NFL Player News

Mooney (hamstring) was a limited practice participant Thursday.

Mooney followed up Wednesday's limited walkthrough with a similar workload at Thursday's practice as he tends to the hamstring injury that has bothered him since Week 4 action. Following a Week 5 bye, he sat out Week 6 before returning to action this past Sunday in San Francisco, when he hauled in three of five passes for 68 yards on an 83 percent snap share. Mooney will have one more chance to practice in full Friday, or else risk heading into the weekend with a designation for Sunday's game versus the Dolphins.

Graham (knee) was a full participant in Thursday's practice, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Graham was limited in practice Wednesday, but it appears he's now ready to suit up for Sunday's road matchup against the Patriots. The rookie first-round pick played through his knee issue during Cleveland's win over the Dolphins in Week 7, in which he handled his usual workload (74 percent of defensive snaps) and tallied three solo tackles plus one pass breakup.

Diggs (chest) remained a limited participant at practice Thursday.

Diggs also had his reps capped Wednesday while he manages a chest issue, but the Patriots haven't suggested that his availability for Sunday's game against the Browns is in danger. New England will release its final Week 8 injury report Friday, when it will be known whether Diggs heads into Sunday with a designation or is fully cleared.

Kamara (ankle) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

The Saints are managing Kamara's practice reps for the third week in a row while he tends to a lingering ankle issue, but the injury isn't expected to prevent him from playing Sunday versus the Buccaneers. After top backup Kendre Miller (knee) sustained a season-ending ACL tear in last week's loss to the Bears, Kamara ended up handling a season-high 84 percent snap share, though he was limited to 28 yards on 11 carries and one yard on three receptions. Rookie Devin Neal is expected to replace Miller in the No. 2 role this weekend and may not represent as formidable of competition as Miller, but Kamara's efficiency could be a regular concern all season due to subpar quarterback play as well as a below-average offensive line that recently lost standout center Erik McCoy to a season-ending biceps injury.

Jackson (right hamstring) remained limited at practice Thursday.

Back-to-back limited practices are encouraging with regard to Jackson's chances of returning to action Sunday against the Bears, but the star QB presumably will need to practice fully Friday in order to head into the weekend without an injury designation. Per Jonas Shaffer of TheBaltimoreBanner.com, offensive coordinator Todd Monken noted after Thursday's session that Jackson looked "really good" and took a step forward, while implying that the QB's Week 8 availability is in his own hands. "If he says he's ready to go, I'm ready to go," Monken added.

McManus (right quadriceps) practiced on a limited basis Thursday.

During the open portion of Thursday's session, McManus was suited up to kick, per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, which clearly came to pass. Afterward, McManus told Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, "I was happy with where my leg was at and the pain with it. The power was there and the accuracy, so it was a positive day." This marks McManus' first official on-field work since Week 6 prep, when he initially tweaked his right quad, but it remains to be seen if he'll be able to put an end to a two-game absence Sunday in Pittsburgh. Lucas Havrisik is on hand for placekicking duties in the event McManus requires more time to recover.

Hopkins (illness) didn't practice Thursday.

Hopkins' status at Friday's practice will bear monitoring. If Hopkins recovers in time to face the Bears on Sunday, his upside will be tied to the availability of quarterback Lamar Jackson (hamstring), who has opened the week with consecutive limited practices.

Johnson (neck) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

Though his limited listing represented no change from Wednesday, Johnson may have been cleared to take part in more drills Thursday than he had a day earlier. According to Ross Jackson of WWL Louisiana, the tight end was sporting a standard practice jersey during Thursday's session, after he had donned a red non-contact jersey Wednesday. Johnson may need to participate fully in Friday's practice to avoid taking a designation into Sunday's game versus the Buccaneers, but he looks to be on a path to playing this weekend.

Watson (back) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

Watson appears to have picked up a back injury during Kansas City's blowout 31-0 win over the Raiders in Week 7, in which he played a season-low 71 percent of defensive snaps. Of course, since the Chiefs also benched multiple starters once the victory over Las Vegas was well in hand, it's difficult to put too much weight on Watson's low snap count. If he's unable to resume practicing in full Friday and/or Saturday, Watson will likely be assigned an injury designation for Monday Night Football versus Washington.

Olave (ankle) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

Olave didn't appear to be nursing an injury during this past Sunday's 26-14 loss to the Bears, but the Saints nonetheless cited an ankle issue for his absence from Wednesday's practice. The receiver's ability to get back on the field Thursday as a limited participant offers hope that the injury isn't anything too serious, though he may still need to upgrade to full participation in Friday's practice to avoid carrying a questionable tag into Sunday's game versus the Buccaneers.