NFL Player News

The Commanders have elevated Martin from the practice squad for Monday's game against the Bears.

Martin will be elevated for a third consecutive game, meaning that to suit up for any further regular-season contests for the Commanders, the team will have to sign him to the active roster. In both of his prior appearances Martin drew exactly one target, but he could see expanded opportunities on Monday versus Chicago with both Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) and Noah Brown (groin/knee) ruled out, and Deebo Samuel (heel) expected to play through injury.

The Commanders have elevated Brooks from the practice squad for Monday night's matchup against Chicago.

Brooks and Tay Martin have both been elevated Monday to provide depth at wide receiver, as both Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) and Noah Brown (groin/knee) have been ruled out versus Chicago, while Deebo Samuel (heel) is officially listed as questionable but is expected to suit up. At 6-foot-5, Brooks could offer Washington a formidable red-zone target. The undrafted rookie wideout out of Louisville spent the offseason with the Commanders.

The NFL announced Monday that Branch has been suspended one game following his altercation after Sunday night's loss to the Chiefs, which rules him out for Week 7 against the Buccaneers, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

The Lions have a bye Week 8, meaning Branch will next be eligible to play Week 9 against the Vikings on Sunday, Nov. 2. He played 100 percent of defensive snaps versus Kansas City despite being listed as 'questionable' contest due to an ankle injury, recording a season-high seven total tackles (four solo). As a result of Branch's suspension, Thomas Harper and Erick Hallett will be candidates to handle increased snaps at safety alongside starter Kerby Joseph versus Tampa Bay.

Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Monday he's "hopeful" about the chances of Lamb (ankle) returning Week 7 versus the Commanders and said the plan is for the star wide receiver to practice Wednesday, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Lamb looks set to mix into drills for the first time since he sustained a left high-ankle sprain Week 3 in Dallas' loss to the Bears and tentatively return to action after having missed three consecutive games. Whether he's indeed able to retake the field Sunday, and how large a workload he's able to handle if so, will come down to the extent of his practice activity. In addition to George Pickens and tight end Jake Ferguson, wide receiver Ryan Flournoy has benefited from increased opportunities on offense in recent weeks, though his targets will stand to diminish once Lamb is cleared for game action.

Allen secured one of two targets for seven yards during Sunday's 17-3 victory against the Ravens.

Tyler Higbee regained his role as the Rams' top tight end after missing Week 5 with a hip injury, and produced a solid 4-40-1 line on his four targets. Allen only took the field for 21 snaps on offense, slightly more than Terrance Ferguson, who wasn't targeted in the contest. Higbee will likely remain the top option for the Rams at tight end, leaving Allen, Ferguson, and Colby Parkinson (concussion) fighting for playing time in London against the Jaguars in Week 7.

Raymond didn't garner a target during Sunday night's 30-17 loss to Kansas City.

Raymond was cleared to play after suffering a neck injury Week 5, but he logged only two snaps on offense and one snap with the special-teams unit. The wide receiver will look to be more involved Week 7 versus the Buccaneers after having an additional week to return to form following his injury.

The Colts placed Richardson (orbital) on injured reserve Monday.

Richardson will miss at least the next four games with his orbital fracture, meaning his first chance to return to the lineup is Week 12 against the Chiefs. The Colts have sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard as an option to serve as Daniel Jones' backup in the meantime, but Indianapolis could also look outside the organization for a veteran QB2.

Wilson (knee) underwent an MRI on Monday and appears to have avoided a serious injury, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

However, Wilson is potentially looking at some time on the sideline, according to Cimini. The star wideout played through the injury during Sunday's 13-11 loss to the Broncos in London, but now that the adrenaline has worn off, Wilson could miss some game action. The Jets have two more games before their Week 9 bye. If Wilson were to miss Weeks 7 and 8 against the Panthers and Bengals, respectively, New York would be left with a hodgepodge crew of Josh Reynolds, Arian Smith, Allen Lazard (personal) and Tyler Johnson leading the wide receiver depth chart.

Austin (shoulder) was listed as a non-participant on Monday's estimated practice report, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Coach Mike Tomlin said earlier Monday that Austin is questionable for Thursday night's game against the Bengals after he missed the Week 6 win over the Browns following his injury Week 4. Scotty Miller, Roman Wilson and Ben Skowronek would be in line for increased offensive snaps Week 7 if Austin is unable to play, but none of that aforementioned trio would carry any sort of fantasy value in season-long leagues.

Hopkins had two catches for 20 yards on four targets Sunday against the Rams.

Baltimore's passing game was limited under the direction of Cooper Rush and Tyler Huntley on Sunday, but an underlying detail from the game was Hopkins' playing time ticking up. Hopkins played a season-high 26 snaps, which was good for 33 percent of the plays. He also had a season-high four targets. Baltimore is on a bye Week 7, but given that Hopkins has been excellent on a per-target basis (13.7 YPT), it would not be surprising to see his role continue on an upward trend, especially when Lamar Jackson (hamstring) returns.