NFL Player News

McConkey (biceps) is on the field for the early portion of Thursday's practice open to the media, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

McConkey missed Wednesday's practice due to a biceps issue but appears to be handling at least limited reps Thursday, per Popper, while wearing a brace on his left arm/shoulder. The Chargers' official practice report, to be released later Thursday afternoon, will provide clarity on McConkey's activity level, but it's nonetheless encouraging to see the second-year pro back on the field in advance of Sunday's game against the Broncos.

Thomas (wrist) was limited at practice Thursday.

Thomas was deemed a full participant Wednesday, so his limited session a day later is notable. However, it's possible that the listing is indicative of rep management as opposed to a setback, with Friday's final injury report slated to add further context regarding Thomas' availability for Sunday's game against the Texans, either way.

Brown (groin) remained sidelined for Thursday's practice.

Brown suffered the groin injury last Thursday night against the Packers and has yet to practice since, putting his status in serious question for Week 3 against the Raiders. If Brown can't play against Las Vegas, Jaylin Lane, Luke McCaffrey and Chris Moore would be next up for snaps behind Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel.

Worthy (shoulder) remained limited at practice Thursday, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Following back-to-back limited sessions Wednesday and Thursday, Worthy is trending toward a return to game action Sunday night against the Giants. Friday's final injury report will reveal whether the wideout carries an injury designation into the weekend, but the potential return of Worthy looms large for the Chiefs, who are without fellow WR Rashee Rice (suspension) through Week 6.

Kirk (hamstring) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

Kirk has now logged back-to-back limited sessions after taking the practice field for the first time this season Wednesday. The veteran appears primed for a starting role alongside Nico Collins in Houston's wide receiver corps, once fully healthy. He'll work to gain clearance in time to make his team debut Sunday on the road against Jacksonville, though to avoid an injury designation for Week 3 he'll likely need to upgrade to full practice reps Friday.

Godwin (ankle) practiced in a limited fashion Thursday.

This marks Godwin's first back-to-back practices since dislocating his left ankle Week 7 of last season, indicating his conditioning is improving as he seeks to return to action. Friday's injury report will reveal if he has a chance to suit up Sunday versus the Jets, but if he doesn't and because rookie standout Emeka Egbuka (hip/groin) has yet to take part in drills this week, the Buccaneers could be forced to roll with Sterling Shepard, Tez Johnson, Ryan Miller and Kameron Johnson as the wide receivers not named Mike Evans in Week 3.

Royals (knee) was a full participant in Thursday's practice, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Royals' knee injury kept him sidelined for Kansas City's first two games of the regular season, but he looks ready to take the field Sunday night on the road against the Giants. The rookie fourth-round pick will bolster a receiving corps that may also return Xavier Worthy (shoulder) in Week 3.

Reynolds (hamstring) did not practice Thursday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Reynolds has now missed back-to-back practices due to the hamstring injury that forced him to sit out the Jets' loss to the Bills in Week 2. Unless he's able to retake the practice field Friday, Reynolds looks on track to miss Sunday's road game against the Buccaneers.

Downs (ankle) returned to a full practice Thursday.

Downs sat out Wednesday's practice, but his ability to handle every rep a day later sets the stage for the wideout to be available this weekend against the Titans. After seeing just three targets Week 1, Downs logged a 6-51-0 stat line on eight targets in this past Sunday's 29-28 win over the Broncos. On most weeks, the 2023 third-rounder should see enough volume to be worthy of consideration in PPR formats, but with fellow WRs Michael Pittman and Alec Pierce and TE Tyler Warren (toe) also in the pass-catching mix, Downs has some notable competition for the attention of QB Daniel Jones.

Egbuka (hip/groin) was a non-participant at Thursday's practice.

After missing Wednesday's session due to hip and groin injuries, Egbuka was expected to mix into at least some drills Thursday, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. However, that didn't happen, meaning Egbuka has just one more chance to prove his health on the practice field this week. Friday's injury report will signal whether or not the rookie first-round pick is in danger of sitting out Sunday against the Jets.