NFL Player News

Pittman (foot) is warmed up with his teammates Thursday, though he remains on IR and wasn't wearing a helmet, Nick Farabaugh of PennLive.com reports.

Pittman is inching toward a return from a foot injury that has sidelined him since Week 4. He won't have his window to return from injured reserve opened prior to Sunday's game in Cincinnati, but a Week 11 return against the Eagles appears to be a realistic possibility.

Marks (knee) wasn't spotted during the portion of Thursday's practice session open to reporters, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

After being deemed a limited participant Wednesday, Marks' apparent absence a day later is noteworthy, though it's possible it's maintenance-related. Thursday's upcoming injury report will provide added context on that front, as well as the participation level of fellow RB David Montgomery (groin), who was on the field Thursday.

Montgomery (groin) was present for practice Thursday, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The report adds that coach DeMeco Ryans said that the Texans are pleased with the progress of the running back, who last played in Week 5. The team's upcoming injury report is slated to reveal if Montgomery, who logged a 'DNP' on Wednesday, is officially credited with some level of participation a day later. Per Wilson, at this stage whether Montgomery will play this weekend against the Browns is still up in the air

Tuten (ankle) was the Jaguars' only player without a helmet during the initial portion of Thursday's practice, Ryan O'Halloran of The Florida Times-Union reports.

Tuten was deemed a non-participant in practice Wednesday, but his presence on the field a day later suggests that he could advance to limited participation Thursday. In any case, the Jaguars' next practice report will clarify that, as well as how much work fellow RB Chris Rodriguez (hand) got in.

Patterson will be the Ravens' kicker for Monday night's game against the Chargers, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

The Ravens signed Harrison Mevis to their practice squad in addition to signing Patterson to the 53-man roster Wednesday, but the team intends to utilize Patterson as the kicker for Monday's game. Patterson went 7-for-9 on field-goal attempts in five appearances with the Dolphins this season, with a long of just 41 yards. His career-long made field goal of 54 yards came with Miami last season.

Jacobs will undergo finger surgery Friday, and the Packers will have a better sense of his recovery timetable afterward, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Jacobs exited Green Bay's Week 9 win over the Patriots after fracturing his ring finger and is in line to be sidelined for Sunday's game against the Vikings. A more precise recovery timeline is expected to be established after Jacobs undergoes surgery on the injured finger Friday, though initial estimates put his likely absence at 2-to-3 weeks on the optimistic side. MarShawn Lloyd, Kaleb Johnson and Pierre Strong are currently available to handle Green Bay's backfield duties while Jacobs is sidelined, plus Chris Brooks (ankle) is a candidate to return from IR as soon as this weekend.

Head coach Matt LaFleur said he expects Smack (calf) to practice without limitations Thursday, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, LaFleur added that he isn't concerned with Smack's mechanics being affected by the kicker's right calf injury based on Smack's performance at Wednesday's practice. If Smack returns to full participation Thursday after being limited Wednesday, that would put him in the clear to face the Vikings on Sunday.

Boston (toe) said Thursday that he's hoping to return to practice and "definitely feel(s) better" after sitting out Wednesday's practice, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

If Boston indeed practices in at least some capacity Thursday, that would be a substantive step in the right direction for the rookie wide receiver as he tries to avoid what would be the first game absence of his young career Sunday against the Texans. After notching a career-high 98 receiving yards in Cleveland's Week 9 overtime loss to the Saints, Boston is up to 32 catches for 507 yards and three touchdowns through nine games.

Iosivas (thumb) was cleared to return to practice Thursday.

Iosivas, who landed on IR on Sept. 26, is bouncing back from surgery to repair a torn ligament in his thumb, and the wideout's looming return to Thursday's practice has him trending the right direction ahead of Sunday's game against the Steelers. Once he's back in action, Iosivas will slot back in behind top WRs Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, a role that doesn't typically yield steady volume.

Brown (knee/ankle) is taking part in Thursday's practice, which Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site describes as a jog-through.

Brown's presence at Thursday's session is another positive sign ahead of Sunday's game against the Lions in Munich, which will kick off at 9:30 a.m. EST. The wideout was listed as limited at Wednesday's practice, and Brown's participation level Friday will be critical to assessing his likelihood of suiting up following a two-game absence.