NFL Player News

Estime (thigh) did not participate at practice Thursday.

The thigh injury that landed Estime on the Saints' official injury report Wednesday kept him sidelined Thursday. He'll probably need to practice in some form Friday to have a realistic chance of playing Sunday at Detroit.

Strong, who is on Green Bay's practice squad, is currently managing a hamstring issue, Bill Huber of SI.com reports.

Strong had been a candidate to be elevated for the Packers' season opener Sunday versus Minnesota since Josh Jacobs is on the Commissioner's Exempt List, but that's presumably no longer in play. It's not clear how severe Strong's injury is, and given that Jacobs could be out multiple games, Strong could still be a gameday practice-squad elevation down the line once he gets healthy.

Love (ankle) remained a limited practice participant Thursday, Bo Brack of GoPHNX.com reports.

Love has been tending to a high-ankle sprain since preseason Week 1, and while he displayed small signs of progress in recent weeks, he finally has been able to log back-to-back capped sessions to begin prep for the regular-season opener. Friday's injury report will reveal his chances to suit up for Sunday's game at the Chargers, with the range of possibilities going from full clearance to getting ruled out. More than likely, the Cardinals will list Love as questionable for Week 1 action. If Love is inhibited or sidelined Sunday, Tyler Allgeier would be in line to lead Arizona's backfield, with Bam Knight on hand for most of the remaining RB reps.

Mitchell (hamstring) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

The Chargers put a cap on Mitchell's reps for a second straight day, but his ability to practice in any capacity on consecutive days to kick off Week 1 prep is an encouraging sign for his chances of playing in Sunday's season opener versus the Cardinals. If he's cleared to play against Arizona, Mitchell would likely be in line for a complementary role behind lead back Omarion Hampton.

Tucker (hamstring) practiced on a limited basis Thursday.

With days of signing a new one-year contract with the Buccaneers on Aug. 30, Tucker wasn't practicing due to an undisclosed health concern, which was revealed to be a knee injury when he went down as a DNP on Wednesday's injury report. His ability to mix back into at least individual drills is a positive sign ahead of Sunday's visit to Cincinnati, but Friday's report will unveil whether or not he enters the weekend with a designation for that contest.

Croskey-Merritt (groin) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday.

Croskey-Merritt has been tending to a lower-body injury since picking it up during an Aug. 22 practice. He's been back on the field since Sept. 1 but hasn't been able to do enough yet to be considered a full participant. Friday's practice report may provide a sense of Croskey-Merritt's odds to suit up for Sunday's regular-season opener at Philadelphia.

Allen (hip) was a limited practice participant Thursday.

Allen missed the second half of training camp due to what the Jaguars had previously labeled as a soft-tissue injury before he was listed with a hip issue when the team released its first Week 1 injury report Wednesday. The 22-year-old remained sidelined for Wednesday's practice, but he was able to go through individual drills during the open portion of Thursday's session, per Rachel Phillips of First Coast News. Allen's level of activity was enough for him to get upgraded to limited participation, but he may still need to put in a full practice Friday to have a realistic shot at playing in Sunday's season opener versus the Browns. When available, Allen projects to serve as the Jaguars' top passing-down back, though Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez will both be prioritized ahead of him on the ground.

Love (ankle) is warming up ahead of Thursday's practice, Dani Sureck of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Love is set to practice in some capacity Thursday after being listed as a limited participant Wednesday. The rookie third overall pick is working his way back from a high-ankle sprain sustained exactly one month before Sunday's regular-season opener against the Chargers. Once cleared for game action, Love is expected to operate in a split backfield with Tyler Allgeier.

Jeanty said prior to Thursday's practice that he feels "really good" about the health of his right ankle and reiterated that he'll be ready to go for Sunday's season opener versus the Dolphins, Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com reports. "Any time away from the game, it's tough," Jeanty said. "But to get back out there [at practice Wednesday], mainly with the guys, man, it felt good."

Jeanty cleared up any concern about his availability for the opener by turning in a full practice Wednesday, two and a half weeks after he sustained what initially appeared to be a serious-looking ankle injury during an Aug. 23 training camp session. The running back practiced again Thursday, and barring any setbacks, he'll draw the Week 1 start for the Raiders. However, because of the amount of workouts Jeanty missed late in camp while recovering from the ankle injury, the Raiders could look to manage his workload to some degree in the opener and open up more reps for rookie Mike Washington, per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com.

Kamara (knee) remained limited at practice Thursday, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Kamara still has a chance to suit up Week 1 as he recovers from a sprained MCL, so his participation level Friday will bear monitoring before the Saints release game designations for Sunday's matchup with the Lions. Travis Etienne is in line to lead New Orleans' backfield, while Kendre Miller could take on a change-of-pace role if Kamara doesn't play.