NFL Player News

Brown (hamstring) remained sidelined at practice Thursday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

The same applies to fellow starting wideout Julio Jones (hamstring), which sets the stage for Friday's practice to be pivotal with regard to the duo's chances of suiting up Sunday against the Jets. If one or both players are out this weekend, added Week 4 opportunities would be available for the likes of Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Chester Rogers, Josh Reynolds and perhaps Marcus Johnson (undisclosed), if he's activated from IR.

Valdes-Scantling (hamstring) won't participate in practice Thursday, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Valdes-Scantling pulled up on a route in the fourth quarter of this past Sunday's win in San Francisco. He's been held out of both sessions this week as he tends to a hamstring injury, which isn't believed to be a long-term issue following an MRI, coach Matt LaFleur told Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com on Thursday. The Packers are expected to take a decision on Valdes-Scantling down to the wire, so his status for Week 4 against the Steelers may not be known until 90 minutes before Sunday's 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff.

Slayton (hamstring) didn't participate in Thursday's practice, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

According to Zack Rosenblatt of The Newark Star-Ledger, both Slayton and Sterling Shepard (hamstring) were at the Giants' practice facility Thursday, but head coach Joe Judge suggested that both wideouts would merely work with trainers behind the scenes. With neither receiver having taken any reps through the first two practices of the week, both appear to be trending in the wrong direction for Sunday's game in New Orleans. If Slayton is in fact sidelined this weekend, Collin Johnson and C.J. Board look like the main candidates to replace him at the boundary receiver spot opposite Kenny Golladay, though the Giants could also bring back John Ross (hamstring) from injured reserve in advance of the contest.

Shepard (hamstring) didn't participate in Thursday's practice, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

According to Zack Rosenblatt of The Newark Star-Ledger, both Shepard and Darius Slayton (hamstring) were at the Giants' practice facility Thursday, but head coach Joe Judge suggested that both wideouts would merely work with trainers behind the scenes. With neither receiver having taken any reps through the first two practices of the week, both appear to be trending in the wrong direction for Sunday's game in New Orleans. Kadarius Toney is the most likely candidate to step in as the Giants' slot receiver if Shepard is ruled out.

Wims has signed a deal to join the Raiders' practice squad Wednesday.

Wims spent most of his training camp with the Bears before getting waived with an oblique injury. The receiver went unclaimed on waivers and has since joined up with Las Vegas' practice squad. Expect Wims to get activated to the Raiders' active roster only if they lose substantial depth.

Mickens (abdomen) logged a limited practice Wednesday.

Mickens was unable to practice at all leading up to the Buccaneers' Week 3 matchup against the Rams, so his presence on the field in any capacity is a step forward. If he's able to suit up in Week 4 against New England, Mickens should return to his role as both the primary punt- and kick-returner for Tampa Bay.

Hopkins missed Wednesday's practice due to a rib injury, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Hopkins sat out every session last week with the same health concern, only to lead Arizona wide receivers in offensive snap share (88 percent), per usual, in Sunday's win over Jacksonville. The fact he was active may have been a ruse to free up fellow wideouts A.J. Green and Christian Kirk, who both surpassed 100 yards receiving while Hopkins settled for 21 yards on three catches and six targets. Hopkins has rarely missed games during his nine-year career, combining for two absences overall. Even if he doesn't see an uptick in activity in practice this week, he's not really a candidate to sit out Sunday against the Rams, barring a change in tone from head coach Kliff Kingsbury.

Eskridge (concussion) is expected to return to practice Thursday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Eskridge sat out Weeks 2 and 3 due to a concussion, and the head injury continued to keep him off the practice field Wednesday. Fortunately for Eskridge, head coach Pete Carroll believes the rookie second-round pick will clear the final phase of the concussion protocol in time for Thursday's session. If he does, Eskridge will have a good chance to make himself available for Sunday's road showdown with the 49ers.

Lockett was limited at Wednesday's practice due to a hip injury, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

Lockett had his leg twisted when he was tackled at the end of a six-yard catch in the fourth quarter of the Seahawks' Week 3 loss at Minnesota. At first glance, it appeared to be a potentially bad knee injury, but Lockett was able to return and recorded one more reception the rest of the way. Lockett likely is fine moving forward, but his practice reps may be capped in the short term to ensure he stays healthy.

Crowder (groin) was a limited participant in practice Wednesday.

Head coach Robert Saleh previously noted that Crowder -- who didn't practice last week -- is trending toward a return to action Sunday against the Titans. If so, he'll move back into a slot role for the Jets and provide the team's wideout corps with some welcome depth, given that both Elijah Moore and Jeff Smith are dealing with concussions.