CINCINNATI -- It appears Vontaze Burfict will be out a fourth straight game as the linebacker missed the Cincinnati Bengals' Thanksgiving Day practice.

Coach Marvin Lewis said Wednesday that although Burfict wouldn't practice that day, there was a good chance he would return to practice at some point this week. With their game on the road Sunday at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Bengals only have one practice left this week: Friday's.

If Burfict goes Friday, don't view it as a sign he will be ready for Sunday. View it instead as a sign that he might be ready in time for next week's home game against the Steelers.

Since last Wednesday, Burfict had been spending practice time rehabbing and going through conditioning drills on the side as he works his way back from arthroscopic knee surgery. He had the procedure done Nov. 3, a day after he tweaked his knee while trying to shed a block against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He finished that game. The knee injury has just been the latest in a series of ailments for the linebacker this season. He had head and neck issues in three of the first four games he played this season.

Burfict, one year removed from a Pro Bowl second season, has only finished three games this season.

Along with Burfict, the Bengals were again without defensive end Margus Hunt and a pair of players who were fighting off illnesses. Linebacker Nico Johnson and receiver Greg Little were the third and fourth players to miss practice this week because of illnesses. Receiver Mohamed Sanu and long snapper Clark Harris also missed Wednesday's practice because of sicknesses, but returned Thursday.

Cornerback Adam Jones, who wasn't even at the facility Wednesday, practiced fully Thursday. According to the injury report, he had been out with non-injury related tooth issue.

Here's the full Thursday injury report:

DID NOT PRACTICE

LB Burfict (knee)

DE Hunt (ankle)

LB Johnson (illness; non-injury related)

LS Little (illness; non-injury related)

OT Andrew Whitworth (veteran's day off)

LIMITED PRACTICE PARTICIPATION

DE Robert Geathers (toe)

S George Iloka (groin)

FULL PRACTICE PARTICIPATION

CB Jones (tooth; non-injury related)

LS Harris (illness; non-injury related)

WR Sanu (illness; non-injury related)

OL Mike Pollak (knee)