NFL Player News

Wilson is slated to be the 49ers' lead running back Thursday at Tennessee after Elijah Mitchell (knee) was ruled out for the contest.

Mitchell cleared the concussion protocol earlier this week, but his knee issue was bothersome enough to keep him off the practice field Tuesday and Wednesday and on the sideline for a third straight game. Wilson has taken on a majority share of the running back reps in the meantime, racking up 36 touches for 175 yards from scrimmage and one rushing TD. JaMycal Hasty is the only other RB on the active roster, but wide receiver Deebo Samuel and even fullback Kyle Juszczyk are likelier options to earn touches out of the backfield behind Wilson.

Armah reverted to Washington's practice squad Wednesday.

Armah was elevated to Washington's active roster for Week 15, as the team was thin on tight end depth. Although Armah didn't see the field, it seems that the full-back has earned the now third-string tight end role with Washington. Expect Armah to get elevated again if John Bates or Ricky Seals-Jones face any injuries.

Williams (knee) was listed as a limited practice participant Wednesday, Rachel Gossen of the Raiders' official site reports.

In this past Sunday's loss to the Bengals, Williams played through a knee issue that had him listed as questionable heading into the contest. With that in mind, there's a solid chance his Wednesday limitations were maintenance-related. Meanwhile, Melvin Gordon (thumb/hip) logged a 'DNP' on Wednesday, but so far there's nothing to suggest that the duo won't be available for this weekend's game against the Raiders.

Jacobs (illness) was listed as a non-participant in Wednesday's walkthrough, Rachel Gossen of the Raiders' official site reports.

It remains to be seen if Jacobs' illness might impact his availability for Thursday's practice, but all things considered league-wide his status is now worth monitoring as Sunday's game against the Broncos approaches. Next up for the Raiders' RB reps if Jacobs misses the session or is limited are Peyton Barber and Jalen Richard.

New England listed Harris (hamstring) as a limited participant in Wednesday's practice.

After sitting out last week's loss to Indianapolis with the hamstring injury, Harris is starting off Week 16 prep on a positive note by practicing in some fashion. However, since Harris was listed as a limited participant in practice on three occasions before being ruled out ahead of the Week 15 contest, he would ideally upgrade to full activity by Friday for fantasy managers to feel confident about his availability for Sunday's game against the Bills. At least for the moment, Harris looks to be healthier than Rhamondre Stevenson, who sat out Wednesday's session entirely with an illness. If both Harris and Stevenson are cleared to play Sunday, the two would likely work in a timeshare out of the New England backfield.

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

Robinson was once again a limited practice participant to begin the week as he continues to manage the knee injury down the stretch. If the trend from recent weeks holds, the 23-year-old will rest at Thursday's practice before returning as a full participant for Friday's session.

Stevenson missed Wednesday's practice due to an illness, Zack Cox of NESN.com reports.

As a result, Stevenson's status is worth monitoring in advance of Sunday's game against the Bills. Meanwhile, fellow running back Damien Harris (hamstring) logged a limited practice Wednesday after missing the Patriots' Week 15 loss to the Colts. If Stevenson and Harris are both available this weekend, the would likely settle back into a timeshare arrangement.

The Panthers removed McCaffrey (ankle) from the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of Sportstalk 790 Houston reports.

McCaffrey already was ruled out for the season with the sprained left ankle, but he'll head back to injured reserve following a positive test for the virus last Tuesday. Chuba Hubbard and Ameer Abdullah will continue to split the Panthers' backfield reps for the rest of the campaign. According to Jonathan M. Alexander of The Charlotte Observer, McCaffrey won't need surgery to address the ankle injury, so he should be ready to go for OTAs after a few months of rest and rehab.

The Chargers placed Ekeler on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday after he tested positive for the virus, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Reports surfaced Monday suggesting that Ekeler was headed to the list, but it wasn't until Wednesday that the running back was officially deactivated. According to Daniel Popper of The Athletic noted Monday that Ekeler is day-to-day, which suggests that he's vaccinated and therefore has a chance to play Sunday in Houston if he can test out of the NFL's COVID-19 protocol. If not, Justin Jackson would be the top candidate to replace Ekeler as the Chargers' lead back.

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

Conner has yet to be listed as anything more than a non-participant on the Cardinals' first two Week 16 practice reports. There's been no word from the team whether he's in danger of sitting out Saturday against the Colts, but his status bears watching to get a sense of his availability. Conner split backfield reps with Chase Edmonds this past Sunday in Detroit, earning 42 percent of snaps and 10 touches to the latter's 40 and six, respectively.