NFL Player News

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.

Armour-Davis (Achilles) was a non-participant in Wednesday's practice.

Armour-Davis missed last week's loss to the Jaguars and hasn't practiced since last Wednesday. The 26-year-old cornerback still has two chances to get on the practice field before Sunday's matchup versus the Browns. If Armour-Davis can't go, Marcus Davis is the top candidate to start in his place.

Wingard (concussion) did not practice Wednesday.

Wingard started and logged an 86 percent defensive snap share this past Sunday versus Tennessee, but he appears to have suffered a concussion along the way. He'll need to clear the NFL's concussion protocol in order to suit up against the Colts in Week 14. If Wingard isn't able to play, Rayuan Lane may be asked to step into a starting role.

Hooker (ribs) was a full participant at Wednesday's practice.

Hooker sustained this rib injury late in the fourth quarter of last week's loss to the Jaguars, but it doesn't look like this will be a lingering issue ahead of a Week 14 clash against the Browns. The 2019 fourth-round pick has produced 63 tackles (46 solo), seven pass breakups and a sack through 12 games this season.