NFL Player News

McManus (right quadriceps) practiced on a limited basis Thursday.

During the open portion of Thursday's session, McManus was suited up to kick, per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, which clearly came to pass. Afterward, McManus told Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, "I was happy with where my leg was at and the pain with it. The power was there and the accuracy, so it was a positive day." This marks McManus' first official on-field work since Week 6 prep, when he initially tweaked his right quad, but it remains to be seen if he'll be able to put an end to a two-game absence Sunday in Pittsburgh. Lucas Havrisik is on hand for placekicking duties in the event McManus requires more time to recover.

Hopkins (illness) didn't practice Thursday.

Hopkins' status at Friday's practice will bear monitoring. If Hopkins recovers in time to face the Bears on Sunday, his upside will be tied to the availability of quarterback Lamar Jackson (hamstring), who has opened the week with consecutive limited practices.

Johnson (neck) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

Though his limited listing represented no change from Wednesday, Johnson may have been cleared to take part in more drills Thursday than he had a day earlier. According to Ross Jackson of WWL Louisiana, the tight end was sporting a standard practice jersey during Thursday's session, after he had donned a red non-contact jersey Wednesday. Johnson may need to participate fully in Friday's practice to avoid taking a designation into Sunday's game versus the Buccaneers, but he looks to be on a path to playing this weekend.

Watson (back) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

Watson appears to have picked up a back injury during Kansas City's blowout 31-0 win over the Raiders in Week 7, in which he played a season-low 71 percent of defensive snaps. Of course, since the Chiefs also benched multiple starters once the victory over Las Vegas was well in hand, it's difficult to put too much weight on Watson's low snap count. If he's unable to resume practicing in full Friday and/or Saturday, Watson will likely be assigned an injury designation for Monday Night Football versus Washington.

Olave (ankle) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

Olave didn't appear to be nursing an injury during this past Sunday's 26-14 loss to the Bears, but the Saints nonetheless cited an ankle issue for his absence from Wednesday's practice. The receiver's ability to get back on the field Thursday as a limited participant offers hope that the injury isn't anything too serious, though he may still need to upgrade to full participation in Friday's practice to avoid carrying a questionable tag into Sunday's game versus the Buccaneers.

Mayfield (knee) was a full practice participant Thursday.

One day removed from being limited at Wednesday's walkthrough, Mayfield bumped all the way back to full, ensuring that he'll be under center for the Buccaneers on Sunday at New Orleans. Who will be joining him remains to be seen with WR Mike Evans (concussion/collarbone) out for most of the rest of the season and RB Bucky Irving (foot/shoulder) and WR Chris Godwin (fibula) ruled out for Week 8. On a positive note, rookie standout WR Emeka Egbuka (hamstring) followed up Wednesday's absence with a limited session Thursday, meaning he's trending in a positive direction to be among Mayfield's top targets this weekend.

Waddle (hamstring/rest) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Waddle is dealing with issues in both hamstrings and receiving some rest at practice as a result, per Furones, which lends optimism to the notion that No. 1 wideout will still manage to suit up on the road versus Atlanta on Sunday. Still, unless he's able to upgrade to full practice activity Friday, it seems like Waddle may be assigned an injury designation for Week 8. With Tyreek Hill (knee - ACL) already out for the season and Darren Waller (hamstring) to miss at least four games after having been placed on IR on Wednesday, Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins' passing game can scarcely afford for Waddle to miss any time.

Egbuka (hamstring) was limited at Thursday's practice.

Egbuka currently is the Buccaneers' top available wide receiver with Mike Evans (concussion) set to miss most of the rest of the campaign due to a broken collarbone and Chris Godwin (fibula) effectively ruled out for Sunday's game at New Orleans. Having said that, Egbuka continues to deal with the hamstring injury that has inhibited him since getting hurt Week 6 against the 49ers. After sitting out Wednesday's walkthrough, he has made progress with some on-field work one day later, but Friday's practice report will unveil whether or not he enters the weekend with a designation ahead of Week 8 action.

Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said Thursday that Henderson's reduced workload in the Patriots' Week 7 win over the Titans was "circumstantial," and the running back could see his snap count return to normal this Sunday against the Browns, Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reports. "Runners get into a rhythm," McDaniels said, acknowledging that starter Rhamondre Stevenson's hot start in Sunday's game contributed to him garnering a larger share of the rushing load. "And sometimes that happens. I know TreVeyon has led us in carries in other games, and certainly Rhamondre did last week. So, there's nothing specific."

After a promising preseason, Henderson looked well on his way to being a major factor out of the New England backfield right away, if not unseating Stevenson as the team's top option. Instead, the rookie second-round pick's role had remained relatively static through the first six weeks, with Henderson's snap share ranging between 30 and 50 percent while he produced a 41-148-1 rushing line and 16-99-0 receiving line over that stretch. He then saw his playing time plunge significantly in Week 7, with Henderson's nine snaps representing a season-low total. In addition to averaging just 3.6 yards per carry, Henderson has drawn criticism for his pass blocking, but McDaniels suggested that the Patriots aren't yet ready to limit the rookie's opportunities on a more permanent basis. That said, with Stevenson representing the Patriots' clear No. 1 option at the moment, Henderson will be difficult to deploy with much confidence in weekly fantasy lineups until his touch counts pick up.

Jeudy (knee) was a limited participant at Thursday's practice, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Jeudy's limited participation is a step in the right direction after he didn't practice Wednesday. The underperforming wide receiver will have one more opportunity to upgrade to full practice participation Friday, which could help him avoid an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Patriots.