NFL Player News

Conner (heel) didn't practice Wednesday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Conner has yet to practice due to the heel issue that he picked up coming out of the Cardinals' Week 15 loss to the Lions. Last week, his availability came down to the wire before he was ultimately inactive ahead of the Cardinals' loss to the Colts. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Wednesday that Conner will be in a similar situation this week, with the running back's status likely coming down to a game-time call ahead of a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday in Dallas, according to Urban. Conner would do himself well by mixing into drills Thursday and/or Friday, but it should be noted that position mate Chase Edmonds (back) was limited by in Wednesday's session, placing a cloud over both of the top two options out of the Arizona backfield.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday that the 49ers expect to activate Sermon (ankle) from injured reserve before Sunday's game against the Texans, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Absent for the past four contests due to a sprained right ankle, Sermon set himself up for a return in the near future by getting back on the practice field last Wednesday. Assuming Shanahan's statement comes to pass, Sermon may find it difficult to be a part of the offense if Elijah Mitchell (knee) also puts an end to a three-game absence this weekend. If Mitchell is available, he could take on his usual workhorse role, while his stand-in, Jeff Wilson, would be next up for early-down reps. JaMycal Hasty also is on hand for change-of-pace work, which could limit Sermon's chances to get on the field.

Mitchell (knee) will be a limited practice participant Wednesday, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Mitchell sustained a concussion Week 13 at Seattle, and while recovering from the head injury it was discovered that he was dealing with knee irritation. He cleared the concussion protocol last Monday, but the latter issue kept him sidelined for a third consecutive contest last Thursday in Tennessee. Mitchell's appearance on the practice field Wednesday will mark his first since picking up the initial health concern, which may pave the way for him to return to action this Sunday against the Texans.

Stevenson (illness) was back at practice Wednesday after being removed from the reserve/COVID-19 list, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Stevenson, who missed last week's loss to the Bills, is thus poised to rejoin the New England backfield for Sunday's game against the Jaguars. He'll be in line to share early down work with Damien Harris, while Brandon Bolden handles a change-of-pace role.

Gibson was a limited practice participant Wednesday due to a hip injury, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Gibson dealt with a shin fracture for most of the season and more recently a toe injury, but it's the hip issue that has him listed as limited to begin Week 17. He'll more than likely give it a go this Sunday against the Eagles following a limited workload in the Week 16 blowout loss to Dallas. Gibson was one of the few bright spots for Washington during a brutal first half, but he barely played over the final two quarters while the game was well out of reach.

Head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Wednesday that Conner (heel) remains day-to-day and will likely be a game-time decision for Sunday's tilt with the Cowboys, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Kingsbury characterized wideout Rondale Moore (ankle) the same way. If Conner, who was inactive for the Cardinals' Week 16 loss to the Colts, remains out this weekend, fellow running back Chase Edmonds would once again be in line for an expanded role in the Arizona backfield.

Barkley (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

There have been whispers from the media about the Giants possibly shutting Barkley down, but both team and player have suggested that's not the plan. He's simply managing his ankle injury, and while Devontae Booker may continue to steal a large chunk of the backfield snaps and touches in a struggling offense, Barkley is also expected to stay involved, barring any setbacks. Week 17 brings a trip to Chicago, where Barkley suffered his ACL tear last September.

Swift (shoulder) is expected to play in Sunday's game in Seattle, with Lions head coach Dan Campbell joking that the running back will be "shut down" after Week 18, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Campbell is poking fun at reports that suggested Swift might be held out for the final couple of games even if he was healthy enough to play. Swift may still need to prove his health on the practice field this week, but the Lions apparently are optimistic after he managed limited participation in practices last Wednesday through Friday before he was inactive for Sunday's loss to Atlanta. His return for the final two weeks would mean less work for Jamaal Williams and Craig Reynolds, even if Swift's role isn't quite as large as it was earlier in the season.

Funk carried once for minus-1 yard while playing two of the Rams' 70 offensive snaps in Sunday's 30-23 win over the Vikings.

Sony Michel carried the load for the Rams, toting the rock 27 times and leaving little work left over for anyone else. With Darrell Henderson (knee) moving to injured reserve Tuesday, Funk could be first in line to ascend to the No. 2 role Week 17 in Baltimore, but he's not likely to have a major role behind Michel. Additionally, Cam Akers (Achilles) could be ready to make his season debut this weekend, in which case Funk would be third in line for backfield work.

Cook (illness) was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday and will be available for Sunday's game in Green Bay, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Back with the Vikings after sitting out last week's 30-23 loss to the Rams, Cook should be on track to return to his lead role out of the backfield in Green Bay. Some players have seen reduced workloads in their first game back from bouts with COVID-19, but Cook's return to practice early in the week helps his odds of avoiding that outcome. He initially was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Dec 23.