NFL Player News

Meyers (thigh) was a limited participant at practice Wednesday.

Meyers was listed as questionable with the same injury for Week 17, but he proceeded to play through the health concern in Sunday's win over the Jaguars, playing 56 of the Patriots' 72 offensive snaps and finishing with eight catches for 73 yards and a touchdown. With no reported setbacks coming out of that contest, Meyers may have just received some extra maintenance to begin Week 18.

Houston listed Conley (knee) as a limited participant on Wednesday's estimated practice report.

Conley has played through the knee injury the past few weeks, and his limited activity Wednesday indicates he's on track to do so again in Sunday's season finale versus the Titans. He has 22 receptions for 323 yards and two touchdowns through 16 games this season.

Irwin was activated off of the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday.

The wide receiver was placed on the COVID list Dec. 31, forcing him to miss the team's Week 17 win over the Chiefs. Irwin will return to his depth role behind the likes of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, as well as in the returning game ahead of the Bengals' regular season finale against the Browns.

Crowder (calf) returned to practice Wednesday as a limited participant, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

While Crowder is back on the practice field after missing two straight games with a calf injury, fellow slot receiver Braxton Berrios (quad) is absent to start the week. How the snaps and targets are divided between the two will be an interesting development to track if both are cleared to play Sunday against the Bills, though the Jets already have some packages in place to get Crowder and Berrios on the field together.

Cleveland was restored to the Broncos' practice squad from the practice squad COVID-19 list Wednesday, Aric DiLalla from the Broncos' official site reports.

Cleveland has appeared in six games for the Broncos this season but none since Week 10. Now cleared to return to the team, Cleveland will work to earn another shot with the Broncos' active roster in Week 18 against the Chiefs.

Smith (chest) was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice.

After picking up a chest injury Week 16 against the Dolphins, Smith didn't log any practice reps last Wednesday through Friday and was ruled out ahead of this past Sunday's contest against the Panthers. His return to on-field work during the first session of Week 18 prep is a sign that he's trending in the right direction, but his activity level over the next two days will be key to determine whether he'll be available this weekend in Atlanta.

New York activated Slayton (illness) from the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, MIchael Eisen of the Giants' official site reports. Slayton was then listed as a limited participant on the Giants' estimated practice report due to a shoulder injury, according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Newark Star-Ledger.

Slayton's return from the list and participation in practice -- albeit in a limited capacity -- sets the stage for him to play Sunday against Washington after missing the Week 17 blowout loss at Chicago. He'll likely be a starter and get plenty of snaps if his conditioning is OK, but there's not much upside for the New York passing game with Jake Fromm likely starting at quarterback.

Watkins (knee) was a full practice participant Wednesday.

Watkins will be on the field Saturday against the Cowboys, but he still hasn't caught more than four passes in a game this season, and his snap share dropped well south of the usual range in two of the past three weeks. His fantasy floor is low, and his upside is modest in a run-heavy offense.

Evans (hamstring) was a limited participant at practice Wednesday.

Evans sat out Week 16 due to a hamstring issue, which was followed by a stint on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Fortunately, he was able to clear league protocols last Friday, then practiced on a limited basis to enter the weekend being listed as questionable for Sunday's road game against the Jets. He ultimately suited up and played 75 percent of the Bucs' offensive snaps in the 28-24 win, finishing with four catches (on seven targets) for 47 yards and one touchdown in the 28-24 win. With Antonio Brown (personal) expected to be cut loose by the Buccaneers in the near future, Evans is the team's clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver with Chris Godwin (knee) out for the season. Evans now will aim to head into Sunday's season finale versus the Panthers without an injury designation.

The Eagles activated Johnson (undisclosed) from the practice squad COVID-19 list Wednesday.

Johnson landed on the practice squad COVID-19 list Friday but will rejoin the team after less than a week of isolation. He hasn't yet appeared in a game this year.