Team news: Washington Commanders | Page 61

49ers WR Deebo Samuel is not practicing with the team on Wednesday as he recovers from a foot fracture.

Week 1 always seemed like a stretch for Samuel and his absence from practice on Wednesday would put him on track to miss the opener as has been expected. Teammate Brandon Aiyuk (hamstring) was also sitting out on Wednesday so San Francisco will have to rely heavily on George Kittle and their running backs to move the ball against Arizona.

Arizona Cardinals running back Kenyan Drake may be out of his walking boot and back practicing, but that doesn’t mean the flood gates are fully open just yet.

Joining Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Tuesday, Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury spoke on the running back and where the team’s at in measuring his workload in the season opener against the defensing NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers.

Related players: Chase Edmonds

Eyes have been on Drake’s status since the RB was seen in a walking boot on Aug. 24, the story said. Despite the appearance, Kingsbury called the boot precautionary, while Drake added he was good to go and there’s “no worries.” Kingsbury said the team has confidence Edmonds if needed, and it's possible Edmonds gets a little more work in Week 1.

The Raiders are making some changes in their quarterback room.

Marcus Mariota, the backup quarterback who has been struggling with a strained pectoral muscle, has been placed on injured reserve. Under the NFL’s rules for the 2020 season, that means Mariota can return after three weeks.

DeShone Kizer, who spent last season with the Raiders, has been added to their practice squad. A 2017 second-round pick of the Browns, Kizer has some playing experience, both in Cleveland and in Green Bay, and could be called upon in an emergency.

Related players: Derek Carr, Nathan Peterman

Carr, of course, remains the starter but the only other healthy QB on the roster is Peterman at this point.

The 49ers activated wide receiver Deebo Samuel from the non-football injury list ahead of the cut to 53 players on Saturday and that’s a clear sign that he’ll recover from his broken foot in time to play in the first six weeks of the season.

In fact, as the story said, Samuel may not miss any games. Samuel has yet to take part in a practice since being injured, but 49ers General Manager John Lynch said on Sunday that he “does have a shot” of suiting up against the Cardinals in Week 1.

Jalen Reagor will have to wait a bit before playing in his first NFL game.

He injured his shoulder in Sunday’s practice, and Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that the Eagles receiver will miss at least the opener after an MRI revealed a small tear in Reagor’s labrum.

Reagor will not require surgery, Davison adds.

Related players: DeSean Jackson, Greg Ward, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert

Reagor could also miss Week 2 which is a big loss. The Eagles will likely roll with Jackson, Ward and Arcega-Whiteside the first two weeks. TEs Ertz and Goedert could benefit the most with Reagor out.

Chargers Rookie RB Joshua Kelley may have surpassed Justin Jackson as the team's number two back according to Gilbert Manzano of The Orange County Register. Manzano also mentions both backs may get snaps as a committee if Austin Ekeler sees time in the slot with the injury to WR Mike Williams.

The Chargers offense is in flux with a lack of proven wide receivers, but the versatility of the backfield may make multiple running backs fantasy-relevant. Stay tuned as Week 1 approaches.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is cautiously optimistic that Samuel -- who was seen running sprints at full speed along the sideline during Wednesday's practice -- won't miss much time once the regular season begins, according to Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports.

Samuel is one of five wide receivers to miss camp time with an injury. The thought of Samuel coming back early in the season is reason to get excited, but it is also important to temper expectations as Samuel is recovering from a Jones fracture in his left foot.

If Chris Herndon stays healthy, the Jets will be set at tight end according to Connor Hughes of The Athletic. "It’s fun watching how Gase uses Herndon, too," wrote Hughes. "While he has traditional tight end abilities (he’s a very good blocker), the Jets line him up all over the field. While I don’t think Herndon will ever be in the same class as Zach Ertz or Travis Kelce, he creates so many matchup problems for defenses."

Hughes addressed the issues at wide receiver in the same article, which also bodes well for Herndon. QB Sam Darnold turned lemons into lemonade with Ryan Griffen in 2019, so the uber-talented Herndon should dwarf his numbers as long as he remains on the field. Herndon has the opportunity to be a top 10 tight end in 2020.