NFL Player News

Friday, August 21

• 08/21/09 - 6:51AM ETSantana Moss : (Hamstring) Will Play Saturday

  Moss (hamstring) is expected to see action in Saturday's preseason game, the Washington Post reports.

  Moss sat out last week's preseason due to a sore hamstring. Expect him to be on the field for a series or two.

Thursday, August 20

• 08/20/09 - 3:19PM ETReggie Bush : Calf Injury

  Bush strained a calf muscle in his right leg Thursday and could miss the Saints' exhibition game against the Texans Saturday, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

  On the plus side, there was no mention of any knee issue and coach Sean Payton indicated that Bush could probably play in Saturday's game if this were the regular season.

• 08/20/09 - 3:15PM ETPlaxico Burress : No NFL Suspension After Prison

  Burress will be eligible to return to the NFL immediately upon completion of his prison term, the Associated Press reports. The NFL released the following statement Thursday: "In light of his plea today, Commissioner Roger Goodell has suspended Burress and informed him that he is ineligible to sign with any team until he completes his jail term. Commissioner Goodell said Burress will be reinstated and eligible to sign with an NFL team upon the completion of his sentence."

  With time off for good behavior, his two-year sentence could be reduced to 20 months and once Burress is out, he will not have to worry about an NFL suspension on top of the time he serves.

• 08/20/09 - 2:38PM ETBen Roethlisberger : Limps Off Practice Field

  Roethlisberger appeared to hurt his right ankle or foot at Thursday's practice, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

  Afterward, Big Ben had the back of his right foot packed in ice and was limping noticeably. More on his status as it becomes available.

• 08/20/09 - 1:11PM ETMark Clayton : (Hamstring) Not Close to Returning

  Coach John Harbaugh said that Clayton (hamstring) is "not close to coming back," the Baltimore Sun reports.

  That doesn't sound especially encouraging, but at least Harbaugh did say, "heÂ’s ahead of schedule." What that schedule may be though has not been outlined. Clayton injured his hamstring on Aug. 2 and hasn't practiced since.

• 08/20/09 - 12:26PM ETLarry Fitzgerald : Restructures Contract

  Fitzgerald and the Cardinals agreed to a restructured contract last week, the Arizona Republic reports.

  This move is supposed to ease the Cardinals' salary cap crunch, however, it's unclear how much it will actually help. According to NFLPA figures, this transaction increased Fitzgerald's 2009 cap number from $10.75 million to $10.90 million. His 2010 cap number decreased by $150,000. His 2009 base salary is now $1.6 million (down from $4.6 million), although he received about $3.1 million in the form of a roster bonus and the status of his incentive clauses is uncertain. This move also eliminated Fitzgerald's no-trade clause. Fitzgerald's deal is still set to expire at the end of the 2011 season.

• 08/20/09 - 10:12AM ETJavon Walker : Expected to Return to Practice Monday

  Walker (knee) is on track to return to practice on Monday, the San Jose Mercury News reports.

  Walker went through a full-pad workout with an Oakland trainer following Wednesday's practice session. His return to the field would be a big boost for a wide receiver group that is very unproven.

• 08/20/09 - 10:07AM ETChaz Schilens : Should Return for Week 2 or 3

  Head coach Tom Cable said Schilens underwent surgery on Wednesday and is expected to miss four-to-six weeks, the San Jose Mercury News reports.

  "We should get Chaz back Week 2 or 3" of the regular season, Cable said. Schilens had established himself as the Raiders' top receiver in training camp, so hopefully he is able to return as close to the lower end of the four-week estimate as possible.

• 08/20/09 - 9:25AM ETVincent Jackson : Sprains Finger

  Jackson, who sprained the middle finger on his left hand during Wednesday's practice, will miss Saturday's exhibition at Arizona, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

  Jackson, who felt fortunate to avoid a broken finger, said afterward he should be fine in a few days.

• 08/20/09 - 9:08AM ETCalvin Johnson : Won't Play Saturday

  Johnson (sprained thumb) will not play in Saturday's exhibition game against Cleveland, the Detroit Free Press reports.

  Coach Jim Schwartz said that Johnson is expected to take off his splint soon, with the goal being for him to play in the Lions' third preseason tilt, Aug. 29 against Indianapolis.

• 08/20/09 - 7:46AM ETPlaxico Burress : Agrees to 2-Year Prison Term

  Burress accepted a plea bargain Thursday that will result in a two-year prison term stemming from an incident last November in which he accidentally shot himself, the Daily News reports.

  Burress, who had faced 3 1/2-to-15 years on weapons charges, will have two years of supervised release in addition to the two-year prison sentence. Further details should emerge in the coming days, but from a fantasy perspective, at the very least Burress can be crossed off 2009 cheat sheets.

Wednesday, August 19

• 08/19/09 - 12:27PM ETChris Wells : Set to Practice Wednesday

  Wells (right ankle) will practice on Wednesday afternoon, the Cardinals' official site reports.

