NFL Player News

Miller (hip/groin) was listed as a limited participant at Thursday's practice.

Miller was also limited in Wednesday's session, so as long as he's able to practice again in some capacity Friday, he should be ready to go for Sunday's game against the Saints. However, after drawing a combined 15 targets over the Buccaneers' past two contests, Miller is a prime candidate to see his role in the passing game tail off in the second half of the season. Seven-time Pro Bowler Antonio Brown is slated to make his team debut Sunday, while Chris Godwin (finger) could also make his return from a one-game absence.

Godwin (finger) was a limited participant during Thursday's practice.

Though Godwin's ability to practice on a limited basis for the second day in a row is a welcome sight, his activity in Friday's session will ultimately be the deciding factor in whether he returns from a one-game absence Sunday versus New Orleans. Head coach Bruce Arians noted that Godwin will attempt to catch passes Friday, marking the first time he's been cleared to do so since undergoing surgery on his fractured left index finger last week. If Godwin experiences no issues with catching and securing the ball, he should be ready to handle a full snap load Sunday, but predicting how the targets will be divvied up in Tampa Bay's deep group of pass catchers may be difficult. The Buccaneers will have Antonio Brown available to make his team debut this weekend, though it's unclear how extensively he'll be involved as he sees his first game action in more than a year.

The Packers don't plan to activate Lazard (core-muscle surgery) ahead of Thursday's game against the 49ers, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Though Lazard resumed practicing a little over a week ago and made the trip to San Francisco, the Packers apparently want the wideout to put in some more on-field work before signing off on his return to game action. With Lazard sidelined for a fifth straight game, the Packers will turn to Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown as their primary options at receiver beyond top target Davante Adams.

Humphries (concussion) isn't participating in Thursday's practice, Erik Bacharach of The Tennessean reports.

With back-to-back absences from practice to begin Week 9, Humphries doesn't appear to have made any notable progress through the NFL's concussion protocol since sustaining his head injury in Sunday's loss to the Bengals. Unless he takes a significant step forward Friday, Humphries will likely be inactive for this weekend's tilt with the Bears. Kalif Raymond would be the top candidate to start in place of Humphries alongside A.J. Brown and Corey Davis.

Brown (undisclosed) wasn't spotted at practice Thursday, John Glennon of BroadwaySportsMedia.com reports.

Brown, who's been managing a knee issue of late, has also missed the Titans' last two Thursday practices before practicing fully Friday, so there's a solid chance this his absence this time around is maintenance-related.

Shepard (shoulder/toe) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Shepard has logged back-to-back capped sessions, likely for maintenance reasons due to the lingering effects of a turf toe injury and shoulder issue. Despite the health concerns, he's put up 14 receptions (on 18 targets) for 133 yards and one touchdown over the last two games. Friday's injury report likely will bring some clarity to Shepard's availability for Sunday's game in Washington.

Harry (concussion) remained sidelined at practice Thursday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Harry still has a couple of chances to resume practicing in advance of Monday's game against the Jets, but if he's unable to gain clearance for the contest, Jakobi Meyers and Damiere Byrd would once again head New England's wide receiver corps Week 9.

Though Perriman remains in the NFL's concussion protocol, he'll be able to practice in a limited fashion Thursday, Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York reports.

Per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, the wideout has moved on to the next stage of the protocol, which offers hope that Perriman could be medically cleared in time to play Monday night against the Patriots.

Crowder (groin) won't practice Thursday, Connor Hughes of The Athletic reports.

On the plus side, Andy Vasquez of The Bergen Record notes that the hope is for Crowder to practice in some capacity Friday. The Jets don't play until Monday night against the Patriots, which gives Crowder an extra day of preparation as he tries to return to action Week 9 after missing two straight games.

Bourne (illness) tested negative for COVID-19 on Thursday, but he'll remain out for the 49ers' game against the Packers later in the day, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

According to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area, Bourne believes that his COVID-19 test result from Wednesday was a false positive, as he and the three other individuals that live with him all tested negative a day later. Even so, NFL protocols won't afford Bourne enough time to gain clearance for Thursday's game, leaving the 49ers extremely thin at wide receiver with Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk also on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Considering Samuel and Aiyuk were placed on the list due to being high-risk close contacts of Bourne, Chan notes that all players likely would have removed from the list had the 49ers been playing a Sunday or Monday game this week. With that in mind, Bourne should be ready to go for the 49ers' Week 10 game Nov. 15 in New Orleans.