NFL Player News

Williams (shoulder) is in uniform for Wednesday's practice, Richard Silva of The Detroit News reports.

Williams was out for only a few days and may quickly return to full participation. It's less clear if he'll play in Saturday's preseason game against Washington, though an absence wouldn't necessarily be for health-related reasons. In any case, Williams is on track for his usual role come Week 1.

Waddle (leg) participated in team drills Tuesday, SI.com's Chad Jensen reports.

Waddle returned to practice Monday for a non-padded session before proving his health Tuesday at a more taxing practice. A quick return to full participation suggests there's no concern about his Week 1 availability, and Waddle may even play in Friday's preseason game against Green Bay.

Stroud and other starters will now be rested for Thursday's preseason game against the Raiders, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Coach DeMeco Ryans said Tuesday's joint practice with the Raiders gave the starters enough competitive work. He didn't explicitly say so, but his decision likely is related to WR Jayden Higgins suffering an ACL tear during Tuesday's practice. With his No. 2 receiver out for the season, Stroud is looking at a shaky group of pass catchers beyond standout No. 1 Nico Collins.

Higgins was diagnosed Wednesday with an ACL tear, which would rule him out for the 2026 season, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.

We'll await confirmation from the team, but after early reports suggested a minor injury, it appears to be just the opposite, leaving Houston shorthanded at wide receiver a few weeks before the start of the regular season. Higgins seemingly was locked in for the No. 2 role, which could now be up for grabs between Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel (hamstring) and Tank Dell (knee). Fantasy interest in Noel and Dell figures to increase significantly now that Higgins is on track to be out of the picture until 2027.

Tate (undisclosed) is absent from Wednesday's practice after taking a hard hit Monday and leaving early, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Coach Robert Saleh downplayed the incident afterward, telling reports that Tate likely avoided a concussion but will require further evaluation. An absence Wednesday confirms the rookie is dealing with some kind of injury, but there haven't been any details yet about the part of his body that's affected.

Pollard (undisclosed) returned to practice Wednesday, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.

Pollard missed Monday's practice after taking four carries for 22 yards and a TD in last Thursday's preseason opener against San Francisco. A quick return to the practice field suggests he'll be fine for Week 1, regardless of participation (or lack thereof) in the upcoming exhibition against Seattle on Sunday. Pollard was in for nine of Cam Ward's 22 snaps last week, with Tyjae Spears playing the other 13 snaps and taking five touches for 39 yards.

Biadasz is out indefinitely after suffering damage to his ACL and additional injuries to his left knee Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The injury bug seems to have a taste for the Chargers' offensive linemen, and now their new starting center is in danger of missing most or all of the upcoming season. Biadasz signed a three-year, $30 million contract in March after making 15-plus starts in each of the past five seasons for Dallas and Washington. Rookie second-round pick Jake Slaughter is the favorite to step in at center for the Chargers.

Miller (back) and Devin Neal (hamstring) returned to practice Tuesday, while teammate Alvin Kamara (knee) is expected to be out for more than a month, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

With Audric Estime (ankle) also banged up, Miller and Neal might even end up competing for the No. 2 RB job in Week 1. Such a scenario would be favorable for Travis Etienne's workload projection, as opposed to losing a chunk of the targets (and some carries) to a healthy Kamara. Before all the injuries, Miller was positioned to compete with Neal and Estime for the No. 3 RB job.

Neal (hamstring) and Kendre Miller (back) both returned to practice Tuesday, while teammate Alvin Kamara (knee) is expected to be out for more than a month, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Apart from starter Travis Etienne, the Saints have had trouble keeping their running backs healthy this summer. Neal and Miller seemed to be competing with Audric Estime (ankle) for the No. 3 job, but the Week 1 depth chart beyond Etienne may be determined by health above all else. Right now, Miller and Neal are positioned to mix in for some first-team reps.

Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy said that Rodgers will be rested for Friday's preseason game against the Jets, Chris Adamski of TribLive.com reports.

McCarthy relayed that neither of Pittsburgh's veteran quarterbacks will take the field Friday, with the coach noting that he "saw what I need to see" from backup Mason Rudolph during the team's preseason opener versus the Packers last week. Second-year signal-caller Will Howard will draw the start Friday, and rookie third-round pick Drew Allar will receive snaps once Howard exits the game.