NFL Player News

Downs (toe) is not present at the portion of Thursday's practice open to the media, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Downs and Michael Pittman (back) are both absent from a second consecutive practice, casting doubt on the availability of both wideouts for Sunday's divisional matchup against the Titans. Friday's practice will represent the final chance for both Downs and Pittman to upgrade their activity levels ahead of Week 6 action. Downs is dealing with a toe injury sustained during Indianapolis' loss to Jacksonville in Week 5, a game in which he secured nine of 12 targets for 69 yards.

Hutchinson could settle in as the Texans' No. 3 receiver behind Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell beginning with Sunday's game at New England after Houston placed Nico Collins (hamstring) on injured reserve Wednesday.

After Collins played just nine snaps in this past Sunday's win over the Bills before exiting with a hamstring injury, Hutchinson stepped up to play a season-high 48 snaps. The second-year wideout didn't do much with his extended playing time, finishing the day with two catches for 31 yards on three targets. Diggs, Dell and tight end Dalton Schultz will likely remain greater priorities in the passing attack in the weeks to come, but Collins' absence at least creates more opportunities for Hutchinson and thus puts the 24-year-old more on the radar in deeper leagues.

Smith (ankle) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice session.

Smith injured his hamstring and ankle late in training camp, which caused him to begin his rookie season on injured reserve. He was able to get extra rest thanks to the Eagles' Week 5 bye, and he returned to practice Wednesday as a full participant. Unless he suffers a setback this week, Smith should be in line to make his NFL debut Sunday against the Browns.

Reynolds didn't practice Wednesday due to a hand injury, Susanna Weir of the Broncos' official site reports.

Reynolds caught his first touchdown of the season during the Broncos' 34-18 win over the Raiders this past Sunday. The 29-year-old wide receiver may have injured his hand at some point during the contest, however, so he'll likely need to practice in some fashion Thursday or Friday to assuage concerns about his health heading into Sunday's game against the Chargers.

Jones (suspension) practiced fully Wednesday, Zach Gershman of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Since he was reinstated Monday from his five-game suspension to begin the season, Jones has had a one-game roster exemption placed upon him, which gives the Cardinals until next Monday to add him to the active roster. They seemingly plan to do so before then, as a spot on the roster opened up Wednesday with the release of fellow wideout Chris Moore. In the end, Arizona must make a decision by 4 p.m. ET on Saturday in order for Jones to be available Sunday at Green Bay.

Meyers didn't practice Wednesday due to an ankle injury.

With Davante Adams (hamstring) not expected to play Sunday against the Steelers, Meyers' status is worth monitoring closely in the coming days. While Adams was sidelined for both of the past two games, Meyers took on a heightened role in the Las Vegas passing attack, producing an 11-121-0 receiving line on 19 targets between those contests.

Turner was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice session due to a hamstring injury.

Turner made his first career start in Week 5 against the Broncos and finished with one catch (on four targets) for 12 yards while adding five rushing yards on one carry. He seems to be banged up coming out of that contest, but his ability to practice in some capacity Wednesday suggests that he's still on track to play Sunday against the Steelers. With Davante Adams (hamstring) likely to remain out Week 6, Turner should be in store for another healthy snap share.

Palmer (concussion) was a non-participant at Wednesday's practice.

Palmer has yet to mix into drills since suffering a concussion Week 4 against the Eagles. With no notable progress through the five-step concussion protocol, he may be in danger of missing a second game in a row Sunday at New Orleans, but he'll have two more sessions this week to attempt to get on a path to suiting up. Fellow receivers Jalen McMillan (hamstring) and Kameron Johnson (ankle) were limited in Wednesday's practice, giving them far better odds to be available this weekend behind starters Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

McMillan (hamstring) was a limited participant at practice Wednesday.

After injuring his hamstring in practice Sept. 27, McMillan missed the Buccaneers' last two contests, but his return to drills for the first time since then indicates he's made some progress in his recovery. Meanwhile, fellow wideout Trey Palmer (concussion) didn't practice Wednesday, and Kameron Johnson (ankle) had a cap on his reps. How each of the trio fares the rest of the week should determine the pecking order at the position behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in Week 6 at New Orleans, but if he's available, McMillan likely will return to the third spot on the depth chart.

Shaheed was a non-participant at Wednesday's walkthrough due to a hip injury, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.

Aside from getting blanked on five targets Week 3 against the Eagles, Shaheed has surpassed 73 yards from scrimmage in the other four games while scoring three touchdowns. With a health concern now affecting his practice reps, his status will be one to monitor as the week goes on to get a sense of his availability for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers.