NFL Player News

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said that Wicks (calf) will be a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Wes Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site reports.

After tweaking his calf in the Packers' Week 7 win over the Cardinals, Wicks sat out both of Green Bay's subsequent two games while not practicing in any fashion ahead of either contest. The third-year wideout's ability to take the field in a limited capacity as the Packers begin Week 10 prep thus amounts to progress, though Wicks may still need to upgrade to full participation by Saturday in order to gain clearance for Monday's game against the Eagles. Wicks could find himself a spot lower in the pecking order at receiver once he returns, as the Packers have since welcomed Christian Watson back from the PUP list while Wicks has been on the mend.

Jenkins (groin) is not listed on Wednesday's injury report.

Jenkins was forced out of Cleveland's loss to the Patriots in Week 8 early due to a groin issue, but he returned to full health during the team's bye. He'll be available to handle reserve defensive reps and contribute on special teams during Sunday's road game against the Jets.

Huntington (concussion) was not listed on Wednesday's injury report.

Huntington has emerged from Cleveland's bye fully healthy. He had missed Week 8 while still working through the concussion protocol. He's on track to handle his usual depth role at defensive end Sunday on the road versus the Jets.

Godwin (fibula) isn't participating in Thursday's practice, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

Godwin has yet to resume on-field work following the Buccaneers' Week 9 bye and appears to be on track to miss his fourth consecutive game this Sunday against the Patriots. Unless Godwin is able to reverse the trend and practice in some fashion Friday, expect the Buccaneers to officially rule him out for Sunday's game on their final Week 10 injury report.

Irving (foot/shoulder) isn't participating in Thursday's practice, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

Despite the benefit of a Week 9 bye, Irving has yet to show any tangible sign of progress as he rebounds from a shoulder subluxation and a left foot sprain. He's now sat out both of the Buccaneers' first two practices of the week and appears to be trending toward a fifth consecutive missed game Sunday versus the Patriots. Irving's expected absence will continue to pave the way for Rachaad White to lead the Tampa Bay backfield, with Sean Tucker handling a secondary role.

The Colts announced Thursday that Gardner has cleared the concussion protocol, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis reports.

Gardner appears all set to make his team debut Sunday versus Atlanta, though it remains to be seen how much of a role he'll have while still in the process of picking up a new defensive scheme. The Colts acquired Gardner in a trade with the Jets on Tuesday, in exchange for a pair of future first-round draft picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.

Dissly (illness) was not listed on Wednesday's injury report, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.

Dissly was a healthy scratch for Week 8 and then sat out Week 9 due to an illness, but he's now fully recovered. There's no guarantee that Dissly will be active for Sunday's game against the Steelers, however, even at full health. Tucker Fisk and Tyler Conklin have operated as Los Angeles' top reserve tight ends following the emergence of Oronde Gadsden.

Marks could be in position for more touches Week 10 pending the status of Nick Chubb (foot), who did not practice Wednesday.

Chubb's status is something to monitor in the days leading up to Sunday's contest against the Jaguars. With starting quarterback C.J. Stroud (concussion) ruled out, the Texans are expected to lean on their ground game Week 10, which means Marks could see an increased workload should Chubb join Stroud on the inactive list. It's unclear when Chubb sustained the injury; he played well into the fourth quarter last week before Marks handled the team's final possession in a loss to Denver. Marks has been allotted double-digit touches in four of the last five games and has been dual threat (21 targets, 13 catches) out of the backfield during his rookie season.

Noel said Wednesday that his diminished role in Week 9's loss to Denver was the result of personnel packages used by the offense, Sam Warren of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Following two productive weeks, when Noel caught nine of 13 targets for 140 yards, the rookie's upward trajectory reversed course against the Broncos last week. He was limited to 11 snaps on offense, zero targets and just four routes run. Part of that was due to the returns of Nico Collins and Christian Kirk from injury, but Noel also cited matchup reasons. He noted the team's abundant use of two-wide receiver sets, which meant more running backs or tight ends on the field. Noel, who primarily plays in the slot, is typically not on the field in such packages. Losing quarterback C.J. Stroud to a concussion also played a role, as Houston shifted to a conservative rush-focused attack that required its best blocking personnel on the field. Stroud has been ruled out against the Jaguars in Week 10, which should limit Noel's role on offense again.

Gabriel will be hearing the voice of first-year offensive coordinator Tommy Rees calling plays this week against the Jets, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski gave up play-calling duties for a second straight season, citing a need to create explosive plays and fix trouble areas. And there are many areas that need fixing. Beyond a rotating cast of starters on the offensive line, Gabriel has been limited to mostly short passes by an unexciting and unproductive group of wide receivers. The rookie quarterback told Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal that he hasn't noticed much change in the day-to-day operations since Stefanski announced the switch Monday. A new play caller should not result in a radically different plan Week 10, when the Browns face the league's 26th-ranked rush defense (135.8 ypg). Look for Rees to establish the run with Quinshon Judkins and keep Gabriel out of difficult third-down situations.