NFL Player News

Thomas (ankle) was held out of practice Thursday, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

For the second straight day, Thomas was listed as a non-participant, but on this occasion the Saints actually took the field without the wide receiver. He'll have one more opportunity to get in some practice reps before the team will assign a designation for a Week 3 showdown with the Packers. If Thomas is unable to suit up again, the Saints will rely on Emmanuel Sanders and Tre'Quan Smith as their top two WR, with Deonte Harris and Marquez Callaway filling in on occasion.

Cooks (quadriceps) was a Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com in Thursday's practice.

Limited work in practice has become the norm for Cooks, who is still trying to shake off the quad injury that's bothered him since training camp. The quad issue hasn't stopped Cooks from playing both of the Texans' games to date, and he took an encouraging step forward Week 2 by playing 90 percent of the offensive snaps and finishing with five receptions for 95 yards on eight targets in Houston's loss to Baltimore. Assuming his limitations in practice are precautionary rather than indicative of a setback, Cooks should again be cleared to start and handle a heavy snap load Sunday in Pittsburgh.

Thomas (ankle) wasn't present for the portion of Thursday's practice open to the media, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.

If Thomas indeed doesn't participate Thursday, it'll mark his second session in a row without any activity. He was given a timeline of 2-to-4 weeks to recover from the left high ankle sprain suffered in the season opener, so another DNP this Sunday versus the Packers won't surprise in the least. Thomas' official activity level will be known later Thursday afternoon.

Johnson (toe) practiced fully Thursday.

As was the case last week, Johnson sat out practice Wednesday before returning to a full session Thursday. He was on the field for 83 percent of Pittsburgh's snaps on offense in Week 2's win over the Broncos, en route to recording eight catches on 13 targets for 92 yards and a TD. He'll remain busy this Sunday against the Texans, especially if fellow wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee) is limited at all.

Brown (knee) missed practice again Thursday, Erik Bacharach of The Tennessean reports.

Back-to-back missed practices for Brown, who's dealing with a bone bruise in his knee, don't bode well for his status for Sunday's game against the Vikings. If the Titans' top wideout is out this weekend, Corey Davis and Adam Humphries would be in line to head the team's Week 3 wide receiver corps, with Cameron Batson and Kalif Raymond candidates to see added snaps.

Smith-Schuster (knee) sat out practice for the second consecutive day Thursday, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

With that in mind, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes that Smith-Schuster's situation is "worth monitoring for (Friday), but there's been no indication he's in danger of missing" Sunday's game against the Texans. A return to practice Friday on the wideout's part -- in any capacity -- would no doubt ease concerns about Smith-Schuster's Week 3 status.

Cole could take on a heavier snap count Thursday against the Dolphins with DJ Chark (chest) ruled out for the contest, James Johnson of USA Today reports.

Cole has already started in both of the Jaguars' first two games and ranks second on the team with 105 yards, but he's played less than 70 percent of the offensive snaps. With Jacksonville's top target out of the mix this week, however, more snaps and looks could be funneled Cole's way out of necessity. Along with Cole, Laviska Shenault and Chris Conley are expected to help replace Chark, while tight end Tyler Eifert and depth wideout Dede Westbrook may also take on heightened roles in the team's passing game.

Beasley (hip/thumb) was a full participant in Thursday's practice.

Beasley was held out of the Bills' first session of Week 3 on Wednesday, but his return to full work a day later implies that neither the hip nor the thumb injury are major concerns for the wideout. He should be cleared to fill his normal role as the Bills' top option out of the slot Sunday against the Rams.

Perriman (ankle) didn't participate in Thursday's practice, Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York reports.

Coach Adam Gase said Wednesday that he isn't optimistic Perriman will be ready to play Sunday against the Colts or in the Jets' Week 4 matchup Thursday versus Broncos, so the wideout's lack of activity in practice comes as little surprise. With Jamison Crowder (hamstring) also looking doubtful for Week 3, the undermanned Jets could roll out a starting wideout trio of Chris Hogan, Braxton Berrios and Josh Malone.

Adams (hamstring) didn't partake in practice Thursday, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Instead, Adams spent the session rehabbing his balky hamstring on the side. With two absences under his belt this week, he has just one more chance to prove his health on the field before Sunday night's game at New Orleans. In the end, Adams' Week 3 fate could be known upon the release of Friday's injury report. A DNP on game day would leave the Packers shorthanded at wide receiver, with just three healthy bodies in Allen Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Malik Taylor.