NFL Player News
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Rasheen Ali RB | BAL
Ravens' Rasheen Ali: Logs limited practice Tuesday
Ali (hip) was a limited practice participant Tuesday.
Ali exited early from last Wednesday's Week 17 game due to a hip issue, but he was able to get on the field to practice (albeit in a limited fashion) during Baltimore's first session this week. The rookie running back's level of participation Wednesday and Thursday should shed more light on his likelihood of being able to suit up against the Browns on Saturday. Meanwhile, fellow backup ball carrier Justice Hill (concussion/illness) didn't practice at all Tuesday.
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Ty Johnson RB | BUF
Bills' Ty Johnson: Five touches against Jets
Johnson rushed four times for 16 yards and caught his lone target for nine yards in Sunday's 40-14 win over the Jets.
Johnson was mostly an afterthought in the Bills victory over the Jets, producing a modest 25 total yards in the contest. The veteran finished second in running back snaps (21), behind James Cook (32) and ahead of Ray Davis (16). Buffalo has clinched the No. 2 seed in the playoffs, so it's possible that head coach Sean McDermott could choose to rest his starters in the season finale. In that scenario, Johnson and Davis could both see an uptick in usage in place of Cook. The Bills will host the Patriots in Week 18.
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Ray Davis RB | BUF
Bills' Ray Davis: Records 13 total yards
Davis rushed six times for nine yards and caught his lone target for four yards in Sunday's 40-14 win over the Jets.
Davis played just 16 of the Bills 70 offensive snaps in Sunday's contest, finishing behind fellow running backs James Cook and Ty Johnson in playing time. Unfortunately for the rookie, he was unable to produce noteworthy fantasy numbers with his seven touches. With Buffalo clinching the No. 2 seed, however, it's possible that Davis could see a major uptick in usage in Week 18 if the Bills decide to rest their starters. This would give the Kentucky product a chance to see an expanded role in place of Cook, but he would likely split work with Johnson in this scenario. Up next for the Bills is a Week 18 matchup with the Patriots.
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Chase Brown RB | CIN
Bengals' Chase Brown: Sits out walk-through practice
Brown (ankle) didn't participate Tuesday in the Bengals' walk-through practice, Jay Morrison of SI.com reports.
Brown is tending to what's believed to be a mild right high-ankle sprain, which he suffered late in this past Saturday's 30-24 overtime win over the Broncos. Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said Monday that he's hoping Brown will be ready to play in Saturday's regular-season finale in Pittsburgh. If Brown is forced to sit out the Week 18 contest, Khalil Herbert would likely serve as the Bengals' top option out of the backfield.
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Patrick Taylor RB | SF
49ers' Patrick Taylor: Logs 13 snaps on offense
Taylor did not record a carry or a target while playing 13 offensive snaps (20 percent) in Monday's 40-34 loss to the Lions.
Taylor reverted to the backup role in San Francisco after rookie Isaac Guerendo returned from a one-game layoff. The 26-year-old Taylor logged 13 snaps on offense in addition to his usual eight on special teams, but it resulted in no offensive stats. With Guerendo no worse for wear after Monday's loss, Taylor figures to serve a similar reserve role in Sunday's season finale against the Cardinals.
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Trey Benson RB | ARI
Cardinals' Trey Benson: Won't play in Week 18
Arizona placed Benson (ankle) on injured reserve Tuesday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Benson will end up missing the final three games of his rookie season due to the ankle injury he sustained in a Dec. 15 win over the Patriots. Before getting hurt, the third-round pick out of Florida State had solidified his spot as the top backup to James Conner. Over 13 appearances, Benson gained 291 yards and a touchdown on 63 carries (4.6 average) while reeling in all six of his targets for 59 yards.
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Ezekiel Elliott RB | LAC
Ezekiel Elliott: Time in Dallas over
The Cowboys will waive Elliott on Tuesday, Josina Anderson of BovadaHub.com reports.
According to Anderson, Elliott asked for his release ahead of the Cowboys' season finale Sunday versus the Commanders, and Dallas honored his request. His second stint in Dallas left much to be desired, as Elliott scored three touchdowns and averaged a career-low 3.1 yards on 74 carries to go with 12 receptions for 69 yards over his 15 appearances. He was also a healthy inactive for a Week 9 loss to the Falcons, after a slew of missed meetings prompted Dallas to hold him out for that contest. While Elliott will be eligible to catch on with a contending team ahead of the playoffs once he clears waivers, he could struggle to find an opportunity after averaging fewer than 4.0 yards per carry in three straight seasons and offering no value on special teams.
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Lew Nichols RB | PIT
Lew Nichols: No longer on Philly's practice squad
The Eagles cut Nichols from their practice squad Tuesday.
Nichols had just signed to Philadelphia's practice squad last Thursday, but he didn't stick around long. The second-year running back hasn't yet made his NFL debut after being selected in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft by Green Bay. Nichols is likely to seek an opportunity with a different organization.
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Jaylen Warren RB | PIT
Steelers' Jaylen Warren: Nursing rib injury
Warren was a limited participant in practice Tuesday due to an injury to his ribs, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.
Even though the Steelers have a longer turnaround for the regular-season finale after playing on Christmas Day in Week 17, Warren is a bit banged up after he took on 16 touches (11 carries, five catches) in Pittsburgh's 29-10 loss to Kansas City. Provided Warren is able to advance to full participation in practice by Thursday, he should head into Saturday's contest without a designation. While Najee Harris should continue to start Saturday, Warren has out-touched him in the last two contests by 17-9 and 16-15 margins, though negative game scripts were a factor on both occasions.
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Justice Hill RB | BAL
Ravens' Justice Hill: Misses another practice
Hill (concussion/illness) didn't participate in practice Tuesday, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.
Per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said Monday that Hill is trending toward being available for Saturday's regular-season finale against the Browns, after the running back sat out the team's Week 17 win over the Texans with a concussion. Though Hill is seemingly on the cusp of exiting the NFL's five-step concussion protocol, an unrelated illness has kept him off the field for practice. Hill will likely need to log some practice activity Wednesday and/or Thursday in order for Harbaugh's prediction to come to fruition.