NFL Player News

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.

Miller (hip/groin) was a limited practice participant Thursday.

Miller has been a regular presence on Buccaneers injury reports this season, but he's still managed to suit up for all nine games. Unfortunately for Miller, he took a back seat to Antonio Brown in the veteran's debut with the team this past Sunday versus the Saints, accounting for one catch (on three targets) for 10 yards on a 38-percent share of the offensive snaps. Miller may have irregular opportunities moving forward if Tampa Bay's receiving corps remains healthy.

Godwin (finger) was limited at Thursday's practice.

Following a one-game absence due to surgery to repair a fractured left index finger, Godwin handled 94 percent of the offensive snaps this past Sunday against the Saints en route to three catches (on six targets) for 41 yards. As he gets healthier, he'll seek his first 100-yard outing of the season, which could come as soon as Sunday versus the Panthers' 20th-ranked pass defense (246.8 yards per game). That's assuming Godwin is active.

Chark (illness) didn't practice Thursday, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.

The report did specify that Chark's illness is not COVID-related, so for now it looks like he should be able to recover in time for Sunday's game against the Packers. Friday's injury report will reveal whether the wideout approaches that game with a Week 10 injury designation or gains full clearance to play this weekend.

Robinson (knee) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

Robinson's limited Thursday session may have occurred partially for maintenance reasons, given that he's logged at least 95 percent of offensive snaps in back-to-back contests. The star wideout will have two more opportunities to upgrade his practice level before the Bears have to tag him with an injury designation, so there's not yet substantial reason for concern about his availability for Monday night's divisional contest against the Vikings.

Shepard (toe/hip) was limited at Thursday's practice, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Per usual, Shepard is logging an LP on the injury report, as he's done each of the previous three weeks. His production hasn't dipped in the slightest -- a 20-172-1 line on 26 targets across three games -- and he again could benefit from an absence from Golden Tate, who sustained a knee injury near the end of Thursday's session. Friday's injury report may provide more clarity on the state of the Giants' receiving corps.

Smith-Schuster (knee) was a full participant in Thursday's practice, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.

Smith-Schuster appears to have received a maintenance day Wednesday, as has been a regular occurrence all season. By returning as a full participant in Thursday's practice, he's successfully shed any concern about his availability for Week 10. Smith-Schuster has averaged 82 receiving yards over the Steelers' last three games, and Cincinnati's exploitable secondary will provide a favorable stage to continue his productive streak Sunday.

Jeudy (shoulder) is practicing in a limited capacity Thursday, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reports.

Jeudy sat out Wednesday's practice with a shoulder injury, but coach Vic Fangio said that how well the former Alabama standout holds up during Thursday's limited session will determine whether he can upgrade to full reps Friday. The rookie wideout is coming off the best game of his professional career, having just torched the Falcons for 125 yards and a score on seven catches. Denver's offense will see a notable boost if he's able to suit up against the Raiders on Sunday.

Bowden is expected to come off the COVID-19 list and resume practicing Thursday, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports.

Bowden missed last week's game while on the COVID list and was a healthy scratch the week before. He's expected to return to the practice field along with multiple assistant coaches Thursday. The rookie third-round pick has appeared in just four games this season, totaling 23 offensive snaps.

Cleveland (concussion) wasn't on Wednesday's injury report and will play Sunday against the Raiders, Troy Renck of Denver 7 News reports.

Cleveland was evaluated for a concussion during last week's loss to the Falcons, but he cleared testing and is healthy moving forward. The rookie seventh-rounder slots in occasionally on offense, but his main contributions come on kick returns where he's averaged 22.4 yards per return.