NFL Player News

With Alvin Kamara (knee) and Tony Jones (coach's decision) inactive Thursday night against the Cowboys, Montgomery figures to see some backfield touches behind Mark Ingram in the contest, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com reports.

With both Kamara and Ingram (knee) out of the mix in last Thursday's game against the Bills, Montgomery logged six carries for 14 yards (while Jones had 16 carries) in addition to five catches on seven targets for 31 yards. This time around, Ingram is back in action and should lead the way, with Montgomery mixing in as a change-of-pace option, a context that could give him a degree of PPR utility Week 13.

Turner (undisclosed) is set to be available against the Saints on Thursday.

Turner was on the Cowboys' injury report all week leading up to Thursday's game, but the receiver will be active for the primetime contest. Expect Turner's presence to have a minimal impact on the Cowboys offense, as the team's top receivers, Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb, are set to return to the field.

Cooper (illness) is listed as active Thursday at New Orleans, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Following a bout with COVID-19 that forced him to sit out Weeks 11 and 12, Cooper managed one limited practice Wednesday, which was enough to prove his conditioning was up to par. He'll join forces with CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup to give the Cowboys their ideal wide receiver trio. Having said that, Cooper is expected to have his playing time managed early on to see how he reacts to game action, according to Ed Werder of ESPN. As a result, it's difficult to peg exactly what kind of workload Cooper can be counted on to handle in his return.

Beckham (hip) wasn't present at Thursday's practice, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

After logging a limited session Wednesday, Beckham's seeming lack of activity one day later may be maintenance-based as he deals with a hip issue. It was reported to be a "hip pointer" by Rodrigue, but Josina Anderson of USA Today clarified its nature, calling it a posterior hip pointer in his lower back. In essence, it isn't a standard injury, and the Rams, who are without Robert Woods (knee) for the rest of the season, appear to be making sure Beckham is as healthy as possible for a banged-up receiving corps.

Goodwin (foot/ribs) was held out of practice Thursday.

This marks Goodwin's second absence in a row to kick off Week 13 prep, the result of a pair of injuries. He joined Allen Robinson (hamstring) as non-participants, leaving Darnell Mooney as the healthiest of the Bears' top three wide receivers. Friday's practice report could clarify the state of Chicago's receiving corps heading into the weekend.

Darden (concussion) was a full participant at Thursday's practice, Carmen Vitali of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

The 22-year-old picked up the head injury in Week 12 versus the Colts but appears like he will have a shot at being available for Sunday's matchup with the Falcons. He wore a non-contact jersey Thursday, so if he's able to take contact Friday, it would be an encouraging sign. Darden has operated mostly as a return specialist this season, racking up 212 kick-return yards and 87 yards on punts.

Robinson (hamstring) was a non-participant at practice Thursday.

Such has been Robinson's reality since the Bears' Week 10 bye, as he's been listed with DNP next to his name on eight consecutive injury reports in the meantime. He does have one more chance to get on the field this week, but if he doesn't he seems likely to miss a third game in a row. The Bears also held Marquise Goodwin (foot/ribs) out of practice Thursday, so Darnell Mooney is by far the healthiest of the team's top three wide receivers.

Duvernay (thigh) was limited at practice Thursday, Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

After sitting out Wednesday's session, Duvernay is trending in the right direction in advance of Sunday's game against the Steelers. He'll likely need to practice fully Friday, however, in order to avoid a Week 13 injury designation.

Hopkins (hamstring) was a limited practice participant Thursday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Hopkins and quarterback Kyler Murray (ankle) have logged back-to-back limited listings on Cardinals' injury reports to kick off Week 13 prep. There's an expectation from the team that both players are slated to return to action Sunday in Chicago, barring a setback, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Hopkins has another opportunity Friday to handle every on-field rep, but no matter his activity level in that session the team may provide some insight into his ability to play this weekend. Ultimately, if he's listed as questionable, his status won't be confirmed until 90 minutes before Sunday's 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff.

Claypool (toe) returned to a full practice Thursday, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

As did QB Ben Roethlisberger (pectoral/right shoulder), which sets the stage for the duo to suit up Sunday against the Ravens. After being inactive in Week 10 due to the toe issue he's still managing, Claypool has logged 91 and 98 percent of the Steelers' offensive snaps over the past two weeks en route to hauling in eight of his 17 targets for 175 yards in that span. As long as he can stay healthy, Claypool is destined to see a steady flow of wideout looks alongside fellow starter Diontae Johnson.