NFL Player News

Williams (hamstring) remained sidelined at practice Thursday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Back-to-back absences have set the stage for what Williams does at practice Friday to be pivotal with regard to his Week 4 status. If the wideout is limited or out Sunday against the Buccaneers, added work behind top wide receiver Keenan Allen would be on tap for Jalen Guyton and KJ Hill.

Chark (chest/back) was a limited participant in practice Thursday, Jay Morrison of The Athletic reports.

After sitting out the Jaguars' Week 3 loss to the Dolphins, Chark has opened Week 4 prep with back-to-back limited showings in practice. He'll have one more opportunity to increase his participation level Friday, and if he does, he could approach Sunday's game in Cincinnati without an injury designation. Through his two outings this season, Chark has reeled in all seven of his targets for 109 yards and a touchdown.

Thomas (hamstring) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday, Luke Johnson of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Thomas maintained his activity level from Wednesday, which marked his first work on the practice field since he suffered a high left ankle sprain Week 1. He'll look to put in a full session Friday, but even if he doesn't Thomas is trending in the right direction for a return to action Sunday at Detroit.

Gage (concussion) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Will McFadden of the Falcons' official site reports.

Gage exited the Falcons' 30-26 loss to the Bears over the weekend with the head injury, but his presence on the field in any capacity four days later indicates that he's made some progress through the NFL's concussion protocol. Along with Gage, fellow starting wideouts Julio Jones (hamstring, limited participant) and Calvin Ridley (ankle, non-participant) were on the Falcons' initial Week 4 injury report, but all three seemingly have realistic hopes of gaining clearance for Monday's game against the Packers.

Ridley didn't participate in Thursday's practice due to an ankle injury, Will McFadden of the Falcons' official site reports.

Ridley was one of seven starters to sit out the Falcons' first Week 4 practice coming off Sunday's 30-26 loss to the Bears. In that contest, Ridley served as Atlanta's No. 1 wideout while Julio Jones (hamstring) was sidelined, finishing with five receptions for 110 yards on 13 targets. Given that Jones was a limited participant Thursday, he looks to be ahead of Ridley health-wise heading into a Monday night matchup with the Packers. Ridley will still have two more opportunities to practice this week and ensure his availability for the primetime matchup.

Beckham was added to the Browns' Week 4 injury report after being limited by a back issue Thursday, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.

Any mid-week addition to the injury report is notable, but at this stage it's unclear if Beckham is simply managing a minor issue or if he suffered an injury during Thursday's practice. What he's able to do on the field Friday will thus determine which injury designation he'll be tagged with in advance of Sunday's game against the Cowboys.

Lazard (undisclosed) didn't participate in the portion of Thursday's practice open to the media, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

With Davante Adams (hamstring) out of the lineup this past Sunday, Lazard served as the Packers' No. 1 wide receiver and torched the Saints to the tune of six catches (on eight targets) for 146 yards and one touchdown. Until his apparent absence Thursday, there was no indication Lazard was tending to an injury. Meanwhile, Adams was back on the field Thursday, so Green Bay's WR situation will be one to monitor as the week goes on.

Adams (hamstring) participated in Thursday's practice, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Adams didn't play down the stretch of the Packers' Week 2 win against the Lions, which at the time was considered a precautionary measure by coach Matt LaFleur. While Adams didn't practice at all last week, Green Bay still gave him a chance to suit up this past Sunday night at New Orleans. Adams was unable to prove his health to the team's training staff. but his ability to take the field Thursday indicates he's back on track. The Packers will reveal his activity level upon the release of their first Week 4 injury report Thursday.

Johnson (concussion) donned a helmet for Thursday's practice and took part in individual drills with the Steelers' other healthy receivers, Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

Even though the NFL announced earlier Thursday that Pittsburgh's Week 4 matchup with the Titans would be postponed to a later date due to a COVID-19 outbreak among Tennessee players and staff, the Steelers are still holding practices during what's essentially an unexpected bye week. The postponement will provide Johnson with more time to recover from the concussion he sustained in the Steelers' Week 3 win over the Texans, but the wideout already looks close to clearing the NFL's protocol for head injuries, if he hasn't already. The Steelers may not reveal where Johnson stands in his recovery from the concussion until the team releases its first Week 5 injury report next Wednesday.

McLaurin (thigh) was limited at Thursday's practice, Kyle Stackpole of Washington's official site reports.

McLaurin wasn't listed on Washington's first injury report of Week 4 prep, so his sudden appearance is somewhat concerning. With Steve Sims (toe) still sidelined, the health of Washington's top two wide receivers now is compromised. Look for McLaurin's status to receive some clarity by week's end.