NFL Player News

Chark (foot) practiced fully Thursday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

After opening Week 18 prep with a capped session due to a foot issue Wednesday, Chark was able to handle every practice rep one day later, thereby paving the way for him to suit up Sunday against the Buccaneers. Back in Week 13, he hauled in three of four targets for 56 yards at Tampa Bay.

Hill (ankle/personal) wasn't spotted at Thursday's practice, Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald reports.

Hill, who has been managing an ankle issue, left Wednesday's practice early to tend to personal matters, and was deemed a limited participant on the Dolphins' subsequent injury report. With Hill absent from Thursday's session, what the star wideout is able to do Friday will provide key context with regard to his status ahead of Sunday night's game against the Bills.

Toney (hip/ankle) won't practice Thursday, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Toney was limited Wednesday, so it remains to be seen if his lack of participation Thursday is indicative of load management or an injury setback. Given that the Chiefs are locked in as the AFC's No. 3 seed in the playoffs, Toney is a candidate to be held out this weekend if he approaches Week 18 action at less than 100 percent.

Rice (hamstring) won't practice Thursday, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Rice also missed Wednesday's session, so the wideout now has one more opportunity to practice ahead of Sunday's game against the Chargers. Either way, with the Chiefs locked into the AFC's No. 3 playoff seed, Rice is a candidate to be held out by the team in Week 18.

Cooper (heel) remained sidelined at practice Thursday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Cooper -- who was inactive for last Thursday's win over the Jets -- also missed practiced Wednesday, so the veteran wideout now has one more chance to get some work in ahead of Sunday's regular-season finale against the Bengals. In any case, with the Browns locked in as the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs, Cooper is a candidate to be rested by the the team in Week 18.

Samuel isn't participating in Thursday's practice due to a hamstring injury, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Samuel appeared Wednesday on the Commanders' initial Week 18 injury report with the same hamstring issue, but he was a full participant in practice that day. The Commanders haven't relayed that Samuel experienced any setbacks in Wednesday's practice, so his absence one day later could well be maintenance-related. Either way, Samuel's status for Sunday's season finale against the Cowboys will gain some clarity by his participation -- or lack thereof -- in the Commanders' final practice session Friday.

McMath was signed to the Cowboys' practice squad Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

McMath will head to Dallas after being let go by the Colts in October. The wide receiver will provide Dallas with an extreme depth option in case of injury.

Gray (shoulder) was a full participant at the 49ers' practice Wednesday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Gray was designated to return from injured reserve last week and his full participation to open the week seems to suggest that he's nearing an activation by San Francisco. If activated, the 24-year-old will provide the team with some added depth behind the likes of Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk at wide receiver heading into the postseason.

The 49ers designated McCloud (ribs) for return from injured reserve Wednesday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

McCloud was a full participant in his return to practice Wednesday, his first since landing on injured reserve Dec. 9. The 49ers will have a full 21-day window to evaluate the wide receiver/return specialist before deciding whether to add him to the 53-man roster or keep him on IR for the rest of the season, but McCloud could be activated ahead of Sunday's game against the Rams if he shows well in practice this week.

Toney was a limited participant at practice Wednesday due to hip and ankle injuries.

Toney didn't practice last week and has missed two straight games due to a hip strain, but he's now apparently dealing with an additional injury as the Chiefs begin Week 18 prep. On a positive note, Toney still managed to take the field Wednesday in some capacity, which marks a step forward in his recovery and suggests that he could put an end to his two-game absence Sunday versus the Chargers. That said, with the Chiefs locked in as the AFC's No. 3 seed in the playoffs, the team has no incentive to play the wideout in the regular-season finale if they're not convinced he's 100 percent healthy.