NFL Player News

Chase is active for Sunday's game against the Browns, though he's not expected to see his usual snap count in the contest, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

Head coach Zac Taylor suggested earlier this week that Chase could be a candidate to sit out the regular-season finale for rest purposes, as the Bengals have little at stake Week 18 in terms of playoff positioning and would ideally escape the contest without any injuries to key players heading into the postseason. To that end, Joe Burrow (knee/rest), Joe Mixon (reserve/COVID-19 list) and Tee Higgins (coach's decision) are all sitting out Week 18, but Chase will at least dress for the contest. However, the Bengals may be looking to limit his workload, with Baby noting that Chase enters the contest just 12 receiving yards shy of the single-season franchise record. It wouldn't be surprising if the Bengals attempted to give Chase the opportunity to set the record early in the game before keeping him on the sideline the rest of the day.

Conley (knee) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Titans.

Conley was questionable for Sunday's contest due to the knee injury and will be sidelined for the final game of the season. The 29-year-old finished 2021 with 22 receptions for 323 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games as he's set to return to free agency during the offseason.

Duvernay (ankle) is active Sunday against the Steelers.

Duvernay was questionable coming into the weekend, but he did log a full practice Friday and is good to go against the Steelers. He should fill his usual roles as a depth wideout and return man for the Ravens.

Reynolds (thigh) is active for Sunday's game against the Packers.

Tacked onto the Lions' final Week 18 practice report Friday as limited due to a thigh injury, Reynolds will gut it out as he welcomes Jared Goff (knee) back to the lineup for the first time in three contests. Previously teammates with the Rams, Reynolds and Goff connected 16 times for 259 yards and two touchdowns on 23 attempts between Weeks 12 and 15.

Higgins (coach's decision) is a healthy inactive for Sunday's game against the Browns, Marisa Contipelli of the Bengals' official site reports.

Cincinnati doesn't have much at stake in terms of playoff positioning in the regular-season finale, so Higgins will be one of several key contributors who will sit out or get rest Week 18. Meanwhile, star rookie Ja'Marr Chase is active, but the Bengals may just be looking to have him establish the single-season franchise receiving record -- he enters Sunday's game 12 yards short of the mark -- before having him sit the remainder of the contest. According to Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official site, Mike Thomas is the most likely candidate to enter the starting lineup in place of Higgins, who finishes the regular season with 74 catches for 1,091 yards and six touchdowns over 14 appearances.

Carolina didn't activate Smith (illness) from the reserve/COVID-19 list ahead of Sunday's game against the Buccaneers, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

Unsurprisingly, Smith wasn't able to clear the NFL's COVID-19 return-to-play protocol for the Week 18 contest after he was placed on the list Thursday following his positive test for the virus. Carolina elevated Keith Kirkwood from the practice squad as a COVID-19 replacement for Smith, who wraps up his rookie season with six receptions for 104 yards and no touchdowns across 11 targets over his six appearances.

Watkins caught five of seven targets for 84 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 51-26 loss to the Cowboys.

Watkins helped Philadelphia move the sticks during Saturday's contest, but his performance was enhanced by a 36-yard touchdown with under two minutes remaining. That play marked the second-year wideout's first and only end-zone trip of the regular season. Given his strong finish, though, Watkins will strive to carry some of his momentum into next weekend's playoff game.

Smith caught three of four targets for 41 yards in Saturday's 51-26 loss to the Cowboys.

Smith was involved early on, enabling him to set the Eagles' rookie record for receiving yards in a season. The first-rounder's performance included a long grab of 25 yards on a heads-up play during Philadelphia's opening series, extending what became a touchdown drive. Fresh off his personal accomplishment, Smith will now set his sights on his first career playoff appearance next weekend.

Wilson caught five of six targets for 119 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 51-26 win over the Eagles.

Wilson again saw his role expanded in the wake of Michael Gallup's (knee) season-ending injury and excelled with his newfound opportunity. In fact, Wilson's yardage output marked a career high, as he led the Cowboys in the category while tying Amari Cooper for the team's best catch tally. Notably, though, Wilson also found the end zone twice, scoring from 14 yards in the first quarter before hauling in a 24-yarder in the second. As Dallas now turns its attention toward the playoffs, Wilson's late-season emergence represents an encouraging development offensively.

Lamb caught both of his targets for 45 yards in Saturday's 51-26 win over the Eagles.

Lamb wasn't involved much, but he picked up first downs on both of his grabs, including a long reception of 31 yards. Although Lamb hasn't topped 70 yards over his last five contests and hasn't scored since Week 10, he still improved his rookie production across the board this season. The 22-year-old will now turn his attention toward his first career playoff appearance, when he figures to be a big factor for the Cowboys.