NFL Player News

Burden (concussion) didn't practice Thursday.

Since exiting this past Sunday's loss to the Ravens with a concussion, Burden hasn't made enough progress through the NFL's five-step protocol to take part in any on-field work. At this stage, Burden appears to be facing an uphill battle to play this weekend in Cincinnati.

Pacheco (knee) won't practice Thursday, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

With consecutive DNPs on Wednesday and Thursday due to an MCL sprain in his right knee, Pacheco is trending in the wrong direction ahead of Sunday's game against the Bills, and it's possible that he'll be ruled out as soon as Friday. If Pacheco is unavailable this weekend, Kareem Hunt would be in line for more carries Week 9, per ESPN.com, with Brashard Smith and Elijah Mitchell backing him up.

Stevenson (toe) didn't participate in Thursday's practice, Taylor Kyles of CLNSMedia.com reports.

With Stevenson kicking off Week 9 prep with two straight absences, the running back's availability for Sunday's game against the Falcons could be in peril while he manages a toe injury. Before potentially ruling him out for Sunday or giving him a designation for the game, the Patriots will wait and see what Stevenson is able to do at Friday's practice. If Stevenson ends up missing his first game of the season, rookie TreVeyon Henderson could be primed to take on a heightened role this weekend as New England's lead option out of the backfield.

Diggs (concussion/knee) attended practice Thursday, Joe Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Diggs landed on injured reserve Saturday due in part to a concussion. It was subsequently revealed that the veteran cornerback is also dealing with a right knee injury. Diggs' appearance on the practice field Thursday could suggest that he's cleared concussion protocol, per Hoyt, but it doesn't necessarily change his timeframe for returning to action. Due to his placement on IR, Diggs isn't eligible to play again until at least Thursday, Nov. 27 versus Kansas City.

Swinson signed a deal to join the Cardinals' practice squad Thursday.

Swinson spent training camp with the Packers before being let go in late August. He subsequently joined the 49ers' practice squad before being cut last week. The Arizona State product will now try to impress the Cardinals while part of the practice squad, though he has a tricky path to the active roster since the team has three healthy tight ends on the 53-man roster in Trey McBride, Elijah Higgins and Josiah Deguara.

Wilson (calf) remained a non-participant at Thursday's practice, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

Wilson hasn't missed a game this season, but he's in danger of being absent for Sunday's game against the Bears. His absence from practice could be linked to the linebacker's recent trade request, as the Nov. 4 trade deadline is fast approaching.

Flacco (shoulder) was spotted on the field at practice Thursday, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

Per Baby, Flacco -- who didn't practice Wednesday -- was seen throwing ahead of the team stretch Thursday, but the extent of his participation won't be known until Cincinnati releases its second Week 9 injury report later in the day. Head coach Zac Taylor previously told Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official site Wednesday that Flacco was "50-50" to play in Sunday's game against the Bears while he tends to an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder, but the veteran quarterback's outlook could improve if he fares well during Thursday's session.

Hendrickson (hip) remained a non-participant at Thursday's practice, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

Hendrickson didn't take the practice field Wednesday or Thursday after aggravating his hip injury in Cincinnati's Week 8 loss to the Jets. He'll likely need to practice in some capacity Friday to maintain a chance to suit up Sunday against the Bears.

The Cardinals signed Brooks (knee) to their practice squad Thursday.

Brooks spent the early part of the season with Dallas and got into the Cowboys' Week 5 win against the Jets as a practice-squad elevation, logging four offensive snaps and 17 special-teams snaps without getting any targets. However, Brooks landed on the practice-squad injured list due to a knee injury Oct. 22 before being cut with an injury settlement two days later. It appears he's past the knee issue given his new deal with Arizona, and Brooks will now try to work his way up to game action, though the Cardinals' wideout corps is currently fully healthy.

Wicks (calf) isn't practicing Thursday, Dominique Yates of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Wicks hasn't been able to practice since injuring his calf Week 7 in Arizona, already missing one game as a result. He thus has one more chance to mix into drills this week before the Packers potentially make a ruling on his status ahead of Sunday's contest against the Panthers. Romeo Doubs, Matthew Golden, Christian Watson (knee), Malik Heath and Savion Williams represent the other wide receivers on Green Bay's active roster.