive practice, he appears to be making strides in his recovery from a hamstring injury. According to Tim McManus of ESPN.com, Smith was spotted doing some running on the field prior to Tuesday's session, which he hadn't done in advance of any of the previous four practices. The Eagles continue to view the hamstring issue as a short-term concern and appear to be playing it safe with their No. 1 wideout.