NFL Player News

Bears head coach Ben Johnson said that Williams (hamstring) will listed as a full practice participant on Wednesday's estimated injury report, Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Chicago is holding a walkthrough to begin Week 6 prep, but Williams' full listing on the injury report is a positive indicator that Johnson is preparing for him to start Sunday in Atlanta. Assuming Williams experiences no setbacks in his recovery from a Grade 2 right hamstring strain while practicing throughout the week, he should get the green light to return to action against the Falcons following a three-game absence. Chicago has gone 2-1 without their top quarterback over the past three weeks, with Tyson Bagent directing the offense for two of those contests and Case Keenum starting the other.

Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said that Penix (ribs) will practice Wednesday but will be limited in some fashion, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.

Penix was sidelined for the extra period of Sunday's 30-23 overtime loss to the Ravens due to the rib injury, which he sustained when he was sacked late in the fourth quarter. While Stefanski didn't go into any specifics regarding the extent of Penix's injury, the coach said that the 26-year-old quarterback should be on track to start this coming Sunday against the Bears "as long as everything goes accordingly" in practice this week, per Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site. Penix looks as though he'll be listed as limited on the Falcons' initial Week 6 injury report, but he'll likely be locked in for the start if he's able to practice fully Thursday and/or Friday.

The Browns designated Sampson (knee) for return from injured reserve Wednesday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

The transaction clears the way for Sampson to practice Wednesday and opens a 21-day window for the Browns to evaluate him for a return to the 53-man roster. The second-year back has been sidelined since sustaining the left knee injury during the Browns' Week 1 loss to the Jaguars, but head coach Todd Monken suggested that Sampson could have a shot at playing Sunday versus the Ravens, per Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram. Sampson will likely need to turn in at least one full practice over the next three days for the Browns to feel comfortable activating him from injured reserve ahead of their Week 6 matchup.

Judkins was spotted Wednesday moving around the Cleveland locker room without a boot on his injured right ankle, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.

Per Oyefusi, Judkins isn't expected to practice Wednesday, but the fact that he's ditched his walking boot represents a tangible sign of progress in his recovery from the ankle injury he sustained in Sunday's loss to the Jets. Earlier in the week, head coach Todd Monken described Judkins as day-to-day, which suggests that the Browns haven't ruled out the possibility of their top running back playing this Sunday versus the Ravens. His activity -- or lack thereof -- in practices Thursday and Friday will likely guide the Browns' decision regarding whether or not he'll suit up this weekend.

Concepcion is progressing well in his recovery from a concussion and is set to practice Wednesday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Though he remains in the five-step concussion protocol after being knocked out of this past Sunday's 17-12 loss to the Jets following a helmet-to-helmet hit from safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, Concepcion's ability to practice in any fashion to begin Week 6 prep is an encouraging sign. The rookie wideout will likely need to upgrade to full practice participation by the end of the week in addition to gaining clearance from an independent neurologist in order to have a shot at playing Sunday against the Ravens.

Mayfield (thumb) wasn't spotted on the field for Wednesday's practice, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

After recently transitioning into a smaller splint for his dislocated right thumb, Mayfield is expected to test his ability to grip and throw the football this week, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. However, Mayfield looks like he'll wait until at least Thursday to get back on the field, with his ongoing absence from practice likely setting the stage for undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels to make a third straight start this weekend against the Steelers.

Virgil recorded two receptions for 29 yards on five targets in Sunday's 45-21 loss to the Lions.

A healthy inactive for the first four games of the season, Virgil ended up suiting up for the first time after the Cardinals opted to hold Marvin Harrison out in Week 5 before trading him to the Texans shortly after Sunday's contest concluded. Virgil ended up serving as the Cardinals' No. 4 receiver, logging just 13 of 73 offensive snaps but seeing ample involvement during his limited time on the field. While the rookie fifth-round pick out of Texas Tech should be active for the Cardinals on a regular basis moving forward, he's likely to rank behind Michael Wilson, Trey McBride and Kendrick Bourne in the pecking order for targets.

Brooks recorded two catches for 16 yards on seven targets in Sunday's 45-21 loss to the Lions.

After logging single-digit snaps in each of the Cardinals' first four games while drawing one total target, Brooks saw a substantial increase in playing time in Week 5. With the Cardinals opting to make Marvin Harrison inactive for the Week 5 contest, Brooks stepped into a regular role in three-receiver sets, taking the field for 39 of 73 offensive snaps. Arizona traded Harrison to Houston following the contest, which should clear the way for Brooks to continue seeing ample snaps moving forward. However, Brooks isn't expected to rank as a high priority in the passing game, with all of Michael Wilson, Trey McBride and Kendrick Bourne ahead of him in the pecking order for targets.

Hunter recorded a nine-yard reception and tallied six tackles and a pass breakup in Sunday's 19-17 win over the Eagles in London.

After not getting any run on offense in the Jaguars' Week 4 win over the Bengals, Hunter ended up taking the field for six of 72 snaps in Week 5 and was able to come away with his second reception of the season. The two-way player continues to see the overwhelming amount of his playing time on defense, where he was on the field for all 62 snaps. Expect the Jaguars continue to use Hunter almost exclusively at cornerback while sprinkling him into the offensive game plan only occasionally.

Mayfield (thumb) "might do some stuff in practice this week" but appears unlikely to play Sunday against the Steelers, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

After dislocating his right thumb late in a Sept. 27 loss to the Vikings, Mayfield was given a rough recovery timeline of 3-to-6 weeks. The veteran quarterback recently transitioned to a smaller splint for his thumb, which the Buccaneers hope will allow him to resume gripping and throwing the football this week. While Mayfield might have an outside chance at suiting up Sunday if he ends up returning to practice within the next day or two and is able to throw without any limitations, undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels still appears to be trending toward a third consecutive start at this stage of the week.