NFL Player News

Brown didn't practice Thursday due to a knee issue, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Brown wasn't listed on Wednesday's injury report, but it's possible that his absence is simply rep management, given that he missed time earlier this season with a bone bruise in his knee. If the wideout's absence Thursday is indicative of a setback, however, Friday's practice/injury report should add clarity on that front one way or the other.

Thomas (hamstring/ankle) wasn't spotted Thursday during the open portion of the Saints' practice, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com reports.

Unless Thomas fits in some work in the portion of the practice closed to the media, the wideout looks like he'll go down as a non-participant on the Saints' injury report. Though head coach Sean Payton said Wednesday that Thomas won't face any further discipline after he was held out of the team's Week 5 win over the Chargers following an altercation with a teammate, the wideout's health remains uncertain. Thomas had been sidelined for Weeks 2 through 4 with a left high-ankle sprain, but the hamstring might be the greater concern at this point. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Thomas' activity was limited at Wednesday's practice because he tweaked the hamstring during the workout, so his absence Thursday is obviously worrisome. The Saints will presumably reassess Thomas' condition at their final practice of the week Friday before gauging the All-Pro receiver's chances of playing Sunday against the Panthers.

Brown wasn't present during the media-access portion of Thursday's practice, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.

Brown didn't appear on the Titans' first Week 7 injury report that was released Wednesday, so it won't be known until Thursday's practice concludes why he was absent. The wideout missed two games earlier in the season while recovering from a bone bruise in his knee, but he proceeded to handle 71 and 84 percent offensive snap shares in Weeks 5 and 6, respectively, totaling a combined 12 receptions for 138 yards and three touchdowns on 16 targets in wins over the Bills and Texans.

The Giants activated Shepard (toe) off injured reserve Thursday, Michael Eisen of the team's official site reports.

Shepard sustained a turf toe injury Week 2 and has spent the ensuing four weeks on IR. The Giants opened his window to return Tuesday, and after participating in practice the last two days, the team has opted to bring him back to the active roster. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network noted Shepard will be subject to a pregame workout before the Giants make a decision on his availability for Thursday's game at Philadelphia, but the road his been paved for his return to action.

Crowder (groin) will remain limited at practice Thursday, Andy Vasquez of The Bergen Record reports.

Per the report, Crowder is dealing with some groin tightness, but the hope is that it's nothing serious. We'll revisit the the status of the Jets' top pass catcher no later than Friday, but it's quite possible that Crowder will end up listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bills.

Hopkins (ankle) wasn't on the field for the open portion of Thursday's team workout and is destined to go down as a non-participant on Arizona's practice report, Kyle Odegard of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Coming off Monday's win over Dallas, Hopkins has now been sidelined for the first two of the Cardinals' three practices in Week 7. The Cardinals could just be giving the wideout some extra maintenance on a short week, but he'll still likely need to fit in some on-field activity during Friday's session in order for fantasy managers to feel better about his chances of playing Sunday against the Seahawks. Hopkins was limited to a season-low two receptions against the Cowboys, but he salvaged his stat line to some degree by ripping off a 60-yard catch-and-run in third quarter.

Shepard (toe) remains on injured reserve, but he expects to be activated ahead of Thursday's game against the Eagles if he responds well to a workout earlier in the day, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

The Giants have until 4 p.m. ET to make roster moves prior to the Week 7 matchup, so if Shepard isn't activated before then, he can safely be ruled out for the contest. Despite having only resumed practicing with the Giants since Tuesday, Shepard apparently is optimistic with how he's bounced back from his bout with turf toe, which sidelined him for the team's past four games. Because of his lack of recent game action and minimal practice time over the last month, Shepard could face some sort of restriction with his snap count if he suits up Thursday.

Powell was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice due to an elbow injury, Jason Butt of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The 24-year-old has recorded three receptions for 27 yards on the season, with all of his catches coming in Week 3 while Julio Jones sat out with a hamstring injury. Instead, most of Powell's usage has come on special teams, where he ranks third in the NFL with an average of 9.9 yards per punt return. Powell wasn't known to be dealing with an injury ahead of Atlanta's Week 6 win over Minnesota, but his status will now be one to monitor heading into a matchup this weekend versus the Lions.

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

Hopkins had varying levels of efficiency during Monday's blowout win at Dallas. Aside from a 60-yard catch-and-run, he otherwise hauled in just one of seven targets for 13 yards. On the season, he leads the NFL with 47 catches for 601 receiving yards, but he's tied for 34th with two touchdowns. Assuming he can get past his ankle injury and suit up Sunday, Hopkins will seek to add to his scoring total against a Seahawks defense that has given up seven touchdowns to wide receivers this season.

The Raiders restored Ateman (undisclosed) to the practice squad Wednesday, Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.

Ateman resided on the practice squad injured list for the past month, but he's finally healthy enough to return to practice. He'll continue to push for a roster spot as a depth receiver around the league now that he's healthy.