NFL Player News

Love (ankle) wasn't present at the portion of Thursday's practice open to the media, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.

With back-to-back absences under his belt this week, Love may be in danger of missing the first game of his career Sunday at the Rams, especially after head coach Mike LaFleur told Mackie on Wednesday that the Cardinals want to "get this ankle right and do it the right way." What exactly that entails remains to be seen, but the team could make a ruling on Love's status for Week 6 as soon as it posts Friday's injury report. If Love is inhibited or sidelined this weekend, Tyler Allgeier is next in line to pace Arizona's backfield, with Bam Knight backing him up.

Henderson (ankle) remained limited at Thursday's practice, Mark Daniels of MassLive reports.

Henderson has been limited in back-to-back practice sessions to kick off Week 6 prep. He'll likely need to upgrade to full participation Friday to avoid carrying an injury designation into Sunday's home game against the Jets, in which second place in the AFC East will be on the line. Corey Kiner would be in line for change-of-pace work behind Rhamondre Stevenson if Henderson sits.

Spears (knee) didn't practice Thursday.

Spears is trending in the wrong direction, as he was unable to practice in any capacity Thursday after being listed as limited Wednesday. Meanwhile, lead back Tony Pollard ramped back up to full participation Thursday after receiving a rest day Wednesday. Spears is coming off a nine-catch performance in the Week 5 loss to Houston, but he may not get a chance to capitalize on Sunday's matchup against a Colts defense that's allowing a league-high 52.8 receiving yards per game to running backs.

Dowdle (toe) was a full participant at Thursday's practice, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Dowdle upgraded to full participation Thursday after being limited Wednesday, putting him on track to return Sunday against the Buccaneers following a three-game absence. Jaylen Warren seized control of Pittsburgh's backfield with 490 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns during the three games Dowdle sat out, so Warren is expected to continue working in the lead role Sunday, with Dowdle on hand in a complementary capacity.

Monangai (toe) was listed as a non-participant on Thursday's injury report.

With Monangai now opening Week 6 prep with back-to-back missed sessions, his status for Sunday's game remains in question. The Bears' Friday report should provide more clarity on his status going into Sunday's game against the Falcons. If Monangai is unable to go, look for D'Andre Swift to handle the bulk of the work while Roschon Johnson gets a slight bump in playing time.

Brooks (core) was seen jogging at practice Thursday, Sheena Quick of Fox Sports Radio 1340 reports.

Brooks appears to be making incremental progress in his recovery from core muscle surgery, though he wasn't in uniform Thursday and has yet to be cleared for participation in practice drills while he remains on injured reserve. The 2024 second-round pick has suited up for just five of a possible 38 regular-season games in his career and will miss a minimum of two additional games before he's eligible to return, though his absence could linger beyond then. Chuba Hubbard has worked as the clear lead back for the Panthers, with AJ Dillon (ankle) siphoning off less work than Brooks had been prior to getting hurt.

Barkley (hamstring) wasn't present for the open portion of Thursday's practice, Martin Frank of The News Journal reports.

As of Wednesday, Barkley has been listed as a non-participant on four consecutive injury reports due to a right hamstring issue, and he seems poised to make it five such listings once the Eagles post their second Week 6 report. With Will Shipley (foot) likely out for multiple weeks, Dameon Pierce seems set for a large workload out of the backfield Sunday against the Panthers, assuming Barkley doesn't put himself in a position to play.

Jacobs filed a civil suit Wednesday seeking a permanent injunction restricting access to records pertaining to his May 23 altercation with a woman at his home, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

After being arrested following the domestic incident, Jacobs appeared in court Sept. 10 and pleaded no contest to charges of battery and criminal destruction of property. He was ultimately convicted of battery and fined $1,000, while agreeing to a deferred judgment agreement on a charge of damage to property. Later that month, a judge lifted a temporary seal of the records pertaining to the case and turned the decision whether to release part or all of the records over to the Hobart/Lawrence Police Department. Jacobs has appealed the release of those records, which could further delay the NFL's efforts to wrap up its investigation into the running back and levy a potential suspension. So long as the NFL's investigation is ongoing, Jacobs will remain on the commissioner's exempt list.

Henderson (ankle) is in pads ahead of Thursday's practice, Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reports.

Henderson was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice, and he looks poised to practice in some capacity again Thursday, though the extent of his participation remains to bee seen. After initial pessimism following his exit from the Week 5 win over the Raiders, Henderson seemingly has a chance to suit up Sunday against the Jets without missing any additional game action.

Judkins (foot) was present for Thursday's practice but didn't participate in stretching or individual drills during the portion of practice open to the media, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.

Judkins was listed as a non-participant Wednesday, and while his presence Thursday is encouraging, he may go down as a non-participant again unless he ramps up his activity level behind closed doors. The Browns placed Raheim Sanders (hip) on injured reserve Tuesday and opened Dylan Sampson's 21-day window to return from IR on Wednesday. If neither Judkins or Sampson are available Sunday against the Ravens, Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime would split Cleveland's backfield duties in a rehash of the 2024 Broncos backfield.