NFL Player News

Vaki (thumb) is questionable for Thursday's game versus the Cowboys.

Vaki appeared to pick up a thumb injury during last week's loss to the Packers, putting his status in jeopardy ahead of a crucial game versus the Cowboys. If Vaki -- who has played just two offensive snaps this season -- sits out, Jacob Saylors will serve as the No. 3 running back behind Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.

Thornton (concussion) didn't practice Wednesday.

Thornton, who was forced out of the Raiders' Week 13 loss to the Chargers after recording 14 snaps on offense, has two more chances to practice in advance of Sunday's game against the Broncos. If he's unable to gain clearance to play this weekend, added WR snaps alongside Tre Tucker would be available for Tyler Lockett and Jack Bech.

Oluokun was limited in practice Wednesday due to a hamstring injury.

Oluokun didn't play every defensive snap for the first time in eight games this past Sunday versus Tennessee, and the hamstring issue may explain why. How he fares in practice the rest of the week will likely determine whether the veteran linebacker enters the weekend with an injury designation. If Oluokun were to miss Sunday's matchup versus Indianapolis, Branson Combs or Jack Kiser could be in line for much more work on defense.

Zylstra (knee) has been ruled out for Thursday's game versus the Cowboys.

Zylstra has been on injured reserve since getting hurt in Week 2 against the Bears, and he finally returned to practice Monday. The 29-year-old tight end isn't quite ready to return to action, however, and he'll aim to get back in the mix in Week 15 versus the Rams. Last season, Zylstra averaged just 9.0 offensive snaps per game.

Burton (ankle) was a full participant at Wednesday's practice.

Burton has yet to play this season, as he was a healthy scratch in 11 of 12 games this season. Now that he's back to full strength, he's not guaranteed to return to the lineup, although he'll have a better chance to play if Tee Higgins (concussion) is unable to go. As a rookie last year, Burton caught four passes (14 targets) for 107 yards.

Smith (foot) was limited at practice Wednesday.

It's unclear if the foot injury Smith is currently dealing with is something that stems from Week 13 action or an issue that occurred during Wednesday's practice, but the QB's status now is worth monitoring ahead of this weekend's game against the Broncos. In this past Sunday's 31-14 loss to the Chargers, Smith completed 18 of his 23 pass attempts for 165 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception The QB also rushed twice for minus-6 yards and a fumble that the Raiders recovered.

Brown (groin/knee) practiced in full Wednesday.

Brown now has logged two full listings, one limited and one DNP since the Commanders designated him for return from injured reserve last week. Coach Dan Quinn spoke on Brown's ability to return for Sunday's game at Minnesota, telling Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post it's "very much in the green. High." Brown hasn't played since Week 2 due to dueling groin and knee injuries, so it remains to be seen what kind of workload he'll be able to handle once he gains clearance to play again.

Armstead (hand) was a limited practice participant Wednesday.

Armstead didn't play Sunday versus Tennessee due to a hand injury, though he didn't get an official injury designation for the contest until Saturday. The veteran defensive tackle sported a heavily wrapped hand during practice Wednesday, per Mia O'Brien of 1010 XL 92.5 FM Jacksonville, but he was able to log a limited session. That's a positive sign for his likelihood of suiting up against Indianapolis this Sunday, though Armstead may enter the weekend with an injury designation if he isn't able to log at least one full practice session over the next two days.

Sample (oblique) was a full participant at Wednesday's walkthrough.

Sample missed the last two games with this oblique issue, but he appears ready to return in Week 14 versus the Bills. The fifth-year defensive end has yet to play more than 33 percent of the defensive snaps in a game this season. He has posted nine tackles (five solo) through nine games.

McMillan (neck) was limited in Wednesday's walkthrough.

McMillan suffered a major scare preseason Week 2 when he was upended while making a leaping catch and fell hard on his neck and helmet. He sustained three neck fractures and significant ligament damage in his neck that forced him to wear a neck brace for a long stretch of time. Now that he's been designated for return from injured reserve and actually mixed into some drills, McMillan has a chance to return to action as soon as Sunday's game against the Saints, but the Buccaneers instead may be more focused on ramping up his activity level with an aim to get him back beyond Week 14.