NFL Player News

Thielen (calf) was a limited participant during Wednesday's practice.

Thielen had been listed on the Vikings' practice reports the last couple of weeks with both calf and lower-back injuries, but it appears the latter issue is no longer a concern. The calf injury probably isn't anything worth worrying about either, given that Thielen still managed to practice in some capacity during the Vikings' first session of Week 13. Thielen is in little danger of missing Sunday's game against the Patriots and should remain a highly-targeted option in the Minnesota passing game.

Diggs was withheld from Wednesday's practice due to a knee injury.

When he met with the media earlier Wednesday, coach Mike Zimmer provided little indication that Diggs was dealing with an injury, so it's possible the wideout just received some late-season maintenance for the team's first practice of the week. A better picture of where Diggs stands on the health front should materialize based on his participation -- or lack thereof -- in practices Thursday and Friday. Diggs has been extremely productive over the Vikings' past three contests, racking up 31 receptions to go with 334 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns.

Parker (shoulder) was limited at practice Wednesday.

Per Safid Deen of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Parker sported a non-contact jersey Wednesday. The same applies to running back Kenyan Drake (shoulder), but the fact that both practiced in any capacity Wednesday suggests that they are trending toward active statuses Sunday against the Bills.

Anderson (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Anderson played 48 of of the Jets' 64 offensive snaps in the Jets' Week 12 loss to the Patriots, so there's a decent chance that Wednesday's absence was maintenance-related. The wideout first appeared on the Jets' injury reports with the ankle issue back in late October and sat out Week 10 against the Bills, though he didn't appear to suffer an aggravation in his return to action coming off a Week 11 bye.

Goodwin (personal) remains away from the 49ers while dealing with a family matter, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

With Goodwin and Pierre Garcon (knee) both absent in Sunday's 27-9 loss to the Buccaneers, the 49ers relied on Dante Pettis, Kendrick Bourne and Richie James at wide receiver. It's unclear if Goodwin or Garcon is expected to return for Week 13 at Seattle.

Smith (toe) doesn't carry an injury designation into Thursday's game at Dallas.

After a breakout 10-reception, 157-yard performance Week 11 against the Eagles, Smith was unable to overcome a foot injury and play just four days later in the Thanksgiving Day win over the Falcons. This week, he opened with back-to-back limited listings in practice before being termed a full participant on Wednesday, paving the way for his return to action. Despite being a member of one of the NFL's most prolific offenses, Smith will have his work cut out for him Thursday against a Cowboys defense that has allowed just 10.9 catches per game and eight touchdowns to wide receivers in 11 contests this season.

Samuel was a non-participant at Wednesday's practice due to a hamstring injury, Max Henson of the Panthers' official site reports.

Despite a relative lack of touches -- 24 in eight games -- Samuel has reached the end zone six times this season. Injuries have plagued him from time to time during the first two years of his career, though, so it behooves the Panthers to proceed with caution with Samuel's health. With a matchup against the sieve-like Buccaneers defense on tap Sunday, his status will be worth watching as the weekend draws closer.

Diggs didn't participate in practice Wednesday, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Diggs sat out the Vikings' Week 9 game against the Lions due to a rib injury but has otherwise been a beacon of health this season, maintaining weekly offensive snaps counts of roughly 60 per game. He's been targeted 29 times in two games since the aforementioned absence, which has translated to 21 receptions for 203 yards and two touchdowns. Perhaps he's receiving a veteran's day off, but Wednesday's injury report will declare the reason for his lack of activity.

Rogers (knee) returned to practice Wednesday, opening a 21-day window for the Steelers to add him to the 53-man roster.

Working his way back from an ACL tear suffered during the 2017 postseason, Rogers needs to be activated or placed on injured reserve by Dec. 19. He recorded 48 catches for 593 and three touchdowns on 66 targets (9.0 YPT) back in 2016, then slipped to an 18-149-1 receiving line on 36 targets (4.1 YPT) last season. It isn't clear where Rogers would fit in an offense that already has JuJu Smith-Schuster and Ryan Switzer doing good work out of the slot.

Crowder (ankle) went through individual drills in pads Wednesday, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Limited to rehab work the past few weeks, Crowder finally seems to be taking a major step forward as the Redskins prepare for a crucial game against the Eagles in Week 13. With the divisional battle taking place Monday night, the Redskins won't reveal their first injury report of the week until Thursday. It sounds like he's headed for a "limited" tag, which would mark his first participation in practice of any kind since Nov. 9. Crowder hasn't played in a game since injuring his ankle in a Week 5 loss to the Saints.