NFL Player News

Mixon (illness) doesn't carry an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Browns.

Mixon sat out Thursday's practice after coming down with an illness, but he returned to the field Friday as a full participant to clear up any concern about his status heading into the season finale. The veteran back has played more than 60 percent of the offensive snaps in all but one of Cincinnati's 16 games to date, but given that the 8-8 Bengals are eliminated from the playoffs and have little at stake in Week 18, it's possible the coaching staff looks to lighten Mixon's workload heading into the offseason. If that's the case, rookie fifth-round pick Chase Brown could take on a heightened role as Cincinnati's No. 2 option out of the backfield.

Mostert (knee/ankle) returned to practice Friday, Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald reports.

Mostert -- who was inactive for Miami's Week 17 loss to Baltimore -- missed practices Wednesday and Thursday, but the running back's participation in Friday's session suggests that he could be available Sunday against the Bills. The Dolphins' upcoming injury report will be released later Friday and will add further context with regard to Mostert's status for Miami's regular-season finale.

Dillon (neck/thumb) isn't practicing Friday, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

A third straight missed practice suggests Dillon isn't likely to play Sunday against the Bears. Even if Dillon suits up, Aaron Jones figures to take a comfortable majority of the RB touches in a crucial game for the Packers.

Miller (ankle) was a limited participant in practice for the second straight day Thursday.

The running back has missed seven straight games with the ankle injury. Miller has 28 carries for 83 yards and no touchdowns this season, and he remains behind Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams on the depth chart.

Mitchell (illness) was limited at practice Thursday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Mitchell wasn't able to mix into drills Wednesday due to an illness, so his return in some capacity one day later is a step in the right direction as the 49ers prepare for Sunday's game against the Rams. The team will be without at least quarterback Brock Purdy (coach's decision) and running back Christian McCaffrey (calf) in that contest, which may lead to a more run-based focus with backup Sam Darnold under center. A healthy Mitchell would be a candidate to be the primary beneficiary, and if he's able to suit up he could be San Francisco's lead runner over Jordan Mason and practice-squad member Tyrion Davis-Price, if the latter is elevated. In five appearances since the team's Week 9 bye, Mitchell has averaged 4.6 yards on his 39 carries.

Walker (shoulder) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.

After missing Wednesday's session due to a lingering shoulder injury, Walker was able to get back on the practice field one day later, which didn't happen until last Friday ahead of this past Sunday's game against the Steelers. This seems to confirm coach Pete Carroll's comments to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times on Wednesday that Walker is in a better spot this week as opposed to last week. Walker has one more chance to get back to full Friday before the Seahawks potentially give him a designation for Sunday's regular-season finale at Arizona. That said, if he's able to suit up for that contest, he should resume his role as the team's top running back, which has resulted in 131 yards from scrimmage and one rushing TD on 30 touches in the two games in which he's played through his current health concern.

Hunt (groin) was a limited practice participant Thursday.

Despite making regular appearances on Cleveland injury reports since signing with the team in September, Hunt has played in each of the Browns' last 14 games. He likely would be able to play through the groin issue this Sunday against the Bengals if the Browns had something at stake, but with Cleveland locked into the No. 5 seed, head coach Kevin Stefanski could look to rest several key players in the regular-season finale. It's not yet clear if Hunt will ruled out before Sunday or made inactive for the contest, but even if he isn't, both he and starting running back Jerome Ford could be in store for smaller roles than usual.

Jacobs (quad) remained sidelined at practice Thursday.

The Raiders' top back was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday's practice estimate, with interim head coach Antonio Pierce indicating that he views Jacobs as a game-time decision for Sunday's season finale against Denver. If Jacobs -- who has missed three straight contests -- remains unavailable this weekend, Zamir White once again would lead the team's backfield Week 18.

Dowdle (ankle) practiced in full Thursday, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.

After sitting out Week 17 due to a lingering ankle injury, Dowdle appears set to resume his standing as the Cowboys' No. 2 running back behind starter Tony Pollard on Sunday at Washington, as he has for most of the season. Since the Cowboys' Week 7 bye, Dowdle has turned 61 touches into 248 yards from scrimmage and three total TDs over the last nine games.

Pacheco (quadricep/shoulder) was a limited participant in practice Thursday.

Pacheco didn't practice Wednesday, but his ability to log a capped session a day later indicates that the running back's health is improving ahead of Sunday's regular-season finale against the Chargers. That said, with the Chiefs locked into the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs, the team could opt to limit or sit Pacheco in Week 18. If that occurs, Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness), La'Mical Perine and practice-squad member Keaontay Ingram would be candidates to see added backfield opportunities versus Los Angeles.