  Head coach Ken Whisenhunt said that Wells is fine a day after tweaking his existing ankle injury. Whisenhunt said that Wells' status for Saturday's preseason game has not yet been determined; he indicated that it wouldn't be a big deal if Wells has to sit out his second straight preseason contest. Wells continues to trail Tim Hightower on the Cardinals' depth chart, although both players should receive significant playing time during the regular season and there's still a lot of time for this situation to evolve.

• 08/19/09 - 12:13PM ETBrandon Marshall : Not Up to Speed With Playbook

  Marshall (hip) played with the scout team during Wednesday's practice and admitted to being behind in learning the team's new playbook, the Denver Post reports.

  Marshall continues to be disgruntled with team management and his current contract, but nothing he says appears to be getting him closer to a new deal or a trade. The team obviously wants to keep the receiver, who is making only $2.198 million this season, and they appear to be willing to put up with whatever he says as long as he is on the field. With minimal leverage thanks to his off-the-field issues and his injured hip, Marshall should probably get used to his situation, as a change seems very unlikely.

• 08/19/09 - 12:05PM ETJavon Walker : Making Progress

  The Oakland Tribune's Jerry McDonald reports that Walker (knee) was in full pads for Wednesday's morning session but was not practicing.

  Head coach Tom Cable has been impressed with Walker's progress lately and it's possible he could play in Saturday's preseason game against the 49ers. Walker's next step will be participating in team drills, and he'll probably have to do that on Wednesday afternoon or Thursday if he hopes to suit up against San Francisco.

• 08/19/09 - 10:03AM ETBrian Westbrook : His Progress Pleases Reid

  Coach Andy Reid has been pleased with Westbrook's (ankle, knee) progress, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

  However, it's still unlikely Westbrook will play in any preseason games. He still comes with plenty of risk, but Westbrook is quietly becoming an undervalued fantasy commodity.

• 08/19/09 - 9:51AM ETTerrell Owens : Won't Play This Week

  Owens (sprained toe) will miss the Bills' preseason game at Green Bay on Saturday, WHEC.com reports.

  Owens, who missed his second straight practice Wednesday, isn't expected to resume practicing until "next week some time," according to coach Dick Jauron. There are still two preseason games left after this week, so don't downgrade Owens if he's able to play in one of those. If your draft is held early, make sure he's able to practice at least on a limited basis next week.

• 08/19/09 - 9:21AM ETJonathan Stewart : (Achilles) Still Out

  Stewart (Achilles) is out of practice for the sixth straight day on Wednesday, the Charlotte Observer reports.

  Stewart's teammate DeAngelo Williams said he expects that his backfield mate will be ready to go in time for the season opener. "Worried? Why?," Williams told the Gaston Gazette. “What’s the difference between last year and this year? I think he played in like one, maybe two preseason games last year. It’s the regular season that we’re worried about. It doesn’t bother me at all. I know he’s going to be healthy and ready to go.” Despite Williams' lack of concern, No. 3 running back Mike Goodson is dealing with a bruised leg. With Stewart and Goodson out of action, Decori Birmingham and Jamall Lee will likely get extra reps.

• 08/19/09 - 8:34AM ETDarrius Heyward-Bey : Top Receiver by Default

  Heyward-Bey will be JaMarcus Russell's top wide receiver option with Chaz Schilens expected to miss at least a month with a broken foot, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

  Heyward-Bey has had trouble hanging onto the ball during training camp, so it's not like he needed the extra pressure of being the team's top receiver. Expect Heyward-Bey to see plenty of action for the remainder of preseason as the Raiders try to get him prepared for a starting role.

• 08/19/09 - 7:36AM ETTerrell Owens : (Toe) Out Wednesday

  Owens (toe) is not taking part in Wednesday's practice, the Bills' official site reports.

  Saturday's preseason game against Green Bay will probably be a good gauge as to how serious Owens' toe injury is. For now, he's just bothered by soreness and the team is letting him rest for a few days before testing it on the field again.

• 08/19/09 - 6:05AM ETDonnie Avery : (Foot) Recovery Going Well

  Avery (foot) may be back sooner than expected, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

  Avery, who suffered a stress fracture in his foot a little over a week ago, is no longer wearing the orthopedic boot and has lobbied coaches to let him practice. Head coach Steve Spagnuolo said he was pleased with Avery's intensity but that the club would be smart with the injury. Expect the club to keep Avery out until all X-rays come back negative.

• 08/19/09 - 5:56AM ETChris Wells : Aggravates Ankle Injury

  Wells aggravated his sore right ankle during Tuesday's practice, the Arizona Republic reports.

  It's currently being described as a minor setback. Wells participated in team drills on Tuesday for the first time since Aug. 1. Given his minimal recent workload and the fact that he aggravated his injury on Tuesday, it's becoming less likely that he will play a substantial amount during Saturday's preseason game.