NFL Player News

Achane (toe) was listed as a non-participant for Thursday's walk-through practice, Travis Wingfield of the Dolphins' official site reports.

Achane now has been estimated as a non-participant on both of the Dolphins' first two Week 15 injury report, and head coach Mike McDaniel noted prior to Thursday's session that the rookie running back is an "unknown" for Sunday's game against the Jets at this stage of the week, per Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald. The Dolphins are likely to hold a more traditional practice Friday, and if Achane is able to get back on the field in some capacity, he could clear up some of the concern about his status heading into Sunday. If Achane ends up sitting out against the Jets, starter Raheem Mostert (knee) could handle a larger share of the snaps out of the backfield, while Jeff Wilson would likely be in store for an expanded role as the No. 2 option.

Jones (knee) was a limited participant at Thursday's practice, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports.

Jones opened Week 15 prep Wednesday the same way he finished last week as a limited participant, and he maintained that level of activity during Thursday's session. Head coach Matt LaFleur touched on Jones' status Thursday, telling Wes Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site that the team will "have a better indication" of his availability for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers after Friday's practice. Jones echoed LaFleur not longer after, telling Hodkiewicz that he's "feeling better" and feels "confident for Sunday." Jones is putting the finishing touches on his recovery from the sprained MCL that he suffered back in Week 11, and if he's able to return to action this weekend, he may resume his standing as Green Bay's lead runner considering AJ Dillon has yet to practice this week due to a broken thumb. Friday's injury report could be telling for the state of the team's Week 15 backfield.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell indicated that Chandler will serve as the team's lead back Saturday against the Bengals with Alexander Mattison (ankle) ruled out for the contest, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.

After spraining his ankle early in the second half of Sunday's 3-0 win over the Raiders, Mattison was unable to practice in any fashion during Week 15. Chandler should be in store for his first NFL start this weekend as a result, and he likely won't face much of a challenge for snaps from the remaining backfield options currently on the roster. Kene Nwangwu is the No. 3 back on the depth chart but is valued mainly for his contributions as the Vikings' kickoff returner and is relied upon on offense for the occasional gadget play, while fullback C.J. Ham primarily operates as a blocker rather than a runner or receiver. The Vikings are likely to promote one or both of Myles Gaskin and DeWayne McBride from the practice squad to offer an additional rushing threat behind Chandler, but the second-year back out of North Carolina could still have a path to a three-down role. Chandler hasn't been overly efficient with his limited opportunities through his first 16 career NFL games, averaging 4.1 yards on 55 carries and 6.0 yards over 15 targets.

Ford (wrist) remained limited at practice Thursday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Following back-to-back capped sessions, Ford probably will need to practice fully Friday in order to avoid an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Bears. The same applies to fellow RB Kareem Hunt (groin), who returned to a limited practice Thursday after logging a DNP on Wednesday.

Hunt (groin) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Hunt wasn't able to participate in Wednesday's session, but his return to practice Thursday puts the veteran back on track for Sunday's date with the Bears. Hunt snapped his three-game scoreless drought with a short touchdown last week against Jacksonville. He's seen double-digit carries in eight of the Browns' last nine games and is up to seven touchdowns through 11 contests.

Dowdle (ankle) was a limited practice participant Thursday, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.

Dowdle also was listed as limited on Wednesday's practice estimate, giving him just one more opportunity to get back to all activity this week before the Cowboys potentially tag him with a designation ahead of Sunday's game at Buffalo. He's been able to play through his ankle injury in each of Dallas' previous four contests, combining for 33 touches for 120 yards from scrimmage and two TDs during that span while working behind starting running back Tony Pollard.

Williams (groin) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.

Williams had his reps capped in practice for the second day in a row, but if he's able to maintain that level of activity Friday or upgrade to full participation, he should be in good position to play this weekend versus the Giants. After scoring 17 touchdowns in 17 games with the Lions in 2022, Williams has yet to find the end zone through his nine appearances with the Saints and is averaging a career-low 3.0 yards per carry.

Coach Matt LaFleur said Thursday, "We'll see," regarding Dillon's (thumb) ability to play Sunday against the Buccaneers, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports.

Dillon has focused on rehab instead of practice so far this week due to a thumb injury, but LaFleur wouldn't specify its nature Thursday, saying, "I'm not getting into the details of that." Lafleur did tell Wes Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site that Dillon got hurt on the team's final offensive possession this past Sunday but gutted through it as Green Bay took a brief 22-21 lead at the Giants with less than two minutes remaining. As the Packers backfield stands, Aaron Jones appears to be in a far better spot, health wise, than Dillon as he progresses through the later stages of his recovery from the sprained MCL that he suffered back in Week 11.

Mattison (ankle) has been ruled out for Saturday's game in Cincinnati.

Mattison sustained a sprained right ankle on the Vikings' first offensive play of the second half this past Sunday in Las Vegas. The severity of the issue hasn't been revealed, but he was unable to practice this week and thus will miss his first game of the season. Mattison will yield Minnesota's backfield to Ty Chandler in Week 15 and potentially beyond that point.

Stevenson (ankle) remained sidelined at practice Thursday, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.

Stevenson, who missed the team's Week 14 win over the Steelers, also missed Wednesday's session, which clouds his availability for Sunday's game against the Chiefs. If Stevenson is deemed unavailable this weekend, Ezekiel Elliott once again would be in line to lead the Patriots backfield, as he did versus Pittsburgh.