NFL Player News

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.

Sadiq (hernia) isn't practicing Tuesday, but he's improved enough to jog on the sidelines while observing practice, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Jets coach Aaron Glenn said last week that Sadiq had suffered a setback in his recovery but that the rookie was still expected to be ready for Week 1. Coming back from hernia surgery this spring, Sadiq has missed much of the offseason program and all of training camp, making it difficult for him to earn a significant Week 1 role. He nonetheless figures to contribute in some fashion this season after the Jets drafted him 16th overall in April. Mason Taylor will continue to draw first-team reps until Sadiq is cleared to practice.

Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said Nix's deep accuracy has been "off the charts" at training camp, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic reports.

Through two NFL seasons, Nix has mostly provided value via sack avoidance, scrambling and short-area accuracy. His 36.9 percent completion rate on passes 20-plus yards downfield last season ranked near the bottom of the league, but he also dealt with a number of drops on those throws from his receivers. The Broncos think he has another level to unlock, with new wideout Jaylen Waddle being a big part of that plan.

Bills offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael didn't rule out the possibility of Cook having more involvement as a pass catcher in 2026, Alex Brasky of SI.com reports. "Anytime you can get the ball in [Cook's] hands, you have an opportunity for a big play," Carmichael said Monday. "I think he can bring value not only in the run game but the pass game as well."

Between 17 regular-season and two postseason contests in 2025, Cook took on 348 carries, handily surpassing his previous career high of 273 totes over 19 contests in 2023. The running back ended up leading the league in rushing with 1,621 yards, but head coach Joe Brady has already mentioned the possibility of taking some of that workload off the 26-year-old's plate. One way the Bills could limit the pounding Cook takes between the tackles without sacrificing his overall touches would be to increase his involvement in the passing game, where he's averaged 7.1 yards per target during his four-year career. Ty Johnson has carved out a role as a pass-catching specialist the past three seasons, but he exited Monday's practice with a knee issue. Cook may end up taking on more third-down snaps out of necessity if Johnson's injury lingers into the regular season.

Jets receivers coach Shawn Jefferson implied Tuesday that Mitchell is seen as the team's No. 2 wideout heading into the upcoming season, Antwan V. Staley of the New York Daily News reports. "If he continues on this trajectory, he will be a really good Robin to our Batman [Garrett Wilson]," Jefferson said of Mitchell.

The Jets invested the 30th overall pick in April's draft in Omar Cooper, but he looks set to work in the No. 3 role to begin his career. Mitchell was able to make a positive impression late last season after coming over from the Colts, racking up 59 targets while Wilson was sidelined by a knee injury for the final eight games and producing a 25-312-2 line even with shoddy quarterback play. With veteran Geno Smith directing the offense in 2026, Mitchell should see an improvement in efficiency, though a healthy Wilson remains the unquestioned centerpiece of the Jets' passing game.