NFL Player News

Samuel (groin) wasn't spotted at Thursday's practice, Ben Standig of The Athletic reports.

Samuel was seen working out off to the side at Wednesday's practice and ultimately went down as a non-participant on Washington's first Week 6 injury report. He'll be listed the same Thursday, likely foreshadowing his fourth absence of the season Sunday against the Chiefs. With Cam Sims (hamstring) also seemingly trending toward being inactive, DeAndre Carter and rookie Dyami Brown (knee) -- if healthy -- could see more reps alongside Terry McLaurin and Adam Humphries at receiver.

Offensive coordinator Greg Roman indicated Thursday that there's a chance Bateman will be activated for Sunday's game against the Chargers, Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Sun reports. "He's looking good," Roman said of the rookie wideout, who's bouncing back from groin surgery.

In the event that Bateman does come off IR in advance of Sunday's contest, there could be a path to snaps for him, with Sammy Watkins dealing with a hamstring injury that sidelined him for Wednesday's practice. That said, based on Roman's comments, the Ravens seem inclined to ease Bateman back into the mix, so he doesn't profile as a high-percentage Week 6 fantasy lineup option. However, with multiple teams on bye in the coming weeks, the 2021 first-rounder is worth a speculative add by fantasy managers with a degree of roster flexibility.

Hopkins (illness) wasn't in attendance for Thursday's practice and is expected to go down as a non-participant on the Cardinals' report, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.

Hopkins has previously received maintenance days in practice earlier this season while tending to a rib injury, but it's an ailment that will keep him off the field for the second day in a row to begin Week 6. The Cardinals haven't suggested that Hopkins' illness is related to COVID-19, so at this stage, there's still reason for fantasy managers to expect the standout wideout to be ready to suit up Sunday in Cleveland. Ideally though, Hopkins would return to practice in some fashion Friday to clear up any concern about his status.

Metcalf (foot) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

For the third week in a row, Metcalf has practice limitations due to a foot issue, and while his share of the offensive snaps Weeks 4 and 5 was a bit lower than normal, he still put up a combined 9-163-3 receiving line on 13 targets. There's seemingly no worry about his availability for Sunday's game at Pittsburgh, but his status still should be watched as the week goes on to make sure he's out there Week 6. Assuming Metcalf ultimately suits up, he'll have to make do with a new quarterback for the first time in his career, as Geno Smith is slated to start under center with Russell Wilson (finger) likely out for the next month.

St. Brown was signed to the Packers' active roster from the practice squad Wednesday.

The 25-year-old has been on Green Bay's practice squad all season and was a gameday elevation for three contests, catching one of two targets for zero yards. St. Brown should see sporadic offensive snaps while also playing a role on special teams.

Brown (knee) was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice, Ben Standig of The Athletic reports.

Brown was unavailable for Sunday's loss to the Saints due to the knee injury, but he's putting himself on a good path to suit up Week 6 against the Chiefs. The rookie third-round pick should be able to avoid an injury designation if he can practice with no limitations Thursday or Friday.

Smith-Marsette (toe) was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice.

Smith-Marsette has been unavailable the past two games due to the toe injury, so it's a good sign to see him back at practice. The rookie fifth-round pick could avoid an injury designation for Sunday at Carolina if he can practice without limitations within the next couple days.

Williams was listed as a non-participant in Wednesday's walk-through practice due to a knee injury.

Williams logged 58 of the Chargers' 75 offensive snaps in Sunday's 47-42 win over the Browns, catching eight of his 16 targets for 165 yards and two touchdowns. The Chargers didn't suggest that Williams sustained a major injury in that contest, so it's possible he's just getting some maintenance for his knee heading into this weekend's contest against the Ravens. That being said, fantasy managers will still want to track Williams' activity in practice over the next two days to ensure he's on a path to play in Baltimore.

Mooney (groin) practiced in a limited fashion Wednesday.

Mooney has been a regular on Bears injury reports this season, but his health concerns haven't affected his ability to suit up for games. He hasn't visited the end zone through five contests, but his overall receiving line of 20-261-0 on 31 targets is reasonable enough working with Andy Dalton and rookie Justin Fields. Fields (rib/knee) was able to practice fully Wednesday, while No. 1 wide receiver Allen Robinson (ankle) showed up on the report for the first time this season as a non-participant. The extent of Robinson's health concern is unknown, but Mooney would stand to benefit if the former misses any time or is inhibited on game days.

Robinson didn't practice Wednesday due to an ankle injury.

Robinson has avoided the injury report so far this season until Wednesday, while No. 2 wide receiver Darnell Mooney (groin) has been a mainstay. With both players banged up at the moment, it'll be interesting to see in what capacity they'll be out there Sunday against the Packers, assuming they're active. Robinson has two more sessions this week in which to fit in some activity and set himself up to be available.