NFL Player News

Kmet (concussion) was a full participant in Thursday's practice.

Kmet was forced out of this past Sunday's 47-42 win over the Bengals and was later diagnosed with a concussion, but he appears to be making rapid progress through the five-step protocol. After opening Week 10 prep Wednesday as a limited participant, Kmet has taken another step forward by practicing fully Thursday. He'll still need to gain clearance from an independent neurologist in order to suit up this weekend, but he appears to have a real chance at being available for Sunday's game against the Giants. If Kmet plays, however, he may have to settle for a smaller role than he's handled for most of the season; rookie tight end Colston Loveland broke out with a 6-118-2 receiving line on seven targets in the win over the Bengals and may have earned himself a larger share of the playing time as a result.

Johnson (back) was limited in practice Thursday.

Johnson has now logged back-to-back limited practices in preparation for Sunday's game against the Giants. A back injury has caused the reserve running back to sit out Chicago's last two games. If cleared to return versus New York, Johnson will handle a depth role behind D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai.

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.