NFL Player News

Bears head coach Ben Johnson said Monday that Williams (hamstring) won't practice during Week 5 and is still being classified as week-to-week rather than day-to-day, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

Johnson noted that Williams has incurred no unexpected setbacks in his rehab program while he recovers from the Grade 2 right hamstring strain he sustained in a Sept. 20 loss to the Vikings, but the Bears are continuing to proceed cautiously with their franchise signal-caller. With Williams set to miss his third consecutive game this Sunday against the Packers, Tyson Bagent will draw the start while Case Keenum serves as the Bears' No. 2 quarterback. Williams still has a chance at returning to the lineup for Week 6 versus the Falcons, but he'll need to practice in some capacity to have a realistic shot at being cleared in advance of that contest.

Parsons (knee), per head coach Matt LaFleur, will not practice this week, Weston Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site reports.

With four weeks in the books Parsons is now eligible to be activated from the active/PUP list, but with him not yet ready to practice he will not return to action in Week 5 against the Bears, and it may be tough for him to make it back for Green Bay's Week 6 matchup against his former Dallas team.

Bears head coach Ben Johnson said that Monangai is considered day-to-day after sustaining a right thumb injury in Sunday's 23-12 win over the Jets, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Monangai was on the bench for the final four minutes of the victory due to the injury, but he handled a hefty workload prior to his departure, finishing the day with 30 carries for 146 yards and two touchdowns while tacking on a four-yard reception on his lone target. With imaging on Monangai's thumb revealing nothing overly concerning, Johnson is expecting the second-year back to be fine for next Sunday's matchup with the Packers. Even so, it wouldn't be surprising if Monangai ended up being a non-participant or limited participant when the Bears begin Week 5 prep Wednesday.

Head coach Jeff Hafley said Monday that he's viewing Douglas (ankle) as day-to-day heading into the Dolphins' Week 5 game against the Bengals, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

Douglas has missed the Dolphins' last two games while recovering from the ankle injury he sustained in a Week 2 loss to the 49ers. Hafley noted that the Dolphins are proceeding "one day at a time" with Douglas, who hasn't practiced in any fashion since getting injured and will likely need to turn in at least one full practice this week to have a shot at playing Sunday. Miami is on bye Week 6, so the team could opt to take a conservative approach with the rookie wideout and hold him out for a third straight contest if he's still not back to full speed by the weekend.

Head coach Jesse Minter said Monday that he's uncertain whether Jackson (ankle) will be ready to play in Sunday's game against the Falcons, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports. "I don't know the chances yet," Minter said. "We're still gathering a lot of the information and the imaging and things like that, just dealing with a little bit of an ankle and we'll kind of see where that shakes out."

After sitting out the entire second half of Sunday's 24-18 win over the Titans due to the left ankle injury he sustained late in the second quarter, Jackson was spotted in a walking boot following the contest. The Ravens are tentatively Jackson as day-to-day, with Minter noting that at the very least, the quarterback's injury isn't "going to be crazy long-term." The team should have a better feel for Jackson's status once the results of the MRI he underwent Monday are available, and Minter expressed confidence in backup Tyler Huntley's ability to step in and direct the offense in the event the two-time MVP is unable to play Week 5.

Thornton is slated to undergo surgery later this week to address the dislocated left ankle he sustained in Sunday's 30-27 win over the Raiders and is facing an expected recovery timeline of 3-to-4 weeks, Matt Zenitz of CBSSports.com reports.

Depending how quickly Thornton bounces back from surgery, Zenitz notes that the speedy receiver could have a small chance at returning late in the regular season or during the playoffs. The injury is nonetheless a devastating development for Thornton, who had turned in perhaps the best performance of his career -- a five-catch, 111-yard, two-touchdown effort on eight targets -- before going down with the gruesome ankle injury at the end of a 55-yard reception with just under four minutes left in the fourth quarter. In Thornton's absence, the Chiefs could call upon Xavier Worthy to run more vertical routes, and Kansas City may also have interest in a reunion with Tyreek Hill (knee), who is expected to sign a deal with a team within the next few days.

Head coach Mike McCarthy said that Dowdle (toe) had a positive workout Friday and is "making progress" in his recovery, but the Steelers aren't yet certain if he'll be available to play Week 5 versus the Colts, Nick Farabaugh of PennLive.com reports.

Dowdle's right toe injury has kept him out for the past two games, with his consecutive absences enabling Jaylen Warren to take on a heightened role out of the backfield as Pittsburgh's clear top option. Though Warren has ran efficiently (6.5 yards per carry) on heavy volume (34 totes) while chipping in six receptions for 82 yards over the last two weeks, McCarthy emphasized that Dowdle will likely remain part of a "one-two punch" with Warren once he returns. Before sustaining the injury Week 2, Dowdle had struggled to find open running room, taking his 15 carries for just 37 yards (2.5 average).

Higgins (adductor), per head coach Zac Taylor, is considered day-to-day, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

Higgins emerged from Sunday's loss to the Jaguars with an adductor issue, but he appears to have avoided any sort of serious setback. More will be know about Higgins' status by Wednesday at the latest, when the Bengals provide an official update on the health of Higgins -- as well as fellow wideout Ja'Marr Chase (concussion).

Rice (hamstring) is believed to have sustained a "relatively minor" injury in Sunday's win over the Raiders and could be ready to play following the Chiefs' Week 5 bye, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Rice was forced from Sunday's game with a hamstring injury, but it appears Kansas City's upcoming bye could help him avoid missing any further action. Fellow wideout Tyquan Thornton (ankle) is sidelined indefinitely with an injury he himself picked up in Sunday's contest, so the Chiefs are heading into the off week with plenty of uncertainty in the wideout room. Xavier Worthy should remain busy regardless who surrounds him, and Jalen Royals and Cyrus Allen are next up -- at least for the time being -- to soak up leftover opportunities.

Surtain (ankle) is expected to miss "about two weeks," Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.

It was reported earlier Monday that Surtain was expected to miss time with the ankle injury he sustained in Sunday's loss to the 49ers, and it appears he will sit out at least a couple games. However, Surtain does not appear to be facing an extended absence, and he could be back on the field before October comes to a close.