NFL Player News

Valdes-Scantling (ankle/knee) was limited at Wednesday's practice.

In Sunday's loss to the Chargers, Valdes-Scantling failed to record a reception for the first time since Week 3 of the 2018 season. Granted, Davante Adams (toe) was back in action, and the Packers mustered just 184 yards of offense, but the output was disappointing, to say the least. Before Valdes-Scantling gets another chance to make an impression on the box score, he'll look to put in a full practice before the end of the week.

Smith (ankle) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, Luke Johnson of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Smith didn't practice in any capacity leading up to New Orleans' bye week, but he now appears back to full health. After a promising rookie season, Smith has had an injury-plagued 2019 campaign, appearing in just three contests while hauling in all five of his targets for 75 yards and one touchdown. The second-year pro will look to get on track against the Falcons' struggling defense in Week 10.

Adams (toe) was a limited practice participant Wednesday.

Adams returned from a four-game absence this past Sunday against the Chargers, logging 83 percent of the offensive snaps en route to collecting seven catches (on 11 targets) for 41 yards. Afterward, coach Matt LaFleur relayed Adams didn't suffer any setbacks with his toe injury in the process, but the Packers aren't taking any chances to kick off Week 10 prep. Adams has two more sessions to upgrade to "full" in advance of this weekend's contest against the Panthers.

Reynolds is expected to have a regular role in three-receiver sets Sunday against the Steelers with teammate Brandin Cooks (concussion) ruled out, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM Radio reports.

Reynolds filled in admirably for Cooks during the Week 8 win over the Bengals, catching three of eight targets for 73 yards and a touchdown. While expectations for Reynolds should be tempered against Pittsburgh's stingy secondary, the fact that he'll start on the outside gives him a high ceiling in Los Angeles' aerial attack. The 2017 fourth-round pick warrants fantasy consideration as long as Cooks is unable to go,

Moore was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice due to a thumb injury.

Moore likely picked up the injury in the Ravens' win over the Patriots on Sunday, when he failed to draw a target on either of his two offensive snaps. The 26-year-old appears in little danger of missing his team's Week 10 matchup with Cincinnati, but his availability likely won't be confirmed until he resumes practicing fully Thursday and/or Friday.

Cooks (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday's contest against the Steelers, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports.

Cooks will fly with the Rams to Pittsburgh, but he'll spend part of the trip meeting with medical specialists as he looks for further opinion on the fifth diagnosed concussion of his NFL career. The 2014 first-round pick previously met with a specialist while the Rams were on bye in Week 9. The Rams hope Cooks will manage to clear the five-step concussion protocol without missing much time beyond Sunday, but given the tricky nature of head injuries, the possibility of a multi-game absence can't be ruled out. Josh Reynolds will likely serve as the team's No. 3 wide receiver as long as Cooks is unable to go.

Cooper didn't practice Wednesday due to a knee injury, Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

During Monday's victory over the Giants, Cooper left the contest for a spell to have his left knee examined, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. After he loosened the knee up and returned to action, Cooper finished with four catches (on seven targets) for a team-high 80 yards and one touchdown. Per Hill, the Cowboys held a jog-through Wednesday, so Cooper will have two additional opportunities to take part in a true practice by week's end.

Davis didn't practice Wednesday due to a hip injury, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.

Per Erik Bacharach of The Tennessean, Davis rode on a stationary bike off to the side during the session, which offers hope that the wideout could return to the field as soon as Thursday. Davis logged 56 of a possible 72 offensive snaps in the Titans' 30-20 loss to the Panthers in Week 9, hauling in four of five targets for 48 yards.

Samuel (hamstring) didn't practice Wednesday, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Samuel was plagued by a hamstring issue during his first offseason program and preseason in 2017, and while he missed 10 combined games due to other injuries during his first two seasons, he hasn't missed any action in the current campaign. He'll have two more sessions this week to prove the health of his hamstring before the Panthers head to Green Bay for a Week 10 matchup.

Coach Mike Zimmer said Wednesday that Thielen's right hamstring strain isn't considered a "long-term" concern, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

After a one-game absence, Thielen was cleared to play in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs, but he only logged seven snaps before Zimmer said the wideout's hamstring "grabbed a bit." Zimmer added that Thielen "was not rushed back too soon" from the injury and isn't dealing with a setback, but the Vikings may nonetheless elect to proceed cautiously with the 29-year-old until the training staff is confident that he's closer to 100 percent. To that end, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that the Vikings will likely hold Thielen out for the Week 10 matchup with the Cowboys, but an official decision on that front probably won't arrive until Friday or possibly even the day of the game.