NFL Player News

Coach Todd Monken said Monday that Boston will start working with the first-team offense in practice this week, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.

Specifically, Monken said Boston will work as the "boundary" receiver on the outside, allowing Jerry Jeudy to move around the formation more. By all accounts, Boston has been a standout at Browns camp and has earned the increased reps with the starters. His insertion with the ones is likely to hurt Cedric Tillman the most, as Tillman is a holdover from the previous coaching staff and has been mentioned in trade rumors this offseason. Boston appears to be a riser up fantasy draft boards headed into the preseason.

Coach Todd Monken noted Monday that he hasn't decided whether Sanders or Deshaun Watson will start Saturday's preseason opener against the Bears, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Monken did indicate that whichever of the two doesn't start against Chicago will get the nod against the Bills in Cleveland's second preseason tilt. After Watson took starters reps during Saturday's practice, Sanders is slated to work with the first-team offense Monday. On the topic of the ongoing job battle between the two signal-callers, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com relays that Monken said Monday, "As long as we're still sharing reps, it's a competition."

Kraft (knee) ran routes on air in full pads while catching passes from QB Jordan Love at Monday's practice, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports.

Most notably for Kraft, he wasn't wearing the sleeve he'd been wearing on his right knee from the first nearly two weeks of training camp. He suffered an ACL tear in that knee Week 9 of last season, and while he sat out Friday's Family Night practice, he was back on the field as of Monday and continues to increase his reps as a Week 1 matchup at Minnesota on Sunday, Sept. 13 draws closer. It doesn't appear likely Kraft will play during the preseason, and the question remains whether or not he and the Packers will agree to a contract extension.

Waddle, who left this past Wednesday's practice with muscle tightness, didn't practice Monday, Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post reports.

That's not surprising given that coach Sean Payton said Thursday of Waddle that he thought the wideout would be back in "the next 4-to-5 days," per Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site. With that in mind, consider Waddle day-to-day ahead of Friday's preseason opener against the Falcons.

Mims (undisclosed) returned to practice Monday, Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post reports.

After leaving Friday's practice with an apparent injury, Mims didn't work Saturday, but the wideout is back in pads Monday and will continue to vie for slotting in a WR corps led by Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle (undisclosed). Mims' primary competition this season for snaps/targets that don't go to the top duo are Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant.

Cooper (foot) took part in Monday's practice, Mike Spofford of the Packers' official site reports.

Cooper was held out of Sunday's session with a foot issue, but he was back out there a day later. As such, consider him back in the mix moving forward.

Williams, per head coach Matt LaFleur, "had a good day" at Sunday's practice session, according to Weston Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site.

Williams saw added opportunities with both Jayden Reed (ankle) and Matthew Golden (toe) sitting out, and he capitalized by hauling in nearly every pass thrown his direction. Williams didn't do a lot in his 2025 rookie season and remains behind both receivers already mentioned as well as Christian Watson in the pecking order, but he is the favorite to head into Week 1 with the fourth spot on the depth chart.

Mays sustained a wrist injury during Sunday's practice and will miss "a significant period," Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

It's unclear exactly how long Mays will be sidelined, but his recovery timeline will extend into the regular season. As such, the Lions will be down their top center -- who signed a three-year, $25 million contract with the club in March -- when the games that count get underway.

Pittman (leg) wasn't spotted at Monday's practice, Alan Saunders of SteelersNow.com reports.

Per Saunders, Pittman left Saturday's practice with some sort of right leg injury. Meanwhile, with DK Metcalf also not spotted at the session, possibly for a rest day, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com relays that Germie Bernard is in line for added practice reps Monday.

The Raiders returned to their usual QB rotation during Monday's practice, with Cousins working with the first-team offense and Fernando Mendoza with the second unit, Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com reports.

Per McFadden, Cousins didn't participate in the team period of Saturday's session due to his scuffle with teammate Maxx Crosby during Friday's practice, according to McFadden. Following an off day Sunday, things appear back to normal at practice for the team's top signal-callers, and as the regular season approaches Cousins continues to trend toward drawing the start over Mendoza in Week 1.