NFL Player News

Strong (concussion) did not participate at practice Wednesday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Strong suffered a concussion during Sunday's game versus the Dolphins, and now his availability for Week 18 is in jeopardy. He'll likely have to practice Thursday to be able to suit up Saturday at Baltimore.

Hill (concussion/illness) isn't practicing Wednesday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Hill hasn't practiced since suffering a concussion Week 16, but at this point, his absence may be due to an illness more so than the head injury, considering Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday that Hill is trending in the right direction for Saturday's game against Cleveland. The running back has three more days to recover from his illness and clear concussion protocol before Baltimore's regular-season finale.

Pacheco (ribs) isn't practicing Wednesday, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Pacheco is dealing with a rib injury that he suffered in last Wednesday's win over Pittsburgh. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Monday that Pacheco is expected to be ready for the team's first playoff game in the divisional round and also indicated that the running back will be "held back" in practice this week. Kansas City is almost certain to rest many starters in Sunday's regular-season finale in Denver, and Pacheco is a near lock to be among those who won't suit up. The Chiefs have the luxury of playing their backups in Week 18 by virtue of having already clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs.

Steele said Wednesday that he's been told he'll receive "extra work" Sunday against Denver, though the specifics of his role aren't yet clear, Pete Sweeney of ArrowheadPride.com reports.

The Chiefs will be resting most of their starters in the regular-season finale with the team having already clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. Isiah Pacheco almost certainly won't play since he's dealing with a rib injury, while Kareem Hunt -- who has been co-leading the backfield with Pacheco of late -- probably will see limited work, if any. The likely absences or limitations placed on Pacheco and Hunt would leave most of the snaps at running back available for Steele and Samaje Perine. Steele has suited up for all 16 of the Chiefs' games to date, carrying 48 times for 158 yards and no touchdowns while adding five catches for 24 yards on nine targets.

Brown (ankle) isn't practicing Wednesday, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

Brown also missed a walk-through practice Tuesday, after injuring his right ankle late in the fourth quarter of an eventual overtime win over the Broncos this past Saturday. Khalil Herbert played every snap on offense after Brown's departure and could get a big workload in Saturday's regular-season finale against Pittsburgh if Brown doesn't play.

Sanders (ankle), who was designated for return from injured reserve, practiced fully Wednesday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

The Panthers officially designated Sanders for return from IR on Wednesday, two days after head coach Dave Canales told David Newton of ESPN.com that the running back had a chance to return to action Week 18. Sanders has been sidelined since Week 10, and he averaged just 3.7 yards per carry on his 38 totes prior to suffering a sprained ankle. However, with Chuba Hubbard (knee) and Jonathon Brooks (knee) on IR, Sanders would be the most accomplished back for Carolina if he's activated for Sunday's game in Atlanta. Raheem Blackshear, Mike Boone and Velus Jones are the current healthy options at the position.

Ford (ankle) isn't taking part in practice Wednesday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Ford was deemed a non-participant for Tuesday's walk-through practice, and his continued absence Wednesday makes Thursday's session a critical one in determining his chances of playing Saturday against the Ravens. If Ford is out this weekend or available in only a limited capacity, D'Onta Foreman would likely be next in line for carries, with Pierre Strong (concussion) -- if available -- and John Kelly also in the mix.

Head coach Nick Sirianni said Wednesday that the Eagles plan to rest Barkley and other starters Sunday against the Giants, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Barkley needs just 101 rushing yards to break Eric Dickerson's NFL single-season record of 2,105 yards, but with the 13-3 Eagles locked in as the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs, he'll prioritize his health for the postseason above chasing down the record. Kenneth Gainwell and Will Shipley (concussion) -- if available -- are next in line for work out of Philadelphia's backfield, with Tyrion Davis-Price representing a candidate to be elevated from the practice squad.

The Commanders designated Ekeler (concussion) for return from injured reserve Wednesday. the 21-day practice window for Ekeler, who was placed on IR on Nov. 30 due to a concussion.

The transaction opens a 21-day window wherein Ekeler can be evaluated for a return from IR, after the Commanders deactivated him Nov. 30. A decision on Ekeler's status for Sunday's regular-season finale against the Cowboys hasn't bene made, but the veteran running back looks like he'll at least be able to get in some practice reps this week. If Ekeler ultimately gets the green light to play this weekend, he would probably be eased back into the mix. Washington also has Brian Robinson, Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez on hand to pick up reps out of the backfield in Week 18.

McNichols rushed once for five yards and caught two of three targets for five yards in Sunday's 30-24 win over the Falcons.

McNichols operated as the Commanders' No. 2 running back behind Brian Robinson, playing just 22 of Washington's 83 offensive snaps Sunday. The 29-year-old running back has not been involved much on the ground lately, handling just five total carries since the Week 14 bye. Based on his limited usage, McNichols should not be relied upon for fantasy when the Commanders host the Cowboys in Week 18.