NFL Player News

Thielen (hamstring) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Chargers.

Thielen was a limited practice participant throughout the week, but multiple reports -- including one from ESPN's Adam Schefter -- suggested the Vikings were always expecting the wide receiver to play. Thielen is now set to make his first appearance since Week 9, when he aggravated his hamstring injury and was pulled from the game after seven snaps. His return should translate to a reduced role for fellow wide receiver Bisi Johnson, who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game due to a quad injury. Tight ends Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr. may also lose some targets if Thielen is able to stay on the field this time around.

Humphries (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Texans, Erik Bacharach of The Tennessean reports.

With Humphries ruled out, added snaps out of the slot behind the team's top options out wide -- A.J. Brown and Corey Davis -- will be available for Tajae Sharpe.

Offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell said Friday that he wants Sims to get the ball more, Craig Hoffman of 106.7 The Fan Washington reports.

The undrafted rookie replaced Trey Quinn (concussion) as Washington's primary slot receiver in last week's 20-15 loss to Green Bay, catching four of seven targets for 40 yards while playing a season-high 71 percent of the offensive snaps. Quinn has been ruled out again for Sunday's game against the Eagles, leaving Sims with another nice opportunity to see regular playing time.

Chark (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Raiders, Hays Carlyon of 1010 AM WJXL Jacksonville reports.

With Chark sitting out this weekend, added opportunities will be on tap for fellow wideouts Chris Conley and Keelan Cole. Slot man Dede Westbrook (shoulder) could also handle an elevated role in the passing attack, assuming he's cleared to play Sunday.

The Rams signed Dortch to the practice squad Friday, according to the league's official transactions log.

Dortch appeared in two contests with the Panthers this season, during which he logged 17 snaps on special teams. The undrafted rookie out of Wake Forest will look to impress in a similar role on Los Angeles' practice squad.

Smith-Schuster (knee) didn't practice Friday, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The report adds that Smith-Schuster -- who aggravated his knee injury at practice Thursday -- isn't sure when he'll be able to return to action. With that in mind, there's a good chance Smith-Schuster will be ruled out ahead of Sunday's game against the Bills.

Evans (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game in Detroit, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Evans wasn't able to practice in any capacity this week and is also in danger of missing the final two games of the season. Coach Bruce Arians said the team hasn't considered moving him to injured reserve at this stage, but the discussion should come up soon if Evans doesn't display tangible progress in his recovery from his pulled hamstring. Breshad Perriman, Justin Watson, Scott Miller and Cameron Brate are viable candidates to pick up some of Evans' vacated snaps, while Chris Godwin and O.J. Howard already have full plates from a playing-time perspective but could still pick up a few extra targets. Fantasy mangers shouldn't bank on having Evans back in the lineup for Week 16 or 17.

The Bengals signed Lodge to the practice squad Friday, according to the league's official transactions log.

Lodge spent the offseason in Tampa Bay, and he'll now work to make the most of his opportunity on Cincinnati's practice squad. The undrafted rookie out of Ole Miss caught 65 passes for 877 yards and four touchdowns in his final collegiate season.

Agholor (knee) didn't take part in Friday's practice, Zack Rosenblatt of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

Agholor missed another week of practice, making it rather unlikely that he'll be able to play Sunday against Washington. The Eagles will reveal Agholor's official status for Week 15 shortly after Friday's session comes to a close.

Parker (concussion) practiced Friday without a non-contact jersey, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com reports.

Parker hasn't cleared the league's concussion protocol just yet, but ditching the non-contact jersey is a step in the right direction. His status for the Week 15 game against the Giants will be announced after Friday's practice comes to a close, but unless he's fully cleared of the protocol, a final call on his availability may not be made until game day.