NFL Player News

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that Rice (hamstring) won't practice Wednesday, Nate Taylor of ESPN.com reports.

After being forced out of the Chiefs' Oct. 4 win over the Raiders due to what Ian Rapoport of NFL Network described as a "relatively minor" hamstring injury, Rice won't be ready to return to the practice field coming out of a Week 5 bye. Per Charles Goldman of AtoZSports.com, Reid acknowledged that Rice is feeling better, but the coach wouldn't commit to the wideout practicing Thursday or Friday or playing Sunday against the Chargers. If Rice ends up being sidelined, tight end Travis Kelce would likely take on an even more prominent role in the passing game, and wideouts Xavier Worthy, Jalen Royals and Cyrus Allen could also see upticks in targets.

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said that Sadiq remains in concussion protocol and won't practice Wednesday, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.

Sadiq was unable to return to Sunday's 17-12 win over the Browns after exiting in the third quarter and getting diagnosed with a concussion. He'll likely need to get in some form of practice Thursday and/or Friday in addition to gaining clearance from an independent neurologist in order to exit the five-step protocol prior to Sunday's game against the Patriots. If Sadiq isn't available to play this weekend, Mason Taylor would be in line to serve as the Jets' top pass-catching tight end.

Head coach Mike Vrabel said Wednesday that the Patriots are designating Brown (ankle) for return from injured reserve, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Brown has missed the required four games while on IR due to the right high-ankle sprain that he sustained in a Week 1 loss at Seattle. While the Patriots offense initially sputtered without its big offseason addition, QB Drake Maye has come to life the last two games, and getting Brown back in the fold perhaps will help stabilize the situation further. Nevertheless, Brown will need to put himself in a position to play again, and Wednesday's injury report will reveal his baseline activity level as New England begins prep for Sunday's contest against the Jets.

Titans head coach Robert Saleh said that Pollard (foot) won't practice Wednesday, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.

Per Easton Freeze of AtoZSports.com, Pollard's absence is likely just a rest day, as the Titans have frequently given the veteran running back maintenance to begin practice weeks this season while he contends with a foot/ankle issue. Assuming he gets back to full practice participation by Thursday or Friday, Pollard should be ready to handle his usual lead role out of the Tennessee backfield during Sunday's game at Indianapolis.

The Jets designated Cooper (ankle) for return from injured reserve Wednesday, Antwan V. Staley of the New York Daily News reports.

Cooper is slated to participate in Wednesday's walk-through practice in some capacity after the Jets opened his 21-day evaluation window. The rookie first-round pick -- who was deactivated after sustaining a high-ankle sprain in the Jets' Week 1 win over the Titans -- could have a chance at returning to action as soon as this Sunday at New England, depending on how he fares in practice this week. With the Jets classifying fellow wideout Adonai Mitchell (finger) as week-to-week, Cooper could have a chance at reclaiming a notable role in the receiving corps once he's activated from IR.

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said that Hall (quadriceps) won't practice Wednesday and remains week-to-week, Al Iannazzone of Newsday reports.

Hall hasn't practiced in any fashion since sustaining a right quad injury in the Jets' Week 3 loss to the Lions. With Glenn still classifying him as week-to-week, Hall looks to be trending toward missing a third consecutive game Sunday at New England. Hall's expected absence should once again clear the way for Braelon Allen to handle a lead role out of the backfield.

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said Wednesday that Mitchell (finger) underwent a small procedure on his hand and remains week-to-week, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.

Glenn notes that Mitchell is able to move his fingers around well following the procedure, but the fact that the wideout is still being classified as week-to-week suggests that he's tracking toward a fourth consecutive absence Sunday at New England. Though Mitchell appears likely to sit out this weekend, the Jets could get some reinforcement to their receiver corps in the form of rookie first-round pick Omar Cooper (ankle), who had his 21-day practice window opened Wednesday and could be a candidate to return from injured reserve for Sunday's game.

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.