NFL Player News

Thomas (foot) didn't practice Wednesday, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Thomas sustained a foot injury Week 3 and didn't practice at all last week before he was ruled out for this past Sunday's game versus the Vikings in London. With no visible on-field activity to speak of this week, either, he doesn't appear to be in a good spot on the health front ahead of a Week 5 matchup with the Seahawks. Jarvis Landry (undisclosed) left Wednesday's session early, too, so the Saints' healthy wide receivers at the moment are rookie Chris Olave, Marquez Callaway, Tre'Quan Smith and Deonte Harty.

McKenzie (concussion) didn't practice Wednesday, Chris Brown of the Bills' official site reports.

With McKenzie in the NFL's concussion protocol, his status for Sunday's game against the Steelers is unclear at this stage. Given that Jamison Crowder is sidelined by an ankle injury, Khalil Shakir could see an uptick in snaps this weekend if McKenzie is also unavailable versus Pittsburgh.

Williams (knee) is making progress in his recovery from a torn ACL, but head coach Dan Campbell said Wednesday that the Lions won't designate the rookie to return from the reserve/NFI list until after their Week 6 bye, Jeff Risdon of USA Today reports.

While Williams technically could come off the NFI list and play as soon as Week 5, the Lions never had much expectation for the first-round pick to contribute before the bye. Early feedback from the returns of Chris Godwin and Michael Gallup provides hope Williams can earn a role by midseason, as the two veteran wideouts -- both of whom played Week 4 -- suffered ACL tears not long before Williams fell to the same injury in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in January. Once he's ready, Williams will challenge for the perimeter snaps that have mostly gone to DJ Chark and Josh Reynolds so far.

Allen (hamstring) won't participate in practice Wednesday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Per head coach Brandon Staley, Allen is day-to-day with his hamstring injury and at this stage, it's unclear if the veteran wideout will be back at practice this week. If Allen remains out or limited Sunday against the Browns, Joshua Palmer and DeAndre Carter would be in line for added opportunities alongside Mike Williams at receiver.

Reynolds (ankle) isn't practicing Wednesday, Justin Rogers of The Detroit News reports.

Reynolds played through an ankle injury in Sunday's 48-45 loss to Seattle and caught seven of eight targets for 81 yards and a touchdown. He could see that type of volume again this Sunday in New England if he's able to play through his ankle injury and if both Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) and DJ Chark (ankle) can't manage to do the same.

Chark (ankle) isn't practicing Wednesday, Justin Rogers of The Detroit News reports.

Chark missed the 48-45 loss to Seattle last Sunday, getting ruled out Saturday after head coach Dan Campbell had said Friday that the wideout would play. The 26-year-old managed limited practices last Wednesday and Friday but now is back to sitting out as the Lions begin preparation for a Week 5 contest in New England. Fellow wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Josh Reynolds also missed practice Wednesday because of ankle injuries, though Reynolds played through his and had 81 yards and a score in the loss this past Sunday.

St. Brown (ankle) isn't practicing Wednesday, Justin Rogers of The Detroit News reports.

Neither are DJ Chark or Josh Reynolds, both of whom are also nursing ankle injuries. Reynolds played through his and put up a 7-81-1 receiving line in a 48-45 loss to Seattle this past Sunday, while St. Brown and Chark both were inactive for the contest. The Lions play in New England this Sunday and then have a bye Week 6.

Shepard (knee) said Wednesday that he didn't suffer any other ligament tears in addition to the torn ACL he sustained Sept. 26 against the Giants, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

Shepard is likely to undergo surgery in one or two weeks, and his recovery timetable will be made somewhat more manageable with the news that he's avoided additional ligament damage. Per Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, Shepard expressed confidence that he has another injury comeback in him, after already having already worked his way back from a torn Achilles to make himself available for Week 1. The longest-tenured Giants player will focus his efforts on recovering from the knee injury ahead of the 2023 campaign, which will be his age-30 season. He's scheduled to become a free agent in the coming offseason.

The Patriots designated Thornton (collarbone) to return from injured reserve Wednesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

The transaction opens a 21-day window for the rookie to practice with the team before New England would have to add him to the active roster or keep him on IR for the remainder of the season. He can return as soon as Sunday's game against the Lions if he's deemed healthy, but Thornton likely will start off in a part-time role when he first joins the New England offense.

Bateman (foot) isn't practicing Wednesday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Bateman had a rough Week 4, dropping three passes and finishing with only 17 yards before exiting with a foot injury in the fourth quarter of a 23-20 loss to the Bills. Head coach John Harbaugh called Bateman day-to-day on Monday, but even if his foot injury isn't a long-term issue, the wideout could still miss time. The Ravens don't have much depth behind him, with Devin Duvernay and Demarcus Robinson getting most of the receiver snaps that haven't gone to Bateman.