NFL Player News

Jennings (ankle, ribs) is ruled out for Thursday's matchup against the Rams, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Jennings is one of multiple key offensive starters ruled out for Thursday Night Football, joining Brock Purdy (toe) and Ricky Pearsall (knee). With George Kittle (hamstring) still on IR, that positions Mac Jones to command a heavily depleted offense Week 5 alongside running back Christian McCaffrey. Jennings' next chance to take the field will come Sunday, Oct. 12 versus the Buccaneers in Week 6.

Purdy (toe) has been ruled out for Thursday's game at the Rams, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

In his first game action since Week 1 this past Sunday against the Jaguars, Purdy completed 22 of 38 passes for 309 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, had two carries for 13 yards and lost a fumble. On Monday, coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that Purdy was dealing with toe soreness, which likely is related to the turf toe variant that sidelined him Weeks 2 and 3. With the 49ers afforded a short week to prepare for Thursday's contest, Purdy didn't have enough time to get healthy, and the 49ers now will turn to Mac Jones under center yet again Week 5.

Njoku (knee) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Njoku also opened Week 4 as a limited participant in practice before upgrading to full reps in time to suit up for Cleveland's 34-10 loss to Detroit, in which he secured two of three targets for 11 yards. He'll work to reprise a similar practice pattern and gain clearance for Sunday's matchup against the Vikings in London. Njoku and Harold Fannin have consistently split pass-catching reps at the tight end position this season, resulting in reduced fantasy value for both players. It's possible, at least, that the Browns' decision to bench Joe Flacco in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel provides a spark on offense.

Moore (Achilles) did not practice Wednesday.

Moore missed last Sunday's loss to the Rams and was initially given a multiweek timetable after he was injured in Week 3. If Moore needs to miss Sunday's game against the Raiders, Mike Hilton likely would once again cover the slot for the Colts.

Franklin (ankle) did not practice Wednesday.

Franklin dealt with an ankle issue during the preseason but had yet to make an appearance on the injury report during the regular season. Franklin played all 75 defensive snaps in last Sunday's loss to the Rams, so it's unclear when he suffered the latest injury. The veteran linebacker has 22 tackles (10 solo) and three pass breakups through four contests.

Goodson (groin) did not practice Wednesday.

Goodson missed the first two games of the season with an elbow injury but injured his groin in Week 4 against the Rams. Goodson has played a total of eight offensive snaps across two appearances, rushing twice for six yards while catching one pass for no gain.

Pierce (concussion) practiced fully Wednesday.

Pierce didn't practice last week before being ruled out for this past Sunday's loss to the Rams, but his full participation Wednesday has him trending toward a return to action this weekend against the Raiders. With that in mind, Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star noted that Pierce -- who has recorded a 9/171/0 receiving line on 13 targets through three games -- sported a blue jersey during Wednesday's session, a sign that the wideout is in the final step of the NFL's concussion protocol.

Legette (hamstring) was a full participant at Wednesday's walkthrough.

Legette looks set to return from his two-game absence and take the field Sunday versus the Dolphins. Head coach Dave Canales confirmed as much, saying Wednesday that "we are getting [Legette] back" for Week 5. The second-year pro drew 15 combined targets across Carolina's first two regular-season games but was tremendously unproductive with those opportunities, totaling just eight receiving yards. He'll rejoin Tetairoa McMillan and Hunter Renfrow as a starter in three-wide sets versus Miami and look to display better chemistry with quarterback Bryce Young.

Sanders (ankle) was a non-participant at Wednesday's walkthrough.

Sanders hasn't been able to take part in drills since he suffered a high right-ankle sprain during a Week 3 win against the Falcons. Until he gets back on the practice field, he's unlikely to be a consideration for game days, leaving Tommy Tremble, Mitchell Evans and even James Mitchell to man tight end for the Panthers in the interim.

Bond is positioned for increased opportunities alongside Jerry Jeudy following the placement of Cedric Tillman (hamstring) on IR, Dan Labbe of cleveland.com reports.

Bond led the Browns with 58 yards during the team's loss to the Lions in Week 4, securing three of six targets. That production came with Tillman playing just 15 offensive snaps due to his hamstring injury, which portends Bond stepping into a key role in his absence, beginning Sunday against the Vikings. Still, even as the clear No. 2 receiver in Cleveland as long as Tillman is sidelined, for Bond to attain consistent fantasy value the Browns' passing game will need to take a step forward with rookie third-round pick Dillon Gabriel taking over under center.