NFL Player News

Kamara (knee/ankle) wasn't seen at Thursday's practice, Ross Jackson of WWL Louisiana reports.

Considering he has yet to practice since he sustained a sprained MCL in Week 12, Kamara appears to be trending toward a third consecutive absence Sunday against the Panthers. Fellow RB Devin Neal (abdomen) was limited at Wednesday's session, so the statuses of the Saints' top two options at the position are up in the air ahead of Week 15 action.

San Francisco designated Gross-Matos (knee) to return from IR on Thursday, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The 49ers will evaluate Gross-Matos at practice Thursday and Friday before making a decision on whether to activate him to the 53-man roster in time for Sunday's contest against the Titans. Gross-Matos hasn't played since Week 5 due to a lingering knee strain.

Homer (ankle) did not participate in Thursday's practice.

This marks Homer's second consecutive absence from practice as he deals with an ankle issue he picked up in the Bears' Week 14 loss to the Packers. The reserve running back and special-teams asset has one more chance to upgrade his practice participation before Sunday's game against the Browns, and he'll likely need to show some improvement Friday to suit up for the game.

Lewis (ankle) was a limited participant at Thursday's practice.

Thursday's limited showing is an incremental step forward for Lewis, who didn't practice Wednesday after missing the preceding four games. He also practiced in a limited capacity the previous Thursday, but didn't participate in practice Wednesday or Friday. Lewis will likely need to post at least another limited practice session Friday to have a chance to return Sunday in Seattle.

Zaccheaus (hamstring) was a limited practice participant Thursday.

Joining Zaccheaus as a limited practice participant was Rome Odunze (foot), who could be in line to return to action this Sunday against the Browns after sitting out a Week 14 loss to the Packers. Odunze's potential return would likely leave fewer reps to go around for Zaccheaus and rookie wideout Luther Burden, both of whom played north of 70 percent of the Bears' offensive snaps against Green Bay.

Benford (toe) was listed as a limited participant at Thursday's practice.

Benford wasn't on the injury report Wednesday, when the Bills held a walk-through practice. The starting cornerback has scored a touchdown in each of Buffalo's last two games, following up a fumble recovery touchdown against the Steelers with a pick-six against the Bengals. Benford was spotted with a walking boot on his left foot after Thursday's practice, per Matt Parrino of Syracuse.com, suggesting there is legitimate concern that he may not be available for Sunday's showdown with the AFC East rival Patriots.

Odunze (foot) was a limited practice participant Thursday.

Chicago had estimated Odunze as a limited participant for Wednesday's walk-through session, but Thursday marked the first time the second-year wideout had actually taken the field for a practice in more than two weeks. Odunze, who is working his way back from a stress fracture in his foot, is a candidate to play Sunday versus the Browns, but he may have to upgrade to full participation in Friday's practice to avoid taking a designation into the weekend. The potential return of Odunze this Sunday would leave fewer reps to go around for rookie Luther Burden, who drew six targets and played a career-high 71 percent of the offensive snaps in a Week 14 loss to the Packers.

Palmer (ankle) was listed as a limited participant at Thursday's practice.

Palmer was also a limited participant during Wednesday's walk-through practice. He has missed Buffalo's last two games but has a chance to return Sunday against the Patriots. Palmer will likely need to upgrade to full participation Friday to avoid taking an injury designation into Sunday's game.

Evans (collarbone) is officially listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Falcons, though he's in line to play and is expected to be on a "pitch count" with his snaps, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Evans' availability won't be confirmed until Tampa Bay releases its inactive list 90 minutes prior to the game's 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff, but he looks poised to play for the first time since Week 7 after the Buccaneers activated him from injured reserve Wednesday. Though the 32-year-old wideout didn't take full contact at any point since having his 21-day practice window opened last Wednesday, the Buccaneers feel comfortable enough with how he's recovered from a broken clavicle to clear him for game action. As Fowler notes, Evans probably won't play his usual complement of snaps, but Tampa Bay plans to have him on the field for its most important downs. If Evans escapes Thursday's contest without incident, he should be ready to handle a fuller workload Week 16 at Carolina.

Cherelus (concussion) was a full participant in Thursday's practice, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

Head coach Dave Canales has stated that Cherelus is on track to suit up for Sunday's road matchup against the Saints, but he still needs to fully clear the NFL's concussion protocol. Once he's been cleared by an independent neurologist, Cherelus will resume handling a rotational role at interior linebacker for the Panthers.