Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will play Sunday, his first action since last season when he tore his an ACL. David Dermer/Associated Press

BEREA, Ohio — Odell Beckham Jr. has been cleared for takeoff.

The star Browns wide receiver made it full through a full week of practice without any issues with his reconstructed knee and Coach Kevin Stefanski said Friday that Beckham will make his return Sunday against the Chicago Bears.

“He’s ready to go,” Stefanski said.

Beckham hasn’t played since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament on Oct. 25 against Cincinnati, an injury that kept him out during the Browns’ playoff run. He’s been inactive for Cleveland’s first two games.

The speedy receiver made a quicker-than-expected recovery following his November surgery and is set to make his season debut against the Bears (1-1).

PANTHERS: Coach Matt Rhule said that the 2019 All-Pro running back is expected to miss “a few weeks” with a strained hamstring. Rhule said the injury could sideline McCaffrey up to four weeks, but said he doesn’t know at this point if McCaffrey will go on injured reserve.

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“They are still doing a bunch of diagnostic testing so I can’t tell you if that is one, two, three or four weeks,” Rhule said Friday on a Zoom call. “Obviously Christian will decide the best course of action for him getting back as soon as possible.”

The news isn’t as good for rookie cornerback Jaycee Horn, who has three broken bones in his foot and could miss the remainder of the season. Rhule said Horn and his family will decide after further consulting with doctors what the best course of action, but it’s clear he won’t be back anytime soon.

PLAYOFFS: The NFL is adding Monday night to its Wild Card Weekend.

The league announced that it will play one of its first six playoff games on Monday night, beginning with this season.

The NFL added a third wild-card team in each conference last season, and then played three wild-card games on Saturday and three on Sunday during its first weekend of the playoffs.

The new schedule means the league will play two games on Saturday (4:35 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.), three on Sunday (1:05 p.m., 4:40 p.m., and 8:15 p.m.) and one on Monday (8:15 p.m.). Wild Card Weekend for this postseason runs from Jan. 15-17.

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The team with the best record in each conference is the only one to receive a bye for the first weekend of the playoffs.

The NFL said the broadcaster for the Monday night game “is yet to be determined.” For the 2021 season, CBS and NBC each will broadcast two wild-card games, while Fox and ESPN/ABC each get one.

CHIEFS: Defensive end Frank Clark strained his hamstring and cornerback Charvarius Ward strained his quad in practice this week, leaving the status of both in doubt for their game against the Los Angeles Chargers this weekend.

Clark missed most of training camp, all three preseason games and the Chiefs’ opener against the Browns with a strained hamstring. But Coach Andy Reid said that this injury is to the other hamstring, and that the original injury was fully healed when Clark took the field for last Sunday night’s loss to Baltimore.

FALCONS: Atlanta will be without receiver Russell Gage and cornerback A.J. Terrell for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.

Coach Arthur Smith ruled out both players on Friday, along with rookie receiver Frank Darby.

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Terrell is recovering from a concussion, Gage has an ankle injury and Darby is sidelined with a calf issue. None of the players practiced this week for the Falcons (0-2).

Gage had a career-best 72 receptions last season and was expected to take on an even larger role in the Falcons’ offense after the trade of Julio Jones. Terrell was Atlanta’s first-round pick in 2020 and had an impressive rookie season.

STEELERS: Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will play on Sunday against Cincinnati, while star outside linebacker T.J. Watt is questionable due to a groin injury. Roethlisberger was a full participant in practice on Friday after being limited on Thursday while dealing with a bruised chest suffered in a loss to Las Vegas last week.

Watt, who left the 26-17 setback to the Raiders in the second quarter, was limited for the third straight day on Friday. Outside linebacker Alex Highsmith, however, is out with a groin injury. Melvin Ingram and Jamir Jones will both likely see more playing time with Highsmith unavailable.

Wide receiver Diontae Johnson, whose 14 receptions lead the team, is also out after injuring his knee on the final play last weekend.

