NFL Player News

Monangai (ankle) was a full practice participant Thursday.

Monangai had a cap on his reps Wednesday during the Bears' first Week 10 session, but his ability to participate fully in Thursday's practice clears the way for the rookie to play Sunday against the Giants. While D'Andre Swift (groin) missed his first game of the season in Week 9, Monangai stepped in seamlessly as the Bears' starting running back in a 47-42 win over the Bengals, finishing with 198 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 29 touches. Swift also practiced fully Thursday and should return to a starting role this weekend, but Monangai may have nonetheless earned himself a larger share of the touches and snaps out of the backfield than he had previously occupied on the heels of his big performance.

Byard (back/ankle) was limited in practice Thursday.

Byard sat out Wednesday's practice entirely, so it's encouraging to see the starting safety now taking limited reps Thursday. If Byard can participate fully on Friday, he'll have a good chance of avoiding an injury designation entirely for Sunday's matchup against the Giants. He's been an every-down contributor on defense through eight regular-season appearances.

Cook (ankle) was limited at practice Thursday.

On the heels of logging a 'DNP' on Wednesday, Cook is trending in the right direction ahead of Sunday's game against the Dolphins after returning to a capped session one day later. The Bills' top RB now will have one more chance to upgrade his participation level before the team assigns Week 10 injury designations Friday.

Barkley (groin) is taking part in Thursday's practice, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Barkley appeared to tweak his groin on a 28-yard run late in the third quarter of the Eagles' Week 8 win over the Giants and didn't return to the contest, though that may have had more to do with Philadelphia holding down a comfortable lead. With the Eagles going on bye for Week 9, Barkley appears to have just about put the groin injury behind him, though it won't be known whether he was a full or limited participant in Thursday's session until the team releases its first Week 10 practice report later in the day. Assuming Barkley practices fully at some point Thursday through Saturday, he'll likely head into Monday's game at Green Bay without an injury designation.

Palmer (knee/ankle) remained a limited participant at Thursday's practice.

Palmer has put together consecutive limited practices as he looks to take the field for the first since Week 6 in Sunday's game against the Dolphins. He has 14 catches for 234 yards in six appearances this season and is still searching for his first touchdown as a member of the Bills.

Brown (hamstring) is taking part in Thursday's practice, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The extent of Brown's practice participation won't be known until the Eagles release their first Week 10 injury report later Thursday, but Brown's ability to take the field in any capacity bodes well for his chances of playing Monday against the Packers. Brown ended up sitting out the Eagles' Week 8 win over the Giants due to his hamstring injury, but a well-timed Week 9 bye has afforded him some additional time to rest up and recover.

Swift (groin) was a full participant in Thursday's practice.

A limited participant Wednesday as the Bears kicked off Week 10 prep, Swift's upgrade to full activity a day later puts him on track to return to action Sunday against the Giants. While Swift was out for his first game of the season in the Bears' 47-42 win over the Bengals last weekend, Kyle Monangai (ankle) stepped in as Chicago's lead back and racked up 198 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 29 touches. Swift should return to a starting role in Week 10, but he may be at risk of ceding more work in the wake of Monangai's breakout performance. Bears head coach Ben Johnson may favor a timeshare approach to the backfield in an effort to keep both backs fresh, as Monangai joined Swift as a limited participant in Wednesday's session before practicing fully Thursday.

The Eagles announced Thursday that Lampkin (knee) has been designated to return from IR.

The undrafted rookie out of North Carolina initially linked up with the Rams during the offseason, but he was waived by Los Angeles after suffering a knee injury during the team's second preseason game, then claimed by the Eagles and stashed on IR. Now, Lampkin kicks off a 21-day window wherein he can participate in practice without counting against the active roster.

Stevenson (toe) isn't participating in Thursday's practice, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.

Stevenson was present for the media-access portion of the session, but he was merely observing from the sideline while his healthy teammates took part in practice. With two straight absences to kick off Week 10 prep, Stevenson appears to be facing an uphill battle to suit up Sunday at Tampa Bay. If Stevenson ends up missing a second straight game, the Patriots would presumably once again lean on TreVeyon Henderson as their top back, while Terrell Jennings would handle a complementary role.

Boutte (hamstring) isn't participating in Thursday's practice, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.

With Boutte going down as a non-participant for the second straight day, his availability for Sunday's game at Tampa Bay would appear to be in peril. Before deciding whether Boutte enters the weekend with a designation or is ruled out in advance of Sunday's contest, the Patriots will wait and see if he's able to make enough progress with his hamstring injury to practice Friday in some fashion.