NFL Player News

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that Rice (hamstring) won't practice Wednesday, Nate Taylor of ESPN.com reports.

After being forced out of the Chiefs' Oct. 4 win over the Raiders due to what Ian Rapoport of NFL Network described as a "relatively minor" hamstring injury, Rice won't be ready to return to the practice field coming out of a Week 5 bye. Per Charles Goldman of AtoZSports.com, Reid acknowledged that Rice is feeling better, but the coach wouldn't commit to the wideout practicing Thursday or Friday or playing Sunday against the Chargers. If Rice ends up being sidelined, tight end Travis Kelce would likely take on an even more prominent role in the passing game, and wideouts Xavier Worthy, Jalen Royals and Cyrus Allen could also see upticks in targets.

Head coach Mike Vrabel said Wednesday that the Patriots are designating Brown (ankle) for return from injured reserve, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Brown has missed the required four games while on IR due to the right high-ankle sprain that he sustained in a Week 1 loss at Seattle. While the Patriots offense initially sputtered without its big offseason addition, QB Drake Maye has come to life the last two games, and getting Brown back in the fold perhaps will help stabilize the situation further. Nevertheless, Brown will need to put himself in a position to play again, and Wednesday's injury report will reveal his baseline activity level as New England begins prep for Sunday's contest against the Jets.

The Jets designated Cooper (ankle) for return from injured reserve Wednesday, Antwan V. Staley of the New York Daily News reports.

Cooper is slated to participate in Wednesday's walk-through practice in some capacity after the Jets opened his 21-day evaluation window. The rookie first-round pick -- who was deactivated after sustaining a high-ankle sprain in the Jets' Week 1 win over the Titans -- could have a chance at returning to action as soon as this Sunday at New England, depending on how he fares in practice this week. With the Jets classifying fellow wideout Adonai Mitchell (finger) as week-to-week, Cooper could have a chance at reclaiming a notable role in the receiving corps once he's activated from IR.

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said Wednesday that Mitchell (finger) underwent a small procedure on his hand and remains week-to-week, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.

Glenn notes that Mitchell is able to move his fingers around well following the procedure, but the fact that the wideout is still being classified as week-to-week suggests that he's tracking toward a fourth consecutive absence Sunday at New England. Though Mitchell appears likely to sit out this weekend, the Jets could get some reinforcement to their receiver corps in the form of rookie first-round pick Omar Cooper (ankle), who had his 21-day practice window opened Wednesday and could be a candidate to return from injured reserve for Sunday's game.

Concepcion is progressing well in his recovery from a concussion and is set to practice Wednesday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Though he remains in the five-step concussion protocol after being knocked out of this past Sunday's 17-12 loss to the Jets following a helmet-to-helmet hit from safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, Concepcion's ability to practice in any fashion to begin Week 6 prep is an encouraging sign. The rookie wideout will likely need to upgrade to full practice participation by the end of the week in addition to gaining clearance from an independent neurologist in order to have a shot at playing Sunday against the Ravens.

Virgil recorded two receptions for 29 yards on five targets in Sunday's 45-21 loss to the Lions.

A healthy inactive for the first four games of the season, Virgil ended up suiting up for the first time after the Cardinals opted to hold Marvin Harrison out in Week 5 before trading him to the Texans shortly after Sunday's contest concluded. Virgil ended up serving as the Cardinals' No. 4 receiver, logging just 13 of 73 offensive snaps but seeing ample involvement during his limited time on the field. While the rookie fifth-round pick out of Texas Tech should be active for the Cardinals on a regular basis moving forward, he's likely to rank behind Michael Wilson, Trey McBride and Kendrick Bourne in the pecking order for targets.

Brooks recorded two catches for 16 yards on seven targets in Sunday's 45-21 loss to the Lions.

After logging single-digit snaps in each of the Cardinals' first four games while drawing one total target, Brooks saw a substantial increase in playing time in Week 5. With the Cardinals opting to make Marvin Harrison inactive for the Week 5 contest, Brooks stepped into a regular role in three-receiver sets, taking the field for 39 of 73 offensive snaps. Arizona traded Harrison to Houston following the contest, which should clear the way for Brooks to continue seeing ample snaps moving forward. However, Brooks isn't expected to rank as a high priority in the passing game, with all of Michael Wilson, Trey McBride and Kendrick Bourne ahead of him in the pecking order for targets.

Lane (wrist) "is expected to return to practice" and per head coach Jesse Minter "has a shot" to play Sunday against the Browns, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Minter said Monday that Lane could be designated to return from injured reserve this week, and it now appears likely he will do so. His participation in practice -- or lack thereof -- from Wednesday through Friday will likely determine whether or not he is ultimately activated for Week 6.

Meyers brought in both of his targets for 12 yards during the Bengals' 31-24 win over the Dolphins on Sunday.

Meyers entered Sunday on the heels of a huge performance on both offense and special teams during the Bengals' Week 4 loss to the Jaguars, when top pass catchers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins sustained injuries. Chase and Higgins were both cleared to play against Miami and didn't face any restrictions in their respective snap counts, so Meyers reverted to a rotational role and was on the field for only 19 of Cincinnati's 65 offensive snaps (29.2 percent). The Bengals will enjoy their Week 6 bye before hitting the road for Week 7 against the Ravens on Sunday, Oct. 25.

Ayomanor caught one of two passes for 17 yards during the Titans' 26-3 loss to the Texans on Sunday. He also added a tackle on special teams.

It was the fourth time in five games this season that Ayomanor caught one pass, with his lone connection with Cam Ward on Sunday coming late in the fourth quarter. Ayomanor was on the field for 33 of the Titans' 63 offensive snaps (52.4 percent), which was fourth-most among Tennessee wide receivers behind Carnell Tate (48), Wan'Dale Robinson (47) and Calvin Ridley (35). The Titans' 11.6 points per game is lowest in the NFL, so it's hard to put much stock into Ayomanor or any of the team's skill-position players heading into Week 6 against the Colts on Oct. 18.