NFL Player News

Kupp (oblique) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Curtis Crabtree of Sports Radio 950 KJR Seattle reports.

Coach Sean McVay has expressed confidence that Kupp will be available against the Seahawks on Sunday, but it's at least somewhat concerning to see the 27-year-old log back-to-back limited practices coming off a bye. He'll get one more opportunity to upgrade to full practice activity before the Rams designate him with an official injury tag.

Cracraft (quadriceps) didn't participate during Thursday's practice

Cracraft suited up in a limited fashion during Wednesday's practice, but it's not a good sign that he was downgraded just one day later. The Washington State product was moved up the depth chart in last week's loss to the Packers as multiple receivers were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, catching two of his five targets for 13 yards. With Brandon Aiyuk activated off the COVID-19 list and Trent Taylor (back) logging a full practice Thursday, Cracraft could find himself down the depth chart anyhow for Sunday's game against the Saints, should he be healthy enough to suit up.

Taylor (back) was a full participant during Thursday's practice, Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee reports.

Taylor saw his reps managed Wednesday while tending to the back injury, but as evidenced by this news, he appears on track for Sunday's game against the Saints. With Deebo Samuel (hamstring) and River Cracraft (quadriceps) also dealing with injuries, Taylor could be in line for some extra work Sunday. He played a season-high 58 percent of the offensive snaps against the Packers, and he could see a similar level of participation in Week 10.

St. Brown (knee) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

The wideout has had his reps managed in practice the past few weeks despite not missing any game action, making it likely he'll be ready for Week 10. The Notre Dame product only saw six percent of his team's offensive snaps in last weeks win over the 49ers, so he's not likely to affect much from a fantasy perspective.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday that Samuel (hamstring) is a "long shot" to suit up against the Saints on Sunday, Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee reports.

Samuel hasn't yet practiced this week while nursing a lingering hamstring issue. Shanahan said he expects the versatile wideout to return after San Francisco's bye in Week 11, which would make his next possible return date Nov. 29 against the Rams. With Kendrick Bourne also uncertain for Sunday's game due to his placement on the reserve/COVID-19 list, it looks like Brandon Aiyuk, Richie James and Trent Taylor could comprise the 49ers' wide receiver corps in New Orleans.

Bowden was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday.

The third-round rookie has endured a quiet debut campaign, after racking up more than 1,800 scrimmage yards last year during his final season at Kentucky. Prior to landing on the reserve/COVID-19 list Nov. 6, Bowden had compiled just five total offensive touches for an ouptut of eight scrimmage yards. The 23-year-old figures to slot into a niche role within Miami's offense once able to return to game action, and opportunities among the receiving corps may become available with Preston Williams (foot) moving to IR on Monday.

Coach Matt LaFleur said Monday that it's possible Lazard (abdomen) will play against the Jaguars on Sunday, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

The Packers could wait until Week 11 to officially bring Lazard back from IR, due to the length of his 21-day practice window, but LaFleur said he intends to activate the wideout "as soon as [he's] ready to go." The 23-year-old hasn't played since Week 3 while recovering from core-muscle surgery. Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown (knee) will continue to serve as the top options being Devante Adams if Lazard has to miss any more time.

Shenault (hamstring) was limited in Thursday's practice, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.

Shenault has now logged back-to-back limited sessions to begin the week after having been forced out of last weekend's loss to the Texans. DJ Chark sat out Thursday's session due to a non-COVID-19 related illness, so if Shenault is able to suit up against the Packers on Sunday it could provide a notable boost for rookie quarterback Jake Luton.

Thomas (ankle/hamstring) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday, Amie Just of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Thomas has yet to elevate to all activity in practice, which may need to happen for the Saints to unleash him fully for game action. In his first appearance since Week 1 this past Sunday at Tampa Bay, he tallied five catches (on six targets) for 51 yards on a 55-percent share of the snaps on offense. Aside from his health, game flow also may determine how much Thomas can handle on a weekly basis.

Samuel (hamstring) is not practicing Thursday, Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee reports.

The 49ers activated Samuel from the reserve/COVID-19 list last Friday, but he still has yet to resume participating in practice due to a lingering hamstring injury. At this point, it looks like the second-year pro is trending in the wrong direction for Sunday's game at New Orleans. San Francisco is scheduled for a bye Week 11, so the team may simply intend to hold Samuel out until then in order to guarantee a smooth recovery.