Sports

The Panthers held a walkthrough Wednesday ahead of Sunday's game against the Dolphins.

The team's injury report is an estimation, but running back Chuba Hubbard is among the five players listed as non-participants.

He popped up on the report last Thursday with a calf injury that limited him in the final two practices in Week 4. The Panthers gave him a questionable injury designation, but he played 35 of 69 snaps and had 13 touches for 69 yards.

Right tackle Taylor Moton (non-injury-related, rest), tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders (ankle), defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton (toe), and cornerback Chau Smith-Wade (chest) were also estimated as non-participants.

Outside linebacker D.J. Wonnum (hip) was listed as limited.

Outside linebacker Patrick Jones II (hamstring), center Cade Mays (knee), wide receivers Xavier Legette (hamstring) and Tetairoa McMillan (calf), defensive tackle Cam Jackson (knee) and defensive end LaBryan Ray (ankle) were listed as full participants.

It was Ray's return to practice after spending four weeks on injured reserve. He now is eligible to return at any time in a 21-day window.

Wide receiver Alec Pierce is getting closer to returning to action for the Colts.

Pierce missed last Sunday's loss to the Rams with a concussion, but he was a full participant in practice on Wednesday. That indicates progress toward clearing the concussion protocol and an absence of symptoms in the coming days should lead to Pierce being cleared to play against the Raiders in Week 5.

Linebacker Zaire Franklin (ankle), running back Tyler Goodson (groin), cornerback Xavien Howard (personal), cornerback Kenny Moore (calf), and safety Daniel Scott (knee) did not practice for the Colts.

Right guard Matt Goncalves (toe) was the team's only limited participant on Wednesday.

On the day the Browns benched veteran quarterback Joe Flacco for rookie Dillon Gabriel, it's natural for the media to seek comments from Flacco, Gabriel, and the team's other quarterback: rookie Shedeur Sanders.

And so Sanders met with reporters in the locker room. In response to every question, he smiled, moved his mouth, but didn’t speak.

It's unclear whether miming answers satisfies the league's media policy. In past situations, the NFL's position has been that the player only has to be available to take questions; answers don't have to be given. For Marshawn Lynch, it was acceptable to repeatedly say, "I'm just here so I don't get fined."

It's also unclear why Sanders opted for silence. He was possibly unwilling to toe the party line regarding the depth chart, which still has him at No. 3. Or maybe he was responding to the reaction to his recent remarks regarding his readiness to play — and his belief that he's better than some quarterbacks who are playing.

Then there's the possibility that he would have been asked about his decision to ask the Ravens not to draft him, given that he'd be playing this week (if he had beaten out Cooper Rush to be the primary backup to Lamar Jackson).

Regardless, Shedeur made a headline on the day Gabriel leapfrogged Flacco. Even if he did it without saying a single word.