NFL Player News

Gage (ankle) was held out of practice Thursday, Scott Bair of the Falcons' official site reports.

Gage has yet to take the practice field this week as he tends to an ankle injury stemming from Week 2. Friday's session and subsequent injury report from the team will be telling for the fourth-year wide receiver's availability for Sunday road game against the Giants. If Gage is sidelined or limited this weekend, Olamide Zaccheaus, Tajae Sharpe and Christian Blake are on hand to fill in next to Calvin Ridley.

Hopkins (ribs) didn't participate in Thursday's practice, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Hopkins has kicked off Week 3 prep with back-to-back DNPs, the result of a rib injury. Whether it's in Arizona or his previous employer in Houston, he's regularly received days off to tend to health concerns and also for maintenance. Hopkins will have one more chance to prove his health ahead of Sunday's visit to Jacksonville.

Pascal (illness) was able to practice Thursday, Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star reports.

Pascal missed Wednesday's practice due to an illness but his return Thursday suggests the slot receiver isn't in danger of sitting out a juicy Week 3 matchup with a Titans secondary that's been the most generous in the league to opposing receivers in the early going. The only damper on Pascal's outlook Sunday is the possible absence of starting quarterback Carson Wentz (ankle), whom Erickson said wasn't spotted at practice Thursday. Pascal was a full participant Thursday, while Wentz was a non-participant.

Patrick (hip) is slated to practice in a limited capacity Thursday, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

Denver will put a cap on Patrick's practice reps for the second straight day, but so long as he upgrades to full activity Friday, he should enter Sunday's game against the Jets minus an injury designation. After fellow wideout Jerry Jeudy (ankle) was placed on injured reserve ahead of last week's victory over the Jaguars, Patrick didn't see much of a spike his usage or volume. He played 73 percent of offensive snaps and delivered a 3-37-1 line on four targets Week 2, compared to a 70 percent snap share and a 4-39-1 line on four targets in the Broncos' season-opening win over the Giants.

Sutton (hip) is set to practice fully Thursday, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

The wideout's reps were limited Wednesday after he apparently picked up the hip injury coming out of last week's win over Jacksonville, but the return to full practice should clear the way for Sutton to suit up Sunday against the Jets. With Jerry Jeudy (ankle) ruled out ahead of Week 2 before being moved to injured reserve, Sutton operated as the clear top target in the Denver passing game in the team's win over Jacksonville, logging nine receptions for 159 yards on 12 targets.

Brown (ankle) wasn't present for Thursday's practice, Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Brown was limited Wednesday, but it's possible that his absence from practice Thursday is maintenance-related, rather than indicative of a setback. Friday's final injury report of the week will reveal whether the wideout approaches Sunday's game against the Lions with a Week 3 injury designation.

Cephus is expected to draw his second straight start Sunday against the Ravens after the Lions placed Tyrell Williams (concussion) on injured reserve Thursday, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Cephus has served as the primary replacement for Williams on the perimeter after the latter entered the concussion protocol upon taking a helmet-to-helmet hit from the 49ers' Jaquiski Tartt in the Lions' Week 1 loss. After producing a 3-12-1 line on six targets in the season opener, Cephus found the end zone again in the Week 2 loss to the Packers while hauling in four of seven targets for 63 yards. Tight end T.J. Hockenson still looks like the Lions' top priority in the passing game, but Cephus might be the most fantasy-friendly option in a Detroit receiving corps that may have the poorest collection of talent in the NFL. With Williams out of the picture through at least the Lions' Oct. 17 game against Cincinnati, Cephus should at the very least benefit from heavy snap shares over the next three contests, even if his weekly target volume isn't entirely bankable.

Gage (ankle) wasn't spotted at Thursday's practice and is set to go down as a non-participant on the Falcons' official report, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Gage's ankle injury also kept him from practicing Wednesday, so he'll likely need to get on the field in some capacity Friday to avoid being ruled out ahead of Sunday's game against the Giants. If Gage ends up sitting out the Week 3 matchup, Tajae Sharpe could be the next man up to step in as Atlanta's top option out of the slot.

Hopkins (ribs) wasn't present for the open portion of Thursday's practice and is expected to go down as a non-participant on the Cardinals' official report, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

The severity of Hopkins' rib injury isn't yet clear, but he's now opened the week with back-to-back absences at practice. In recent years, Hopkins has routinely sat out practices or handled light loads while managing minor injuries or even getting routine maintenance, so his lack of reps thus far in Week 3 doesn't necessarily put his availability for Sunday's game in Jacksonville in danger. The Cardinals will release their final practice report of the week Friday, which will provide more definitive word on the star wideout's status for Sunday.

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said Cooper (rib) will be a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Cooper checked out of the Cowboys' Week 2 win over the Chargers for two plays while tending to a bruised rib, finishing the day with an underwhelming 3-24-0 line on five targets. He'll benefit from a longer turnaround for the Week 3 contest with Dallas hosting the Eagles on "Monday Night Football," and the fact that Cooper will be on the field in some capacity for the Cowboys' first official practice of the week bodes well for his chances of starting and taking on a normal workload in the divisional matchup. Cooper would ideally turn in a full practice Friday or Saturday and enter the Week 3 matchup minus an injury designation.