NFL Player News

Evans (ankle) was a limited practice participant Wednesday.

Evans didn't practice last week and missed his second straight game in the Bengals' overtime loss to the 49ers, so his return to practice to begin Week 15 is a good sign for his recovery. The 24-year-old could avoid an injury designation for this weekend's game against the Broncos if he can progress to full participation over the next couple days.

Chargers head coach Brandon Staley said Ekeler (ankle), who is listed as questionable for Thursday's contest against Kansas City, is "just sore" and is being viewed as a game-time decision, Gilbert Manzano of The Orange County Register reports. "We're going to make sure before the game that he's feeling OK," Staley said.

After going down as a limited participant on the practice reports the Chargers released Tuesday and Wednesday, Ekeler looks to be trending toward an active status for Week 15, barring a setback in pregame warmups. Even so, fantasy managers planning on using Ekeler this week will still want to verify that he avoids the Chargers' inactive list, which will be released 90 minutes prior to Thursday's 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff. If active, Ekeler could still be at risk of having his snap count and touches managed more carefully than usual.

Jones (knee) was listed as a limited participant during Wednesday's walk-through practice, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Jones' limited reps to begin Week 15 is likely related to the sprained MCL of his right knee that he sustained back in Week 10 against the Seahawks. He missed one game as a result of the injury, and in two appearances since then he's combined for 18 touches for 88 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. Fellow running back AJ Dillon received far more work over those two contests, parlaying 40 touches into 161 total yards and one receiving score. Assuming Jones is able to continue playing through the issue, he may take a back seat to Dillon once again Sunday in Baltimore until he's closer to 100 percent.

Robinson (heel/knee) was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice.

Robinson picked up only six carries for four yards during Sunday's 20-0 loss to the Titans, but on a positive note, he doesn't appear to have suffered an aggravation of either of his lingering injuries. A report surfaced last week indicating that the 23-year-old is expected to rest every Thursday for the rest of the season, so he'll likely be listed as a non-participant on the Jaguars' second injury report of Week 15.

Harris (hamstring) was listed as a limited practice participant Wednesday.

The fact that Harris has been able to work in a limited fashion on consecutive days coming off New England's Week 14 bye suggests that he has a chance to suit up Saturday against the Colts, though there's a solid chance he'll approach the contest with a questionable designation. If he's cleared ahead of the 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff, Harris may still face competition for carries from Rhamondre Stevenson, who has taken on an enhanced profile in the New England rushing attack in recent weeks.

Pollard (foot) was a non-participant at Wednesday's practice, David Helman of the Cowboys' official site reports.

Prior to the session, head coach Mike McCarthy told Helman that he expected Pollard to be a limited participant. According to Todd Archer of ESPN.com, Pollard managed his typical resistance work on the side, but in the end, it didn't translate to any practice reps. McCarthy also relayed that the Cowboys are "feeling a lot better" about Pollard's odds to suit up this Sunday against the Giants than they were before he eventually was ruled for their Week 14 game at Washington, per Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News. Pollard is attempting to miss just one contest as a result of a torn plantar fascia in his left foot.

Walter (illness) wasn't listed on Wednesday's injury report, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Walter was active for last week's win over the Saints but didn't take the field due to an illness. However, it appears as though he'll be available Sunday against Miami. While the 25-year-old was expected to take on a key role against New Orleans, he's unlikely to see much playing time against the Dolphins since Tevin Coleman (concussion) and Michael Carter (ankle) are both expected to return to the field this week.

Ekeler (ankle), who is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Chiefs, is slated to go through a pregame warmup before the Chargers decide on his status for the contest, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

Safety Derwin James (hamstring) and cornerback Asante Samuel (concussion) will also go through workouts before the Chargers determine their availability, though Ekeler's involvement in practices Tuesday and Wednesday would appear to bode well for his chances of gaining clearance prior to Thursday's 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff. If Ekeler ends up sitting out Week 15 or takes on a lighter workload than normal, Justin Jackson, Joshua Kelley and possibly Larry Rountree could all have enhanced roles in the offensive game plan.

Gordon (thumb) is practicing Wednesday, after head coach Vic Fangio previously said the running back would be held out, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

Gordon returned to Sunday's win over the Lions after injuring his thumb and apparently doesn't want to miss practice time this week. He'll likely suit up this weekend against the Bengals and continue sharing work with Javonte Williams.

Mitchell, who won't practice Wednesday due to a concussion and knee irritation, worked on a side field with a member of the 49ers' training staff, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Mitchell wasn't spotted on the field at all last week, so this is a somewhat positive development, even if it doesn't translate to practice reps. Still, he has multiple checkpoints to clear as he works his way through the five-step concussion protocol, making it far from certain that he'll put an end to a one-game absence this weekend against the Falcons. While Mitchell was sidelined this past Sunday against the Bengals, Jeff Wilson served as the primary runner for San Francisco, finishing with 13 carries for 56 yards, while receiver Deebo Samuel matched his season high with eight carries to go with one reception.