Thursday’s first practice news came from the teams that work out early in the day. In Green Bay, Matt LaFleur said Josh Jacobs will have surgery on his finger on Friday, and the Packers will know more about how long he is out after that. Kicker Trey Smack is a full go. In Houston, David Montgomery was back at practice, but Woody Marks was not. In Munich, A.J. Brown practiced with the Patriots and Rhamondre Stevenson worked off to the side. The Bengals opened the return windows for three injured players, and the Ravens made their new kicker official.
- Packers: Jacobs has finger surgery Friday; Smack (calf) is a full go; Micah Parsons is in his second week of practice and will move up to team drills this week
- Texans: Montgomery (groin) practiced for the first time this week; Marks (knee) did not practice during the open period
- Patriots: Brown (ankle, knee) practiced in Munich; Stevenson (knee) worked off to the side but could still play Sunday
- Lions: Sione Vaki, D.J. Reed and Cade Mays were the only players missing from practice
- Browns: Denzel Boston (toe), Ronnie Hickman (concussion) and Michael Burton (calf) did not practice
- Bengals: practice windows opened for Jalen Davis, Andrei Iosivas and Brian Parker II
- Ravens: Riley Patterson signed to the 53-man roster, and Harrison Mevis to the practice squad
Packers: Jacobs surgery on Friday, Smack a full go
LaFleur spoke before Thursday’s practice. Jacobs broke his ring finger, and the Packers said on Wednesday that he could be back in about two to three weeks. LaFleur said the surgery is on Friday and the team will have a better idea of the timeline after it. Green Bay still has to decide by Saturday whether to put Jacobs on injured reserve, which would keep him out for at least four games. The Packers play the Vikings on Sunday and have their bye in Week 11.
Smack, the rookie kicker who was limited on Wednesday with a right calf injury, will practice fully. LaFleur said Smack did a nice job on Wednesday, and there does not seem to be any worry about the calf. LaFleur also said he expects defensive lineman Warren Brinson to play this season. Brinson had groin surgery five weeks ago.
Six Packers did not practice on a cold day in Green Bay: Jacobs, safety Javon Bullard, linebacker Zaire Franklin, guard Sean Rhyan, tight end Josh Whyle and edge rusher Lukas Van Ness. Bullard, Franklin and Rhyan also missed Wednesday. Micah Parsons was on the field for a second straight week, and he is set to move up to team drills this week.
Texans: Montgomery returns, Marks sits
David Montgomery did not practice on Wednesday with a groin injury, but he was dressed and back on the field on Thursday. He started by working off to the side. DeMeco Ryans said the Texans were pleased with the progress Montgomery is making, but it is still not clear whether he will play this week against the Browns.
Woody Marks, who has been Houston’s lead back with Montgomery out, was not seen during the part of practice open to reporters. Marks was limited on Wednesday with a knee injury. Aaron Wilson reported that Marks felt mild discomfort in his knee on Wednesday and did not finish practice as a precaution, and the team is waiting to see how he does. Guard Keylan Rutledge was also not spotted at practice.
Patriots in Munich: A.J. Brown practices, Stevenson works to the side
The Patriots held their first practice in Germany on Thursday, at FC Bayern’s training ground. A.J. Brown, who returned to practice on Wednesday from ankle and knee injuries, was out there again. Receiver Demario Douglas said it “feels good to have that leader back.” Running back Rhamondre Stevenson (knee) worked off to the side, but Mike Reiss said there is still a chance he plays on Sunday against the Lions. TreVeyon Henderson, Ben Brown and Carlton Davis III were ruled out on Wednesday.
Lions: three players miss the last practice before Munich
The Lions practiced in Allen Park on Thursday before flying to Germany overnight. Only three players were missing during the open period: running back Sione Vaki, cornerback D.J. Reed and center Cade Mays. Dan Campbell said on Wednesday that Reed (hip) and Mays (ankle) were long shots to play. Jared Goff (chest) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (rib), who were limited on Wednesday, were not among the absences.
Browns, Bengals and Ravens
The Browns had three players miss Thursday’s practice before they play the Texans: rookie receiver Denzel Boston (toe), safety Ronnie Hickman (concussion) and fullback Michael Burton (calf). Todd Monken had thought Boston would be back on Thursday.
The Bengals, who play the Steelers on Sunday night, opened the 21-day practice windows for cornerback Jalen Davis (hamstring), receiver Andrei Iosivas (thumb) and guard Brian Parker II (knee). All three are on injured reserve, and the team now has three weeks to add them back to the active roster.
The Ravens made their kicking change official. Riley Patterson is on the 53-man roster, and Harrison Mevis, who was with the Rams, is on the practice squad. Baltimore lost Jake Moody to the Falcons and put John Loop on injured reserve. The Ravens play the Chargers on Monday night.
Rams: a target date for Davante Adams
Sean McVay gave a timeline for Davante Adams, who is on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. McVay said a return after the Rams host the Packers in Week 12 is “a realistic timeline for him.” The Rams are also without Puka Nacua for a long stretch with knee and toe injuries, but McVay said Nacua will not go on injured reserve.
Thursday at a glance
| Player | Team | Injury | Thursday |
|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Jacobs, RB | Packers | Finger | Did not practice; surgery Friday |
| Trey Smack, K | Packers | Calf | Full go |
| Javon Bullard, S | Packers | Ankle, knee | Did not practice |
| Lukas Van Ness, OLB | Packers | Back | Did not practice |
| David Montgomery, RB | Texans | Groin | Back at practice |
| Woody Marks, RB | Texans | Knee | Not seen at practice |
| A.J. Brown, WR | Patriots | Ankle, knee | Practiced |
| Rhamondre Stevenson, RB | Patriots | Knee | Worked off to the side |
| D.J. Reed, CB | Lions | Hip | Not at practice |
| Cade Mays, C | Lions | Ankle | Not at practice |
| Sione Vaki, RB | Lions | Not given | Not at practice |
| Denzel Boston, WR | Browns | Toe | Did not practice |
| Ronnie Hickman, S | Browns | Concussion | Did not practice |
| Andrei Iosivas, WR | Bengals | Thumb | Practice window opened |
What comes next
The official Thursday reports come out on Thursday afternoon, Eastern time, which is late Thursday night in Cairo. They should show where Drew Lock, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, George Pickens, Myles Garrett and Kyler Murray stand. The Giants and Commanders kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET, which is 3:15 a.m. Friday in Cairo, and their inactives come out about 90 minutes before that. Jacobs has surgery on Friday, and the Packers have until Saturday to decide on injured reserve. For Wednesday’s reports, see Wednesday’s injury reports. For the Munich trip, see Munich game week, day two.
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