NFL Player News

Powell (chest) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday.

Powell has logged back-to-back limited practice sessions due to a chest injury. He was briefly forced out of Minnesota's win over Green Bay in Week 4, but was able to return to the field. That bodes well for Powell's chances of gaining clearance to play Sunday against the Jets, as long as he's able to avoid any setbacks in Friday's practice.

Shakir (ankle) is not participating in Thursday's practice, Sal Capaccio of WGR Sports Radio 550 Buffalo reports.

Shakir has now missed back-to-back practices due to an ankle issue. He played a normal assortment of offensive snaps during Buffalo's loss to the Ravens in Week 4, but unless Shakir can upgrade his participation level Friday, it looks like his status could be in jeopardy for Sunday's road matchup against the Texans. Keon Coleman, Mack Hollins, Curtis Samuel and Marquez Valdes-Scantling could all benefit from increased opportunities if Shakir misses any time.

Adams (hamstring) isn't taking part in Thursday's practice, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports.

Adams has now sat out three straight practices dating back to last Friday and is considered unlikely to play this Sunday in Denver. His continued absence from practice due to the hamstring injury comes after he informed the Raiders on Tuesday that he's seeking a trade, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Jets top the list of Adams' preferred landing spots, according to Rapoport, but the wideout is reportedly open to several other teams, which could make facilitating a deal easier from the Raiders' standpoint. Las Vegas is looking for at least a second-round pick in exchange for Adams, and while the Raiders seem to be actively entertaining offers, no trade is expected to materialize until the 31-year-old has made a full recovery from the hamstring injury.

Johnson (ankle) is participating in Thursday's practice, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Johnson sat out Wednesday's practice due to an ankle issue, but Panthers head coach Dave Canales offered optimism that the veteran wideout would be available Week 5. Carolina may simply be exercising caution with Johnson, who played through a groin injury Week 4. In the Panthers' last two games, both of which featured Andy Dalton under center, Johnson has combined for 15 catches for 205 yards and two touchdowns on 27 targets. Even practicing in a limited capacity Thursday would signify an improvement for Johnson, as he works to gain clearance for Sunday's road matchup against the Bears.

Head coach Andy Reid said Thursday that Rice is slated to undergo further testing on his right knee next week, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Per Adam Teicher of ESPN.com, the Chiefs are waiting for the swelling in Rice's knee to be reduced before the wideout's upcoming tests are done. The team already has confirmed that Rice won't be available for Monday's game against the Saints, according to Teicher, but beyond that, there's no definitive timeline for his recovery. Initial concerns were that Rice may have torn his right ACL, but for now the team is in "wait and see" mode according to Reid, Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star reports. For any length of time Rice misses, Xavier Worthy, Justin Watson and JuJu Smith-Schuster are the top candidates to fill the void created by his absence.

Nabers (concussion) won't practice Thursday, and head coach Brian Daboll did not express optimism about the receiver's chances of playing Sunday against the Seahawks, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports.

Though Daboll noted that Nabers is progressing in his recovery from the concussion he sustained in last Thursday's loss to the Cowboys, the wideout has yet to take any tangible steps forward in terms of on-field activity one week after suffering the brain injury. Nabers will have one more chance Friday to potentially practice before the Giants give him a designation for Sunday's game, but barring dramatic improvement, the standout receiver looks set to miss the first contest of his young NFL career while he's stuck in the concussion protocol. Nabers' likely absence in Week 5 would leave Wan'Dale Robinson (heel) and Darius Slayton as the Giants' top two receivers, while second-year wideout Jalin Hyatt could notice a big bump in snaps after having mostly been an afterthought in the passing attack through the first four games of the season.

Dolphins wide receivers coach Wes Welker said Thursday that Beckham (knee) "has looked great" after he practiced in full Wednesday, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports.

Welker said, "in some of the routes on air, he looks like the [Beckham] we've seen." The veteran wideout missed Miami's first four-regular season games while on the PUP list, and while it looks like he's set for another full practice Thursday, the Dolphins haven't yet indicated whether Beckham is expected to be available Sunday versus the Patriots. "We will go through practice and talk about it as a staff and figure out the best case scenario for our team," Welker said. Tyler Huntley will draw another start versus New England. With Braxton Berrios (ankle) and Malik Washington (quadriceps) both limited to begin the week, and four other wide receivers on IR, the Dolphins could use a boost behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

Bourne noted Thursday that he "feels good" and that his knee has responded well to his return to practice, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.

Per Lazar, Bourne, who was limited in his return to practice Wednesday, is on a snap count for the time being. The wideout remains on the reserve/PUP list, and it's unclear at this stage if he'll be activated ahead of Sunday's contest against the Dolphins. Once Bourne returns to the mix, however, he'll have a chance to reclaim a key role in a New England WR corps currently led by DeMario Douglas, Ja'Lynn Polk and K.J. Osborn (shoulder).

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy suggested Wednesday that Tolbert could be in line for an increased role on offense with Brandin Cooks (knee) ruled out for Sunday's game against the Steelers, and possibly longer, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports. "I love the guys we have here," McCarthy said. "The two Jalens [Tolbert and Jalen Brooks], this is more opportunities for them, [KaVontae] Turpin. Yeah, love our practice squad guys. We'll be in good shape [at receiver]."

Tolbert has already been a regular fixture in three-receiver sets this season, with his snap shares ranging from 67 to 85 percent through four games. While Cooks' absence may not necessarily lead to a dramatic spike in playing time for Tolbert, the 4.8 targets per contest that Cooks had been averaging could be redistributed to Tolbert and others. CeeDee Lamb and tight end Jake Ferguson will likely continue to rank as quarterback Dak Prescott's preferred options in the passing game, but with none of the team's running backs representing major receiving threats, Tolbert could emerge as the clear No. 3 target sans Cooks.

Lockett (thigh) was a limited participant at Wednesday's walkthrough, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

Lockett's health concern from training camp lingered all the way through Week 3 prep, but he was listed as a full participant on all three practice reports last week. The thigh injury now is back and hindering his amount of on-field work as the Seahawks gear up to face the Giants on Sunday. Ultimately, Friday's practice report will reveal whether or not Lockett enters the weekend with a designation for that contest.