NFL Player News

Nailor (hand) practiced fully Thursday.

Nailor suffered a hand injury in practice Aug. 14 and was sidelined until getting back on the field for Wednesday's unofficial session. With no limitations to speak of one day later, he's set to handle WR reps behind veterans Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen to begin the season due to Jordan Addison's three-game suspension. In a part-time role last year, Nailor gathered in 28 of 42 targets for 414 yards and six touchdowns in 17 regular-season games.

Taylor (groin) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

A groin injury has limited Taylor's participation in each of the first two practices of the week. A full practice Friday would likely clear him of any injury tag heading into Sunday's regular-season opener against the Cardinals, though the 2022 second-rounder would still be on track to play with a limited practice. If Taylor is unable to play Sunday, the Saints would turn to Quincy Riley, Rejzohn Wright or Isaac Yiadom to start at outside corner opposite Kool-Aid McKinstry.

Stills did not participate in Thursday's practice due to a heel injury, Zach Gershman of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Stills wasn't listed on Wednesday's injury report, indicating that his heel issue is a recent one. His level of participation in Friday's practice will provide clarity on his status heading into Sunday's regular-season opener against the Saints in New Orleans. Jordan Burch and Xavier Thomas would be slated to see more rotational snaps at defensive end behind starters Josh Sweat and Darius Robinson if Stills is unable to play Sunday.

Morrison (quadriceps) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Morrison continues to work through a quadriceps injury that has limited his participation in each of the first two practices of the week. A full practice Friday would allow the rookie second-rounder to fade an injury tag heading into Sunday's game against the Falcons, but even a limited session would give him a good chance at making his NFL regular-season debut. Morrison is expected to serve in a rotational role at corner with Jamel Dean, Zyon McCollum and Jacob Parrish.

Jefferson (hamstring) wasn't listed on the Vikings' initial Week 1 injury report Thursday.

Jefferson suffered a mild left hamstring strain in practice July 24, and while he was able to begin working out on the side with team trainers within one week, he didn't return to the practice field until Aug. 18. The Vikings kept him out of all three of their preseason games with an eye toward him being healthy Week 1. He more or less confirmed as much Thursday, telling Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune that his hamstring feels great entering the season. "Missing the whole training camp and just staying in that training room definitely gets [to be] dark days, being by yourself and competing with yourself, but you got to think about the ending result: having a healthy body, having a strong body to maintain a full season," Jefferson said. He thus is poised to serve as the Vikings' top target for second-year pro and first-year starting QB J.J. McCarthy on Monday in Chicago and beyond.

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh told Rich Eisen in a pre-broadcast meeting that Hampton is in line to draw the start over fellow running back Najee Harris in Friday's game against the Chiefs in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Alex Insdorf of BoltBeat.com reports.

Even though the Chargers invested a first-round pick in him in April's draft, Hampton was initially expected to open the season in the No. 2 role behind Harris, who signed with Los Angeles in March following four consecutive 1,000-yard rushing campaigns in Pittsburgh to begin his career. However, after Harris suffered a superficial eye injury in a Fourth of July fireworks accident that kept him from practicing throughout training camp and the preseason, Hampton was able to pick up extended reps with the first-team offense and is now poised to take the field for the Chargers' first snap of 2025. Despite his designation as the Week 1 starter, however, Hampton won't necessarily be guaranteed a three-down workload, as Harris gained clearance for the season opener following three consecutive full practices this week. Per Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site, Harbaugh wasn't willing to go into specifics Wednesday regarding how the snaps and touches might be distributed between Hampton and Harris, though Hampton likely projects as the more reliable option of the two in fantasy lineups since he's been able to get more reps under his belt throughout the summer. A clearer idea regarding the weekly workload breakdown between the two backs may not become apparent until after a few games, when Harris should be fully reconditioned and free of limitations stemming from the eye injury.

Vea (foot) did not participate in Thursday's practice, Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Vea has missed the first two practices of the week while working through a foot injury. Friday is the last chance for Vea to practice, but participating even in a limited capacity would put him in good shape to play in Sunday's regular-season opener against Atlanta. Greg Gaines would be slated to see more snaps with the first-team defense alongside Logan Hall and Calijah Kancey if Vea is not cleared to play.

Izien (oblique) did not participate in Thursday's practice, Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Izien has opened the week with back-to-back DNPs due to an oblique strain that he suffered during the preseason. He would need to practice in at least a limited capacity Friday in order to have a shot at playing in Sunday's regular-season opener against the Falcons in Atlanta. Kaevon Merriweather would be poised to see more rotational snaps at safety alongside starters Tykee Smith and Antoine Winfield if Izien is not cleared to play.

Achane (calf) was limited in practice Thursday, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Achane has now officially been limited in back-to-back practices, though he said Wednesday that he feels 100 percent healthy and that the recent cap on his reps has simply been an effort not to aggravate his calf injury. The third-year pro appears on track to suit up for Sunday's regular-season opener against the Colts, though Furones reports that the Dolphins may opt to lean on big-bodied rookie Ollie Gordon in Week 1, and relegate the undersized Achane to a smaller workload than usual as he works to return from injury. Coach Mike McDaniel declined to offer an estimation of how the Dolphins' backfield reps will be divvied up Week 1, but whether or not Achane is able to upgrade to full participation at Friday's practice could be telling.

Keenum (leg) was absent from the Bears' estimated injury report Thursday.

Keenum missed the Bears' last two preseason games due to a leg injury. His absence from Thursday's injury report indicates that he is past the issue and is on track to serve as the Bears' QB3 behind Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent for Monday's regular-season opener against the Vikings at Soldier Field.