NFL Player News

The Patriots placed Doubs (shoulder) on injured reserve Monday.

Just after welcoming A.J. Brown back from IR in Sunday's 26-19 win over the Jets, the Patriots will have another starting wideout in Doubs land on the shelf for at least the next four games. Doubs sustained the shoulder injury while making a diving 42-yard touchdown grab in the first quarter, with the Patriots ruling him out for the rest of the game shortly thereafter. Though the extent of his shoulder injury isn't fully known, Doubs won't be eligible for activation until after the team's Week 11 bye as a result of the transaction. Doubs' upcoming absence should open up more playing time for DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism and Kyle Williams behind Brown.

Diggs (hamstring) is in line to play in Monday's game at San Francisco, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Diggs sat out Week 5 due to a hamstring issue and then was able to manage a pair of limited practices during Week 6 prep, eventually getting tagged as questionable ahead of Monday Night Football. Assuming he avoids the Commanders' inactive list, as expected, Diggs will join Terry McLaurin as the top wide receivers available to QB Jayden Daniels.

Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday that Dell (knee) is on track to return from injured reserve to make his season debut in Week 7 versus the Giants, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Dell will be making his first appearance since Dec. 21, 2024, when he sustained a severe left knee injury that included a dislocated kneecap and damage to multiple ligaments. Through his first two seasons in the NFL, Dell had emerged as a key complementary option behind No. 1 wideout Nico Collins, but the Texans are likely tempering expectations for the 26-year-old coming off a nearly two-year layoff. Dell, who was cleared to resume practicing Oct. 7 and was a full participant throughout Week 6 prep, is expected to be in line for a light snap count in his 2026 debut.

Ravens head coach Jesse Minter said Monday that Bateman (shoulder) "should be OK" after exiting late in the second quarter of Sunday's 13-10 loss to the Browns, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

Listed on Ravens injury reports the past two weeks due to a shoulder issue, Bateman appeared to aggravate the injury late in the first half of Sunday's contest. He failed to haul in his lone target while running 11 routes in the game before the injury kept him out for the entire second half. Fortunately for Bateman, he seems to have avoided a major setback, but his practice activity over the next few days will likely determine whether he suits up next Sunday versus the Bengals. It's also worth noting that rookie Ja'Kobi Lane returned to action Sunday and saw five targets from Tyler Huntley.

Walker went without a target while playing 10 of the Bears' 77 snaps on offense in Sunday's 31-23 win over the Falcons.

Walker's afternoon came to an end just after the start of the fourth quarter, when he was ejected for headbutting a Falcons player at the end of a kickoff return. He was assessed his second 15-yard penalty of the day as a result, with his first coming on a roughing-the-kicker charge back in the third quarter. Walker will remain a key part of the Bears' special-teams units heading into a Week 7 matchup with the Patriots, but he's buried on the depth chart at receiver and isn't likely to see extended playing time on offense anytime soon.

Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Monday that Pierce (heel) won't have his 21-day practice window opened in Week 7, Nathan Brown of The Indianapolis Star reports.

Pierce has now spent the requisite four games on injured reserve after re-injuring his surgically repaired left heel in the Colts' Week 2 loss to the Chiefs, but he'll need some more time to complete a rehab program before getting back on the practice field. Given the recurring nature of Pierce's injury in addition to the significant financial investment in him, the Colts are likely to take a deliberate approach in bringing the wideout back from IR.

Boutte finished with two receptions for 16 yards on three targets in Sunday's 34-31 win over the Jaguars in London.

Though the newly acquired Marvin Harrison was limited to just 12 snaps in his Texans debut, his presence may have been enough for Boutte to see a notable role reduction in Week 6. Boutte took the field for 26 of the Texans' 63 snaps, with his 41.3 percent share representing a season-low rate and placing him fourth among Houston receivers. Harrison is likely to see his snaps pick up once he gains a full grasp of his new playbook, and Boutte could end up being a casualty from a playing-time standpoint.

Kirk (calf), who is listed as questionable for Monday's matchup with the Commanders, is expected to be reinstated from injured reserve ahead of the Week 6 game, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

On IR all season while working his way back from a calf injury sustained early in training camp, Kirk appears to be closing in on his 49ers debut after having his 21-day practice window opened Thursday. He proceeded to turn in three consecutive limited practices, which may be enough for the 49ers to activate Kirk to provide aid to a banged-up receiving corps. Deebo Samuel (hamstring) has already been ruled out for Monday's contest and top wideout Mike Evans (ribs/Achilles) is listed as questionable and is shaping up as a game-time call after not practicing all week, so Kirk could be needed to handle a meaningful role in the passing game right off the bat if he's activated.

Evans (ribs/Achilles), who is listed as questionable for Monday's contest against the Commanders, is viewed as a game-time decision, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Evans had already been playing through fractured and strained ribs since the 49ers' Week 3 win over the Cardinals, and he's now nursing an Achilles issue coming out of the team's Week 5 victory over the Seahawks. The two injuries kept him from practicing throughout the week, with the veteran wideout instead being limited to individual conditioning off to the side during those sessions. The 49ers saw enough from Evans to keep the door open for him to play Monday, but his status looks like it could come down to how he looks during a pregame workout. San Francisco will make a call on Evans' status one way or the other when the team releases its inactive list 90 minutes prior to the 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff.

Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley said that Douglas (ankle) will be a limited participant in Monday's informal practice, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Following their Week 6 bye, the Dolphins won't submit their first Week 7 injury report until Wednesday, but Douglas looks poised to be listed as something other than a non-participant in practice for the first time since injuring his ankle in a Sept. 20 loss to the 49ers. Given the length of his absence, Douglas will likely need to practice fully by the end of the week to have a good shot at suiting up Sunday versus the Jets, but if available, he could immediately reclaim a prominent role in the Miami passing corps. In his first two NFL contests, the rookie third-round pick notched seven receptions for 113 yards on 10 targets.