NFL Player News

Coach Jon Gruden said Friday that Edwards could get a chance to play more over the final two games, Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.

Gruden cited the fact that Edwards was in COVID-19 protocol last week for his lack of playing time. Still, Edwards hasn't played more than 32 percent of the offensive snaps since Week 3, a trend that was well-established before entering COVID-19 protocol. However, he could get more reps down the stretch out of necessity if Hunter Renfrow (concussion) is forced to miss any time.

Hopkins was a full practice participant Friday and doesn't have any designation for Sunday's game against Philadelphia, Katherine Fitzgerald of The Arizona Republic reports.

Hopkins missed Wednesday's practice for non-injury reasons, rather than his typical absence or limited session due to a minor injury. The Cardinals don't list him with any issue on their final Week 15 practice report, so he should be all set for his typical workload Sunday against a banged-up Eagles secondary that could be missing top cornerback Darius Slay (concussion, questionable).

Cooks (neck) practiced fully Friday and doesn't have a designation for Sunday's game against the Colts, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.

Listed as questionable ahead of last week's loss to the Bears, Cooks initially appeared on track to play before his situation took a turn for the worse and the Texans opted to make him inactive. The week off appears to have done Cooks some good, as he practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday and Thursday before taking every rep in the Texans' final Week 15 practice. With his injury no longer a concern, Cooks should rank as the clear top target for quarterback Deshaun Watson in what could be a pass-happy game script for the Texans, who are sizable road underdogs for the divisional matchup.

The Saints ruled Thomas (ankle) out for Sunday's game against the Chiefs, Luke Johnson of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Drew Brees (ribs) is expected to return from injured reserve, but he'll have to work without his top wide receiver. The Saints held Thomas out of practice all week, seemingly due to a setback with the ankle issue that caused a prolonged absence earlier this season. Emmanuel Sanders and Tre'Quan Smith should get the most wideout reps Sunday, with Alvin Kamara and Jared Cook also leading candidates to take on some of the vacated targets. Thomas has accounted for 29 percent of the Saints' targets in six games since he returned to action Week 9. The wideout's next chance to play will come in a rare Friday game in Week 16, with the Saints getting only four days of rest before they face the Vikings on Christmas Day.

Brown (ankle) doesn't carry an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Lions after practicing fully Friday,Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com reports.

Brown has been managing an ankle issue of late, but he continues to play at a high level on game days, with the wideout most recently providing seven receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown in his most recent outing Week 14 versus the Jaguars. In an offense driven by running back Derrick Henry, Brown maintains a stable weekly fantasy floor, given that he and Corey Davis are the team's clear-cut top targets.

Hodge (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Giants, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

Hodge received the designation after the hamstring injury that has sidelined him for the past two games continued to limit his participation in practice throughout the week. If Hodge can't gain clearance for Sunday's contest, Donovan Peoples-Jones would likely continue to serve as the Browns' No. 3 receiver behind Jarvis Landry and Rashard Higgins.

Ridley (foot) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers.

Ridley has dealt with the same foot injury for much of the season, remaining productive all the same. He should be fine to handle his usual large helping of snaps and targets this weekend, especially with fellow wideout Julio Jones (hamstring) being ruled out for another game.

Brown (ankle) returned to practice Friday, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.

Brown sat out Thursday's session, but his return to the field Friday puts him on track to play Sunday against the Lions. The Titans' final injury report of the week will clarify whether the wideout approaches the contest with a designation.

Coach John Harbaugh suggested Friday that Brown is "on track" to be activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list in advance of Sunday's game against the Jaguars, Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Wideouts Miles Boykin and James Proche are also expected to be available for Week 15 after they and Brown were placed on the list Wednesday upon being identified as close contacts of a person or persons infected with the virus. Assuming Brown continues to test negative for COVID-19, he should be added back to the active roster prior to Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff. Brown continues to be a big-play threat when he's available for Baltimore, scoring touchdowns in each of his last three outings.

Coach John Harbaugh said Friday that Proche is "on track" to be activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list for Sunday's game against the Jaguars, Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Proche was considered a close contact to an infected person. As long as he continues to test negative, he'll be available for Sunday's game. Proche rarely contributes on offense, but he's the team's top punt returner. Through 13 games, Proche has averaged 8.3 yards per return (12th in the league).