NFL Player News

McDonald (ankle) didn't participate in practice Thursday.

McDonald was listed as a limited participant because of the ankle issue Wednesday and downgraded to DNP on Thursday. That's a concerning trend ahead of Sunday's season opener versus Buffalo. Friday's final injury report of the week should provide more clarity about McDonald's likelihood of suiting up against the Bills.

Gillotte (foot) was a full participant in practice Thursday.

The defensive end ruptured his plantar fascia during a drill late in training camp, but even then, the injury was not considered serious. Now, it appears that Gillotte is on track to play Week 1 against the Broncos. The 2025 third-round pick finished with 38 tackles (14 solo), including 1.5 sacks, in a rotational role as a rookie.

Wattenberg (undisclosed) was not listed on the Broncos' official injury report Thursday, Aric DiLalla of the team's official site reports.

Wattenberg was dealing with an undisclosed injury during training camp, but he appears to be past it as Week 1 prep begins for the Broncos. He should resume his starting role at center Monday at Kansas City.

Bowry (foot) did not appear on the Bills' injury report Wednesday.

Bowry was dealing with a left foot injury late in training camp, but he now appears to be back to full health ahead of the regular season. The 23-year-old is expected to serve as a top depth option at offensive tackle behind starters Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown this season.

Smith (hip) was a full participant in practice Thursday.

The right guard was dealing with a hip injury during training camp, though it was described even then as a short-term issue. Smith's availability for Week 1 was never really in doubt, and now that he's practicing ahead of Monday's matchup with Denver, he should be ready to play come game time.

Russell caught both of his targets for 20 yards and notched one tackle on special teams during Wednesday's 13-10 win over the Patriots.

Russell was on the field for 17 of Seattle's 50 offensive snaps as well as for 20 special-teams snaps. The two receptions were the first two catches (and touches) of his NFL career. Russell played a career-high 58 regular-season offensive snaps over 17 games last year, and Wednesday's workload suggests he may continue to increase his involvement in 2026, though he's not likely to be a desirable fantasy option given his role.

Stewart (knee) was a limited participant at practice Thursday, Jay Morrison of SI.com reports.

Stewart practiced in full Wednesday, but it seems like he may have suffered a setback with his knee during the week. He'll probably end up carrying an injury designation into the weekend unless he can manage another full practice Friday.

Jenkins (back) did not participate at the Browns' practice Thursday, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.

Jenkins left Wednesday's practice early with a back injury, and he was unable to give it a go a day later. If he can't play Sunday against the Jaguars, Austin Barber is the most likely candidate to start at right guard in the team's regular-season opener.

The Bears cut Sewell (undisclosed) with an injury settlement Thursday, Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Sewell signed with Chicago back in early August, but he's now a free agent once again. Once he's healthy, the undrafted rookie will look for another opportunity to make his pro debut with a different team.

Kiner turned six carries into 11 yards during Wednesday night's 13-10 loss to the Seahawks.

Kiner operated as the Patriots' No. 2 running back behind starter Rhamondre Stevenson with TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) unavailable. Kiner was on the field for eight of the team's 71 total offensive snaps, with Stevenson (60) handling the lion's share. If Henderson is sidelined again in Week 2, Kiner will likely operate in a similar role against the Steelers.