NFL Player News

Metcalf (abdomen) was a full participant in Thursday's practice, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

After Metcalf was briefly hospitalized following Sunday's win over the Ravens when he experienced stomach pains on the team flight, head coach Mike Tomlin suggested Tuesday that the wideout's practice availability could be affected in Week 15. Metcalf evidently bounced back from the stomach issue quicker than anticipated, as his ability to begin the week of practice without any restrictions should clear the way for him to play Monday versus the Dolphins. For his part, Metcalf didn't go into details regarding the severity of his stomach pains when he spoke to the media Thursday, though he confirmed that he was "good" for Monday's game, per Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Washington (concussion) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Washington remains in concussion protocol, which he entered after being concussed during this past Sunday's win over the Ravens. In order to clear the protocol and be eligible to suit up Monday against the Dolphins, Washington will need to upgrade to full participation by Saturday and gain clearance from an independent neurologist.

Smith (right shoulder/back) remained sidelined at practice Thursday, Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com reports.

On Wednesday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport indicated that Smith is considered unlikely to start Sunday's game against the Eagles, and back-to-back 'DNPs' logged Wednesday and Thursday by the QB support that notion. If Smith is indeed unavailable this weekend, Kenny Pickett would be in line to make his first start of the season.

The Eagles opened the practice window for Williams (shoulder) to return from injured reserve Thursday.

The Eagles will now have 21 days to activate Williams, or he will be forced to remain on IR for the rest of the season. The tackle's return would offer a strong reserve option for an Eagles team that has dealt with constant injuries to its offensive linemen this season.

Kamara (knee/ankle) wasn't seen at Thursday's practice, Ross Jackson of WWL Louisiana reports.

Considering he has yet to practice since he sustained a sprained MCL in Week 12, Kamara appears to be trending toward a third consecutive absence Sunday against the Panthers. Fellow RB Devin Neal (abdomen) was limited at Wednesday's session, so the statuses of the Saints' top two options at the position are up in the air ahead of Week 15 action.

San Francisco designated Gross-Matos (knee) to return from IR on Thursday, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The 49ers will evaluate Gross-Matos at practice Thursday and Friday before making a decision on whether to activate him to the 53-man roster in time for Sunday's contest against the Titans. Gross-Matos hasn't played since Week 5 due to a lingering knee strain.

Homer (ankle) did not participate in Thursday's practice.

This marks Homer's second consecutive absence from practice as he deals with an ankle issue he picked up in the Bears' Week 14 loss to the Packers. The reserve running back and special-teams asset has one more chance to upgrade his practice participation before Sunday's game against the Browns, and he'll likely need to show some improvement Friday to suit up for the game.

Lewis (ankle) was a limited participant at Thursday's practice.

Thursday's limited showing is an incremental step forward for Lewis, who didn't practice Wednesday after missing the preceding four games. He also practiced in a limited capacity the previous Thursday, but didn't participate in practice Wednesday or Friday. Lewis will likely need to post at least another limited practice session Friday to have a chance to return Sunday in Seattle.

Zaccheaus (hamstring) was a limited practice participant Thursday.

Joining Zaccheaus as a limited practice participant was Rome Odunze (foot), who could be in line to return to action this Sunday against the Browns after sitting out a Week 14 loss to the Packers. Odunze's potential return would likely leave fewer reps to go around for Zaccheaus and rookie wideout Luther Burden, both of whom played north of 70 percent of the Bears' offensive snaps against Green Bay.

Benford (toe) was listed as a limited participant at Thursday's practice.

Benford wasn't on the injury report Wednesday, when the Bills held a walk-through practice. The starting cornerback has scored a touchdown in each of Buffalo's last two games, following up a fumble recovery touchdown against the Steelers with a pick-six against the Bengals. Benford was spotted with a walking boot on his left foot after Thursday's practice, per Matt Parrino of Syracuse.com, suggesting there is legitimate concern that he may not be available for Sunday's showdown with the AFC East rival Patriots.