The Insiders Podcast: Caleb Williams back at practice + Patriots open A.J. Brown’s practice window

The Patriots opened A.J. Brown's practice window, indicating he is eligible to return from injured reserve and begin practicing with the team.

Patriots opened the 21-day practice window for A.J. Brown to return from a high ankle sprain suffered in the season-opening loss to the Seahawks. Listed as a limited participant in practice with heavily taped ankle; head coach Mike Vrabel was noncommittal on availability, stating they would assess by end of week.

Mayfield suffered a thumb injury in week three against Minnesota and remains in the early window for return. Despite his desire to play this week against Pittsburgh, he did not practice and a return is closer to a long shot than a sure thing. The source reported it was a three-week minimum injury, potentially longer, making this week's return unlikely.

The source notes that when Baker Mayfield returns from injury, the Buccaneers team is expected to suddenly be in contention, implying his return will meaningfully improve the team's playoff prospects and offensive performance.

Bo Nix and the Broncos face a tough Seattle defense on Thursday night; Denver's offense has struggled with Sean Payton back at play-calling, posting down numbers across the board in Week 1 against the Chargers, and will need to show improvement at home.

Braelon Allen, the Jets backup running back, performed as a workhorse with 24 carries against the Browns and powered the team to a victory last week. With Breece Hall's quad injury trending toward another missed game, Allen is positioned for continued heavy usage.

Breece Hall has a quad injury and is considered week-to-week. If he misses this week, it would be his third straight game missed. He did not practice today, trending toward him not playing this week.

Brock Bowers fits the role of a key playmaker for the Raiders against the Bills; all eyes will be on him as the Raiders attempt to stop a two-game slide, with the source highlighting his importance to the team's offensive production.

Caleb Williams returned to the practice field for the Bears, though the source notes that his return to practice does not guarantee he will play in the upcoming game.

Caleb Williams worked closer to the practice field and playing field than expected early in the week; he's listed as a full participant at walkthrough practice, which is an encouraging sign tracking toward his return. Originally a three to four week hamstring injury, he's missed three games and Sunday's return is very much in play against Atlanta.

Returned to full practice participation after suffering a quad contusion in the Cowboys' Thursday night loss to the Buccaneers. With extra time off before Sunday night's matchup against Green Bay, the belief within the organization is that Lamb should be good to go and not limited by the injury.

Carried ball nine times for 43 yards with one rushing touchdown against Green Bay. For second straight week was non-existent non-factor in second half, though Ben Johnson said this wasn't injury-related. Had hip injury last week but was full go during walkthrough this week and anticipated to remain healthy going forward.

Darius Cooper is emerging as a receiving option for the Eagles. Jalen Hurts name-checked Cooper during training camp as an emerging player, and Cooper has continued to emerge during the regular season as well, providing an alternative target in the absence of DeVonta Smith.

DeVonta Smith has been absent from the Eagles offense for the last couple of weeks, which is hurting the team's offensive production and Jalen Hurts' ability to execute the passing game effectively.

Drake May has felt A.J. Brown's impact even in his absence; head coach Mike Vrabel praised May's professionalism, noting his attentiveness to detail, care for teammates, and engagement watching games, describing him as a great teammate.

Drake May has rekindled the form that made him an MVP runner-up a year ago, leading the Patriots to the Super Bowl. Over his last couple of weeks, his team has averaged over 37 points per game with May scoring eight touchdowns on offense, demonstrating sustained high-level performance.

Fernando Mendoza made his NFL debut last week and could be part of a full transition at quarterback for the Raiders depending on how the team performs; the source says the Raiders are not yet in a window to accelerate Mendoza's role, but that could change if the team loses another game and falls below .500. The source expects the Raiders to want to see Mendoza in some capacity by season's end.

George Helani will provide secondary support in the Seahawks' backfield on Thursday against Denver, as Seattle looks to improve its run game.

Jadarian Price has been out, and his absence has contributed to the Seahawks' struggling run game heading into Thursday night against Denver.

Jalen Hurts has struggled in the second half of the season, completing just over 53% of passes during that stretch. The Eagles have gone three and out on 15 of 29 drives in the second half, indicating offensive inefficiency. Hurts needs to run the offense as designed to generate throwing opportunities for his receivers.

With Baker Mayfield sidelined by a thumb injury, Jalen Daniels continues as the Buccaneers' starting quarterback. Todd Bowles did not close the door on Mayfield's return but indicated nothing has changed and Daniels, who has played well, will continue in the role. Daniels engineered a victory over the Cowboys in week five.

