NFL Player News

Flowers (calf) is listed as doubtful for Saturday's regular-season finale against the Steelers.

Flowers didn't practice this week, and with Baltimore having already clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, the wideout is trending toward being made inactive Saturday. Assuming that's the case, the likes of Nelson Agholor, Tylan Wallace, Laquon Treadwell and Malik Cunningham figure to see added Week 18 snaps with veteran WR Odell Beckham (rest) having been ruled out by the Ravens.

Beckham will sit out Saturday's regular-season finale versus the Steelers for rest purposes.

Beckham was one of four Baltimore players ruled out on the final Week 18 injury report, with both his and quarterback Lamar Jackson's absences attributed to rest/coach's decisions with the Ravens having already clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. Several other key Ravens on both sides of the ball are likely to sit out the Week 18 game entirely or see significant role reductions as Baltimore looks to escape the contest with its health intact heading into the divisional round of the postseason. While playing in 14 games during the regular season, Beckham finished with 35 catches for 565 yards on three touchdowns on 64 targets. He cleared a 60 percent snap share in just one of those contests, but the Ravens could be counting on Beckham to take on larger workloads during the postseason.

Chase (shoulder) was a full practice participant Thursday.

Earlier Thursday, Chase told Jay Morrison of ProFootballNetwork.com that he feels good physically and will play Sunday against the Browns, despite the fact that the Bengals have been eliminated from playoff contention. The receiver's ability to take every rep during Thursday's practice supports his assertion about his health, though it's conceivable that Chase could still have his snap count managed to some degree with little more than pride at stake in Week 18. Chase will have some motivation to end the season on a high note after he posted a meager 10-134-0 receiving line on 15 targets over Cincinnati's last four contests while missing one of those games (a Week 16 loss to Pittsburgh) due to a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder.

Williams (ankle/illness) was a non-participant at Thursday's practice.

Williams' listed absence Wednesday was due to the ankle injury that forced him out of this past Saturday's game at Dallas, but an illness now is afflicting the second-year wide receiver as well. Per Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com, coach Dan Campbell termed the ankle issue "nothing significant" Monday, but the new ailment clouds Williams' status as the Lions make their way through Week 18 prep. Friday's practice report could be telling for Williams' odds to suit up Sunday against the Vikings.

Higgins (hamstring) remained sidelined at practice Thursday.

Higgins also didn't practice Wednesday, so he'll presumably need to practice fully Friday in order to avoid approaching Sunday's game against the Browns with an injury designation. On the plus side for the Bengals' Week 18 wideout corps, Ja'Marr Chase (shoulder) participated fully in Thursday's practice.

Smith (ankle) officially didn't practice Thursday.

Smith so far has missed Wednesday's walkthrough and Thursday's practice this week, giving him one more opportunity to mix into drills ahead of Sunday's game at the Giants. An ankle injury forced him to depart in the fourth quarter of this past Sunday's loss to the Cardinals and also require a walking boot and crutches afterward. As noted by Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Smith hasn't missed a contest in his three-year career, so his availability this weekend may come down to a game-time call.

Wicks (chest) practiced fully Thursday.

Among the Packers' trio of injured wide receivers, Wicks is the first one this week to log all on-field work in a session, as Christian Watson (hamstring) and Jayden Reed (chest) remained limited Thursday. Watson and Reed seem like decent bets to be available Sunday against the Bears, but Friday's injury report will reveal if either or both have designations for that contest. If either of them is sidelined this weekend, Wicks would be the top candidate to join the other in three-wide sets along with Romeo Doubs. Even if both Watson and Reed suit up, though, Wicks should be good for a regular role in Green Bay's, as he's averaged 4.5 targets per game in his last eight appearances.

Olave (ankle) was a limited practice participant Thursday, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.

As he did a week ago, Olave has kicked off Week 18 prep with back-to-back capped sessions due to a lingering ankle injury. He maintained that activity level last Friday before entering the weekend without a designation for this past Sunday's game at Tampa Bay, so he appears to be trending in the same direction this time around. Ultimately, Friday's practice report will unveil if that's the case for Olave ahead of Sunday's contest against the Falcons.

Waddle (ankle) didn't practice Thursday, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.

Waddle, who was inactive Week 17 due to a high-ankle sprain, also missed Wednesday's session, with his status for Sunday night's game against the Bills currently cloudy. If Waddle is deemed unavailable for the contest, Cedrick Wilson once again would be in line for an uptick in snaps alongside Tyreek Hill (ankle/personal).

Woods (hip) is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Colts.

Woods wasn't able to practice in any capacity this week, but the Texans aren't closing the door on the veteran wideout being available for Saturday's contest. Noah Brown (back), meanwhile, has already been ruled out for Week 18, so if Woods joins him on the inactive list, Houston would likely turn to youngsters John Metchie and Xavier Hutchinson to take on more reps alongside No. 1 receiver Nico Collins. Even if Woods is available to play without any limitations, he hasn't shown the ability to produce fantasy-friendly stat lines this season. Woods has maxed out at six catches and 74 receiving yards over his 14 appearances thus far in 2023.