NFL Player News

Penny (knee) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official sitereports.

This was a mere formality, as Penny is slated to have surgery to repair his torn ACL, which he suffered last Sunday against the Rams. The 2018 first-round pick does not have a recovery timetable set as of yet, but it's possible the extensive knee injury could ultimately force Penny to miss portions of the 2020 season as well, though more information regarding the expected timeline won't occur until some time after the initial surgery.

Hills was signed to the Lions' active roster Saturday.

Hills figures to be a depth piece for a beat-up Lions backfield, although it's unlikely his stay with the 53-man roster will be for long, as Kerryon Johnson (knee) is expected to make his return as soon as next week.

Sanders will start at running back Sunday against the Redskins after the Eagles ruled out Jordan Howard (shoulder) on Saturday.

At this point, it's fair to wonder if Howard will play at all the rest of the season, as head coach Doug Pederson suggested Friday the veteran tailback was still not yet cleared for contact. Sanders was disappointing in a solid matchup against the Giants in Week 14 as a starter, registering just 69 total yards despite close to 20 touches, but he'll have yet another opportunity to shine against the Redskins, who have allowed at least 100 yards rushing to running backs in seven of the last eight weeks.

Edwards had five carries for 35 yards in Thursday's 42-21 win over the Jets.

Baltimore turned to Edwards to close things out Thursday, giving him three carries in the second half. Edwards has been effective when given opportunities, averaging 5.2 yards per carry, but his workload has been inconsistent. He's only seen double-digit carries twice all season and both of those instances came during blowouts. Edwards also has little involvement in the passing game with just five targets, keeping his weekly floor fairly low. He and the Ravens will travel to Cleveland to take on the Browns in Week 16.

Williams (rib), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Broncos, missed practice Friday due to an illness, BJ Kissel of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Williams had been a limited participant in practices Wednesday and Thursday, so his downgrade in activity therefore can't be attributed to a setback with his rib issue, which cost him the previous two games. Even if Williams does suit up this weekend, it'll be difficult to predict what his Week 15 workload might look like with LeSean McCoy, Spencer Ware and Darwin Thompson also in the team's backfield mix. Added clarity on Williams' Week 15 status should arrive no later than Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET, when the Chiefs release their inactive list 90 minutes ahead of kickoff.

Boone is expected to fill in for the injured Alexander Mattison (ankle) as the Vikings' No. 2 running back in Sunday's game against the Chargers, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. "I'm expecting big things from Boone and he knows that," lead back Dalvin Cook said of his new backup. "He's ready to go, no doubt about it. I'm ready to see him light it up. There's no drop off.''

The Vikings eased up on a banged-up Cook's usage in a comfortable 20-7 win over the Lions in Week 14, allowing Mattison (16 touches) and Boone (five touches) to see more work than usual. Mattison tweaked his ankle along the way and wasn't able to practice at any point this week, clearing the way for Boone to move up a spot on the depth chart. With Cook's health seemingly in a better spot this week and the Vikings set to face what appears to be a more formidable opponent in Los Angeles, Boone probably won't be in store for much more than a change-of-pace role that will likely entail fewer than 10 touches.

Williams (rib) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Broncos after not practicing Friday.

Though soreness on the left side of his rib cage prevented Williams from playing in the past two games and limited his participation in practices Wednesday and Thursday, it was an illness that kept him off the field Friday, per Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star. The missed opportunity to upgrade his activity level in practice will result in Williams carrying a designation into the weekend, making it difficult to project if he'll be ready to go once Sunday arrives. If Williams ends up sitting out or has his workload limited, LeSean McCoy, Spencer Ware and Darwin Thompson would form a three-headed backfield committee for Kansas City.

Jacobs (shoulder), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's contest against the Jaguars, indicated Friday that he plans to play, though he wouldn't guarantee that outcome, Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Additionally, Jacobs noted that he won't need offseason surgery on his fractured right shoulder plate, but he'll likely require about a month and a half of rest and rehab to make a full recovery. As for Sunday's contest, Jacobs seems prepared to tough it out, but he should still be treated as a game-time decision ahead of the Raiders' 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff. In the event that he ends up scratched or limited at all, DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard would be in line for added touches out of the team's backfield. Washington played 63 percent of offensive snaps in last week's 42-21 loss to the Titans, piling up 96 total yards on 14 carries and seven targets.

Henry (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Texans after not practicing in any capacity this week, Erik Bacharach of The Tennessean reports.

Normally a full week with no practice would set the stage for an inactive status on game day. However, Henry who has been getting conditioning work on the treadmill, according to Turron Davenport of ESPN.com, noted Thursday that he'll be ready to go "when Sunday comes," per Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site. While the running back's comments in recent days suggest that he plans to tough things out against Houston, those considering Henry in Week 15 fantasy lineups are strongly urged to verify his status in advance of Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff.

Patterson (head) was a full participant in Friday's practice, Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Patterson was limited in Thursday's practice due to a head injury, but he now looks back to full health. He's on track to fill his usual duties on the Bears' kick-return unit and as a depth wideout during Sunday's tilt with the Packers.