Has emerged as the bell cow for Steelers run game that's really come to life lately. Steelers now have a balanced offensive attack with Warren running the ball, offensive line blocking well, and multiple receiving threats. He catches the ball out of backfield, and defenses haven't been able to load the box against him. Faces big test against Bucs, who are really good at stopping the run despite their record, but Steelers appear up for the challenge especially at Raymond James.

Kirk Cousins has just three touchdowns over the last two weeks as the Raiders have lost both games; the source indicates the Raiders are at a potential inflection point where a continued losing streak could accelerate the timeline for Fernando Mendoza to enter the game, though the current focus remains on Cousins.

Lamar Jackson did not return to practice on Monday as the Ravens prepare for the Browns; Ravens head coach Jesse Monken indicated it's day-to-day and acknowledged that a player of Lamar's caliber could potentially play Sunday without practicing two straight weeks. Adam Schefter reports there's still a realistic chance Lamar Jackson returns from his ankle injury for Sunday's game in Cleveland, noting the organization felt he could have played against the Falcons last week before ultimately holding him out. Schefter indicated the team feels mildly encouraged about his availability, with Thursday or Friday practice participation being an encouraging sign.

Did not play last week and did not practice today; availability for weekend matchup against Cleveland is uncertain. Ravens keeping close eye on his status for AFC North battle.

Marvin Harrison Jr., the newest Texan, was at practice for the first time in Houston; the source previews details on his potential debut with the team.

Penix returned to practice after a bruised rib suffered against Baltimore; MRI showed nothing serious. He made every throw in practice and reported feeling good to go. Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski indicated that barring setbacks this week, Penix will be ready to start Sunday against Chicago.

Penix has a significant matchup advantage against Chicago's struggling deep pass defense. The Bears have allowed 12 passes of 20+ yards in the air (most in the league), while Penix has completed 5 of 6 passes of 20+ yards with a perfect passer rating, one touchdown, and no interceptions in those situations.

Michael Penix Jr. was a full participant in practice after a rib injury kept him from finishing Sunday's loss to Baltimore; head coach Kevin Stefanski expects him to start and Penix reported feeling positive and improving daily.

Parker Washington has clearly become the Jaguars' wide receiver one after betting on himself and declining a three-year, $75 million extension in the Michael Wilson range; he showed it last week against the Eagles with two touchdowns including a big fourth-and-five slot fade, and the source expects him to command $30-35 million in the next offseason. At 5'10", he's the Jaguars' go-to tough guy over the middle of the field against the Texans' Will Anderson and Derrick Stingley Jr., and he thrives in primetime settings.

Patrick Mahomes is on 99 wins in 130 career starts and has a chance to win his 100th game in his 131st start, which would tie him with Tom Brady for the fewest starts prior to a 100th win amongst quarterbacks since 1950.

Mahomes is on pace to win his 100th game in his 131st start, which would tie him with Tom Brady for the fewest starts prior to 100th win amongst quarterbacks since 1950. He expressed that the bye week gives him time to rest his knee, reset, and reevaluate before moving forward with the right mindset.

Rashaad White will be the primary back for Seattle on Thursday against Denver with help from George Helani; White fumbled last week and has been working on ball security in practice, with scout team defenders instructed to punch at the ball to help him improve his handling.

Rasheed Rice, Chiefs wide receiver, missed another practice due to a hamstring injury and is unlikely to play Sunday against the Chargers. He has already missed a game and is now missing the opening week of practice, which is not an encouraging sign for his availability. The injury occurred against the Raiders when he grabbed his hamstring.

Sam Darnold threw two interceptions in last week's game and the Seahawks need to take pressure off him by improving their run game and establishing a secondary playmaker alongside JSN to reduce his passing load.

Held out of practice with a hamstring injury ahead of the Eagles-Panthers matchup. While the door remains open for a return this week, the DNP makes it harder to imagine both Barkley and Devante Smith returning; Barkley must progress from side field work to team drills Thursday into Friday to have a realistic chance.

Tyler Huntley started in place of Lamar Jackson against the Falcons in week five and won the game, demonstrating he can execute the Ravens' offense in Jackson's absence.

Tyson Bagent struggled enough in the game against Green Bay Packers that he was ultimately benched for Case Keenum, signaling his inability to hold the starting role and the Bears' preference to move on from him.

Seattle is hoping to get Zach Charbonnet back relatively soon to improve their run game, which has struggled especially since Jadarian Price has been out. His return would provide a boost to the Seahawks' ground attack.