Bucs WR Mike Williams was held out of Wednesday’s practice with a thigh injury. It’s the first we’ve heard of the issue, but we’ve gotten no indication that it’s serious. Williams should be fine for this weekend.
Bengals TE Jermaine Gresham (hamstring) returned to a limited practice on Wednesday. He’s expected to play against the Steelers this week as long as he doesn’t suffer a setback over the next couple days.
Chargers OLB Shaun Phillips is doubtful for Thursday night’s game because of the foot injury that has cost him 2 weeks already. Antwan Barnes will continue to start in his place. Barnes has 3 sacks and 5 QB pressures in his 2 starts and is an upside play even against the hard-to-sack Raiders.
49ers RB Frank Gore (ankle) put in a limited practice on Wednesday. The fact that he practiced at all is a good sign, although beat writer Matt Maiocco noticed Gore “clearly favoring” the ankle in warmups. He should be ready for this weekend’s game against the Giants, but we’ll continue to update his status leading up to game time.
Despite not practicing on Wednesday, Giants WR Hakeem Nicks (hamstring) is still expected to play against the 49ers this weekend. He ran and cut at full speed on Wednesday. The plan is for Nicks to work through individual drills on Thursday and then join full squad workouts Friday. “Going to stick to the plan of more and more each day,” Nicks said Wednesday. “No setbacks, and that’s always a good sign.” We’ll continue to update his status over the course of the week.
