NFL Player News

The Patriots signed Lang to the practice squad Tuesday.

Undrafted out of Northwestern earlier this year, Lang caught three passes for 20 yards during the preseason with the Seahawks. He'll provide positional depth in New England.

Austin (shoulder) didn't participate in Tuesday's practice, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

Still on the mend from the shoulder injury he sustained in a Week 4 win over the Vikings in Dublin, Austin has yet to resume practicing and appears to be trending toward missing a second straight game Thursday against the Bengals. While Austin was sidelined for this past Sunday's win over the Browns, Scotty Miller and Roman Wilson both benefited from upticks in playing time behind No. 1 wideout DK Metcalf but combined for just one reception.

Slay (rest) was limited in Tuesday's practice.

The Steelers have removed the shoulder issue from Slay's designation, so he appears to be past the injury. Slay has appeared in all five regular-season games this season, logging 19 tackles (17 solo), three pass breakups and one fumble recovery on 88 percent of the defensive snaps.

Thrash played 37 of the Browns' 82 snaps on offense and finished with two catches for 13 yards on three targets in Sunday's 23-9 loss to the Steelers.

Though both Jerry Jeudy and Isaiah Bond played north of 85 percent of the Browns' offensive snaps, Thrash's 45 percent snap share was good enough for him to rank as Cleveland's clear No. 3 wideout. Thrash ended up matching his season high with three targets, but he struggled to produce and is now averaging a meager 5.9 yards per target through six games.

Whiteheart recorded a reception for zero yards on his lone target in Sunday's 23-9 loss to the Steelers.

Whiteheart was credited with his first start of the season with Cleveland opening its first possession with a three-tight end set, but the 25-year-old still finished a distant third in playing time among the position group. Harold Fannin paced Browns tight ends by playing 66 of the Browns' 82 snaps, David Njoku played 36 snaps, and Whiteheart brought up the rear with 22 snaps. Njoku likely would have seen more time if he hadn't been forced out of the game in the second half due to a knee issue, which now clouds his status for a Week 7 matchup with the Dolphins. If Njoku ends up sitting out that game, Whiteheart would be in store for a boost in snaps, though he likely wouldn't see enough target volume to warrant much intrigue for fantasy purposes.

The Jets waived Taylor on Tuesday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

The 26-year-old defensive lineman has been inactive each of the last four weeks after playing a total of 47 defensive snaps across Weeks 1 and 2 with the Jets. He'll look for a new opportunity elsewhere.

Frazier (knee) is hopeful of returning before the end of the season, Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network reports.

Frazier was selected in the fifth round of the 2025 Draft and is still waiting to make his regular-season NFL debut after opening the season on the reserve/PUP list. Frazier projects to serve as interior offensive-line depth when he returns to the field.

Paschal (undisclosed) remains without a clear timetable for return, Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network reports.

Paschal has yet to play this season and remains on the reserve/non-football injury list. It's still unclear what injury he's dealing with, but Paschal is eligible to return to practice at any moment. The 25-year-old defensive end appeared in 14 regular-season games last season, making 10 starts, and recorded 21 tackles (15 solo), including 2.0 sacks.

Thomas underwent surgery on his broken forearm but could return from injured reserve when eligible in Week 9 versus Minnesota, Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network reports.

Thomas suffered the injury on special teams in Week 3 against the Ravens. He'd previously been dealing with a broken hand on the same side. Thomas is a special-teams asset and reserve safety for the Lions.

Coach Dan Campbell said Maddox (hamstring) will not return prior to the Lions' Week 8 bye, Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com reports.

Maddox will miss next Monday night's date with the Bucs, and Detroit will then head into its bye week. The 29-year-old cornerback was injured in the Lions' Week 5 win over the Bengals. He's played 43 snaps apiece on defense and special teams through five appearances this season.