NFL Player News

Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said Wednesday that Johnson will play in Sunday's game against the Titans, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Locked in as the AFC's No. 4 seed, Houston has an opportunity to evaluate young players and give Johnson some game reps in Week 18, with a strong showing perhaps allowing the wideout to take on a prominent role in the wild-card round of the playoffs. Ryans didn't comment on playing-time expectations for his starters but did seem to acknowledge the possibility of removing them early, per Alexander. Either way, Johnson will likely get some run after being claimed off waivers from the Ravens last Monday.

Palmer (heel) didn't practice Wednesday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Palmer left Saturday's 40-7 win over New England in the third quarter and was spotted in a walking boot after the game. It's not yet clear how aggressive the Chargers will or won't be this Sunday against the Raiders; they know they'll be either the fifth or sixth seed in the AFC, with hope for moving up to fifth if Pittsburgh loses to Cincinnati on Saturday. It's unclear, in any case, if Palmer will be healthy enough to play this weekend.

Shepard (hamstring) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday.

Sidelined for this past Sunday's win over the Panthers due to hamstring and foot injuries, Shepard is listed with only the first health concern as the Buccaneers begin Week 18 prep. How he fares on the field Thursday and Friday likely will determine whether or not he enters the weekend with a designation for Sunday's game versus the Saints.

Valdes-Scantling was a limited participant in practice Wednesday due to a chest injury.

Valdes-Scantling sat out the Saints' Week 16 loss in Green Bay due to an illness and a chest issue, but he was able to suit up this past Sunday versus the Raiders, playing 78 percent of the offensive snaps in a 25-10 loss. He didn't haul in either of his two targets in Week 17, and while interim head coach Darren Rizzi told Matthew Paras of The New Orleans Times-Picayune afterward that Valdes-Scantling picked up a back injury, the coach said one day later that the wide receiver checked out OK, per Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football. In the end, the aforementioned chest injury continues to plague Valdes-Scantling as the Saints begin Week 18 prep.

Boyd (foot) was estimated as a non-participant in Wednesday's walk-through practice, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Boyd has been managing a foot injury since early December, but the issue has yet to cost him any game action. In fact, the veteran wideout tied his season-high mark with 51 offensive snaps in this past Sunday's 20-13 loss to Jacksonville. With that in mind, Boyd will likely be available for Sunday's season finale against Houston, unless the injury has worsened.

Hill (wrist/rest) was a limited participant at practice Wednesday, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Hill's limitations were presumably maintenance-related, as he's dealt with the wrist issue for much of the season without missing a game. In the Dolphins' Week 17 win over the Browns, Hill played 88 percent of the snaps on offensive and finished with a 9-105-0 receiving line on nine targets. He was working with Tyler Huntley as his quarterback in that game, and head coach Mike McDaniel suggested that Huntley is trending toward a second straight start in Sunday's regular-season finale versus the Jets with normal starter Tua Tagovailoa still dealing with a hip injury.

Olave (concussion) practiced fully Wednesday.

Olave now has been listed as a full participant on four consecutive practice reports, but he's yet to receive clearance from an independent neurologist after suffering a concussion Week 9 at Carolina. Interim head coach Darren Rizzi relayed Monday that Olave also needs to improve his conditioning level in order to put himself on a path to play Sunday against the Buccaneers, per Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com. Nevertheless, Olave at least appears to have a chance at playing in the season finale, something that may be confirmed as soon as New Orleans posts its final Week 18 injury report Friday.

Corley (elbow) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice estimation, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Corley sustained an elbow injury in the Jets' Week 17 loss to the Bills, but him being listed as a full participant in the team's walkthrough practice Wednesday suggests he's already moved past the issue. The 2024 third-round pick from Western Kentucky has appeared in just nine games this season, recording five touches for 82 yards over 80 offensive snaps. He's expected to serve as a depth piece in the Jets' wide receiver room for the Week 18 matchup against the Dolphins.

Brown (hamstring) didn't practice Wednesday.

Brown was injured in the Commanders' Week 16 win over the Eagles and sat out a Week 17 win over the Falcons. His absence opened up more playing time for Olamide Zaccheaus, who took full advantage with three touchdowns over the past two games. Zaccheaus' emergence could mean that Brown handles a more limited role once he returns, although that wouldn't be anything new after Brown spent much of the year backing up Noah Brown (kidney). The Commanders could get Noah Brown back from injured reserve during the playoffs, so Dyami Brown's run of steady playing time could come to an end in the postseason, if not Week 18.

Polk (shoulder) didn't practice Wednesday.

Polk appears to have picked up a shoulder injury in the Patriots' Week 17 loss to the Chargers, despite logging 20 offensive snaps and failing to catch his only target. The 2024 second-round pick from Washington has seen his production drop significantly since Week 7, recording just two catches for nine yards and one touchdown over his last nine games. Regardless, Polk likely needs to upgrade to at least limited participation Thursday or Friday in order to play in the Week 18 matchup against the Bills.