TITANS: The late Bum Phillips, a Texas coaching legend who worked wearing a cowboy hat, is being honored by the team he led to two AFC championship game appearances.

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In Tennessee, a quarter-century after the franchise left Texas for Music City.

The franchise now known as the Tennessee Titans will be inducting Phillips into the Ring of Honor on Sunday 41 years after he last coached for the then-Houston Oilers, and the occasion is bringing a bunch of former Oilers to Nashville to help celebrate the franchise founded in Texas in 1960 by the late Bud Adams.

Warren Moon, Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, Robert Brazile, Elvin Bethea, Charlie Joiner, Ken Houston, Kenny Burrough, Ray Childress and Dan Pastorini are among approximately 80 former Oilers expected for a weekend of activities. Moon, Joiner, Brazile, Bethea and Houston are Pro Football Hall of Famers.

• Tennessee left tackle Taylor Lewan practiced fully all week and is set to play Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts after being scratched for the Titans’ win in Seattle. Outside linebacker Bud Dupree is questionable after not practicing Friday. Starting tight end Anthony Firkser (knee), rookie cornerback Caleb Farley (shoulder) and outside linebacker Derick Roberson (knee) all are out against the Colts (0-2).

RAVENS: Baltimore put linebackers Jaylon Ferguson and Justin Houston and defensive linemen Brandon Williams and Justin Madubuike on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

The Ravens play at Detroit on Sunday.

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Baltimore also ruled out tackle Ronnie Stanley, who missed last weekend’s win over Kansas City, with an ankle injury. Defensive end Derek Wolfe, who has dealt with back and hip problems, will not play either.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson was back to full participation in practice after missing Thursday because of an illness. Cornerback Jimmy Smith (ankle), who has missed the first two games of the season, was also a full participant. So was safety DeShon Elliott, who had been out of practice because of a concussion.

RAMS: Los Angeles running back Darrell Henderson will be a game-time decision against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Coach Sean McVay said Henderson’s availability would likely depend on pain tolerance after hurting his ribs on the first play of the fourth quarter in the Rams’ 27-24 win at Indianapolis.

Sony Michel had 10 carries for 46 yards in relief and would likely start against Tampa Bay if Henderson cannot play. Rookie Jake Funk, a seventh-round draft pick, could also be in line for an expanded role.

JETS: Running back Tevin Coleman was ruled out Friday for the game against the Broncos on Sunday with a non-COVID-19 illness. Wide receiver Jamison Crowder is doubtful after not practicing all week because of a groin injury.

Coleman fully practiced Friday, but appeared on the final injury report after apparently feeling ill during the day. The 28-year-old running back, in his first season with the 0-2 Jets, has 48 yards rushing on 14 carries in two games.

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Crowder didn’t practice all week after tweaking his groin late last week and being inactive against New England. Coach Robert Saleh said Crowder is expected to be a game-time decision this week, but the fact he didn’t participate in team drills makes it unlikely he plays.

JOSH GORDON, the receiver who last played for the Seahawks, is being reinstated by the NFL and will be eligible to play as soon as next week, according to an ESPN report Friday.

Gordon was indefinitely suspended after it was revealed that he had not successfully completed all the steps of his reinstatement last December.

At that time, Gordon was a member of the Seahawks and had been promoted to the active roster with the team hoping he could play in the final two regular-season games and the playoffs. But before he could play he was again declared ineligible and suspended. He had been suspended in Dec., 2019 for another violation of the league’s policy on substances of abuse.

The Seahawks claimed Gordon off waivers midway through the 2019 season, and he played five games before being suspended for violating league policies on both performance-enhancing drugs and substances of abuse. Seattle re-signed him in 2020 in anticipation of him being reinstated, which did not happen.

BUCCANEERS: Jason Pierre-Paul, who led the Bucs with 9 1/2 sacks last season, will miss Sunday’s game against the Rams. Pierre-Paul, 32, has hand and shoulder injuries. He received a second opinion in Denver earlier this week and the treatment called for rest.

Kick returner/receiver Jaydon Mickens also won’t play Sunday due to an abdominal injury.


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