NFL Player News

Kmet (concussion) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday.

Kmet left this past Sunday's game at Cincinnati in the second quarter and eventually was diagnosed with a concussion. That he's already able to mix into some drills just three days later signifies that he's progressing well through the protocol for head injuries, but he'll still need to gain clearance from an independent neurologist in order to play Sunday against the Giants. Rookie first-round pick Colston Loveland, who broke out with six catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns Week 9, is poised to have a larger role moving forward no matter when Kmet suits up again.

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday that he's "pretty confident" Aiyuk (knee) will play at some point this season, David Lombardi of SFStandard.com reports.

That's probably not what fantasy managers want to hear, though it was already made clear Monday that Aiyuk isn't exactly close to a return. He's still on injured reserve with no designation to return to practice this week, and then he's presumably looking at a multi-week ramp-up whenever he does begin practicing. A game appearance before December would be surprising.

Raiders head coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday that Thornton will be active for Thursday's road matchup against the Broncos, Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com reports.

Thornton was a healthy scratch Week 9, but he now rejoins Raiders' the wide receiver rotation following the team's decision to trade Jakobi Meyers to Jacksonville. The rookie fourth-round pick hasn't logged a catch across his last four regular-season appearances despite having drawn seven targets in that span. Across seven career games, Thornton has secured five of 19 targets for 94 yards.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Purdy (toe) will be limited at Wednesday's practice, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Purdy has missed seven of the last eight games due to a nagging turf toe injury, and while he has yet to progress to a full practice, Shanahan told Barrows that the 49ers plan for Purdy to take on more first-team reps this week. It's unclear if that means Purdy has a chance to return to action for the first time since Week 4 on Sunday against the Rams, but if that doesn't come to pass, Mac Jones again would be lined up to lead San Francisco's offense Week 10.

Burden (concussion) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice.

Burden appears to be near gaining clearance from the NFL's concussion protocol, the last step of which involves consultation with an independent neurologist. The rookie second-round pick was unable to suit up Week 9 versus the Bengals due to his injury. Meanwhile, both DJ Moore (hip/groin) and Rome Odunze (ankle/heel) missed Wednesday's practice, though both managed to play through their injuries versus Cincinnati.

Moore (hip/groin) did not practice Wednesday.

Moore and Rome Odunze (ankle/heel) both began Week 9 as non-participants at practice before being cleared for Chicago's upset win over the Bengals, so both wideouts could simply be set to again have their reps capped approaching Sunday's contest against the Giants. He managed to score twice versus Cincinnati, albeit in unorthodox fashion, with one passing touchdown (a connection to Caleb Williams) and one rushing score. Luther Burden (concussion) managed to practice in full Wednesday.

Monangai was limited at practice Wednesday due to an ankle injury.

Monangai filled in for an absent D'Andre Swift (groin) this past Sunday in Cincinnati and rolled a leaky Bengals defense to the tune of 198 yards from scrimmage on 29 touches. He's now dealing with a health concern of his own, and both Monangai and Swift operated with a cap on their reps to begin Week 10 prep. The situation bears watching as the week continues to see who among the duo will be available Sunday versus the Giants.

Pittman (glute) didn't practice Wednesday.

Pittman was on the field for 88 percent of the Colts' snaps on offense in the team's Week 9 loss to the Steelers, a game in which he caught nine of his 12 targets for a season-high 115 yards. Thursday's injury report will provide added context with regard to his status for Sunday's game against the Falcons, but it Pittman is hindered at all this weekend, Ashton Dulin would be a candidate for an uptick in snaps alongside Alec Pierce and Josh Downs.

Odunze (ankle/heel) did not practice Wednesday.

Odunze logged a DNP/LP/FP practice slate prior to being cleared to suit up for Chicago's narrow win over the Bengals in Week 9, so as long as he's able to put forth similar activity ahead of Sunday's game against the Giants he should be able to take the field. Versus Cincinnati, Odunze failed to haul in any of his three targets. DJ Moore (hip/groin) also missed practice Wednesday while Luther Burden (concussion) was a full participant.

Swift (groin) was limited in practice Wednesday.

One week removed from not practicing at all before sitting out this past Sunday at Cincinnati due to a lingering groin injury, Swift is back on the field and joined by No. 2 RB Kyle Monangai, who also was limited due to an ankle issue. Monangai dominated a porous Bengals defense Week 9, racking up 198 yards from scrimmage on 29 touches. With their top two backfield options banged up, the situation at the position is up in the air as the Bears prepare to face the Giants on Sunday.