NFL Player News

Williams (knee) has no injury designation for Sunday's game against the Raiders, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

Williams and Melvin Gordon (thumb/hip) both have been cleared to play after upgrading from limited practice participation Thursday to full sessions Friday. Their timeshare remains close to 50/50, with both taking double-digit touches on a regular basis.

Harris (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bills after practicing in a limited fashion this week.

Meanwhile, Rhamondre Stevenson (illness) has been ruled out for the contest, while Brandon Bolden (knee) is also listed as questionable. As long as both Harris and Bolden are active this weekend, we'd expect Harris to handle the bulk of the Patriots' early-down work and Bolden to work in a change-of-pace role, with J.J. Taylor in reserve. Fortunately for those inclined to use Harris in Week 16 fantasy lineups, New England kicks off against Buffalo at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Gordon (thumb/hip) and Javonte Williams (knee) both avoided designations on the final injury report for Sunday's game against Las Vegas, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

With that, the two running backs figure to continue in their timeshare, which remains close to 50-50 when both are healthy. Gordon missed Week 13, but he took 40 touches over the past two weeks combined and now faces a beatable Raiders defense.

Stevenson (illness) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bills, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Stevenson won't be available this weekend after missing practice this past week, and in his absence expect Damien Harris (hamstring) to head the Patriots' Week 16 rushing attack, with Brandon Bolden (knee) serving as the team's primary change-of-pace back. That said, both Harris and Bolden officially are listed as questionable by the team, so it's advisable to confirm their statuses prior to New England's 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday.

Patterson may be headed for a larger role in Washington's game plan Sunday in Dallas with lead back Antonio Gibson (toe) listed as questionable after not practicing in any capacity this week, Ben Standig of The Athletic reports.

According to Matthew Paras of The Washington Times, head coach Ron Rivera said Friday that Gibson is dealing with an injury similar to the case of turf toe that sidelined the running back for two games in 2020. While Rivera noted that Gibson feels better this time around compared to last season, Standig also relayed that the coach "wasn't oozing with optimism" about the 23-year-old's chances of playing. Even if Gibson suits up Sunday, Washington could still look to lighten his workload to some degree, given that the Football Team is playing on a short week and along with the fact that he's coming off a 21-touch outing against the Eagles. Patterson has logged eight carries for 49 yards and a touchdown over the past two games, with his healthy 6.1 yards-per-carry average potentially setting him up for more work in the next few weeks even if Gibson was in better health.

Barkley (ankle) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game in Philadelphia, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.

While he never appeared in serious danger of missing the game, Barkley has lost more work to Devontae Booker the past couple weeks in addition to the overall problems with New York's offense. A new starting quarterback, Jake Fromm, won't necessarily help, but Barkley does at least figure to get a good number of touches, as the Giants have kept both him and Booker fairly busy while unable to push the ball downfield.

Pollard (foot) doesn't have a designation for Sunday's contest against Washington, David Helman of the Cowboys' official site reports.

After sitting out Week 14 in Washington due to a torn fascia in his left foot, Pollard returned to his typical workload this past Sunday against the Giants, turning 41 percent of snaps into 15 touches for 87 yards. While he'll be working behind Ezekiel Elliott (knee) again this weekend, Pollard should be in line for something similar to the 11.8 touches per game he's earned through 13 appearances this season.

Homer was removed from the reserve/COVID-19 list Friday.

Homer's return could take some snaps/touches away from DeeJay Dallas, the other back Seattle has used on passing downs this year. Homer has 14 carries and 17 targets in 11 games, with his most impactful play being a 73-yard TD on a fake punt.

Sanders (quadriceps) doesn't have a designation for Sunday's game against the Giants.

Sanders was held out of practice all week due to a quad concern, but clearly the absences were maintenance related, as the issue won't keep him from suiting up for Week 16 action. If he's set to take on his usual allotment of snaps, he could be in line for a significant workload again after earning 47 touches in the Eagles' last two contests, which could yield fruit versus a Giants defense that has conceded 153.6 yards from scrimmage per game to running backs this season.

Brightwell (neck) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Eagles, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Brightwell suffered the neck injury last week against the Cowboys and will be sidelined for at least one game. Saquon Barkley (ankle) and Devontae Booker are the only other running backs on the active roster, so the Giants could add a back from the practice squad for depth purposes this weekend.