There were both encouraging appearances and concerning absences at Buffalo Bills' practice on Thursday in Orchard Park.

First, starting right tackle Spencer Brown, who missed the November 1 win due to back issues, was back on the practice field as the Bills kicked off preparations for their November 9 road matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

Making for more good news, both wide receiver DJ Moore and running back James Cook were seen participating during the media-viewing portion of practice (h/t WGR's Sal Capaccio). Moore and Cook were both nicked up during the fourth quarter in Week 8 and received in-game evaluations.

Prior to practice, Bills' head coach Joe Brady, who is mostly tight lipped when it comes to player injuries, reported that both Moore and Brown would participate in some capacity.

In another encouraging development, starting slot cornerback Dee Alford was also practicing. Alford was unavailable this past Sunday due to an ankle injury.

On the other hand, starting left tackle Dion Dawkins and starting left guard Alec Anderson were not on the field when media were present.

The Dawkins revelation comes as a surprise. Although he sat out the game's final four snaps, as did center Connor McGovern and quarterback Josh Allen, Dawkins wasn't known to be dealing with any kind of injury issue.

As for Anderson, he was banged up on the game's opening possession, but returned to the lineup after two missed snaps.

Additionally, backup defensive tackle Greg Gaines, who was injured during practice last week, was absent. Third-down running back Ty Johnson and wide receiver Josh Palmer were not spotted either. While the reason for Johnson's absence is unknown, Palmer pulled his hamstring during the first quarter last time out. He is expected to miss multiple weeks.

DJ Moore, James Cook status updates

Moore was questionable to play in Week 8 due to a shoulder injury that caused the wide receiver to miss back-to-back games heading into the team's bye.

On his final catch in the 36-10 victory, Moore was slow to get up after potentially hyperextending his leg on the tackle. After an evaluation, he emerged from the blue medical tent and appeared to share good news with Allen.

Josh Allen: "Is he in here?"

*DJ Moore walks out of the blue tent*

*Josh Allen smiles*#BillsMafia @BuffaloPlus pic.twitter.com/1uKDwF15H9

— Dan Fetes (@danfetes) November 1, 2026

Moore spoke to reporters following the win, and he reported nothing other than normal

football wear and tear. He was wearing a red non-contact jersey on Thursday as a precautionary measure to protect his shoulder.

"Like 90 percent, I feel good. Football, you always gonna have some nicks and bruises and probably got those. I don't feel them right now, but I probably feel them like in 15 minutes," said Moore.

Cook was folded in half on a fourth-quarter carry, remaining down on the turf after the play for a minute. After eventually springing to his feet, he went off to the the medical tent where the independent neurologist evaluated the running back for a head injury.

He was cleared to return, but remained on the sidelines with the Bills in firm control. Cook wore a guardian cap during Thursday's practice.

What we know about Alec Anderson's injury

Anderson appeared to jam up his right left somehow on a first-quarter red zone play. With wide receiver Khalil Shakir scoring a touchdown, that was subsequently taken off the board after review, at the right pylon, Anderson was engaged with a defender across the field.

Backup Austin Corbett replaced Anderson for the remainder of the drive before the starter returned for the next possession. Anderson also spoke to reporters in the locker room afterwards, and he did not appear to be dealing with any issues.

Tracking Spencer Brown's progress

Brown, who has a history of back issues, experienced a flare-up back on October 12, leaving the game after only 16 snaps. He returned to play the entire Week 6 game six days later in Las Vegas, but his back apparently did not respond well during the bye week.

After missing two consecutive practices, Brown participated in a limited capacity last Friday. He was questionable on the injury report with the Bills intending to take the decision up until game time. Eventually scratching Brown, the Bills started Tylan Grable at right tackle.

Spencer Brown pic.twitter.com/Ka1OdvGZcz

— Sal Capaccio 🏈 (@SalSports) November 5, 2026