NFL Player News
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Olamide Zaccheaus WR | ATL
Bears' Olamide Zaccheaus: Extensive playing time in victory
Zaccheaus caught two of five targets for 33 yards in the Bears' 22-16 overtime win over the Packers on Saturday.
Zaccheaus played 86 percent of the snaps with Rome Odunze (foot) and Luther Burden (ankle) sidelined, and he placed second on the team behind DJ Moore in targets. He had seven or fewer receiving yards in five of his previous six contests, but if teammates remain out with injuries, Zaccheaus could be productive down the stretch.
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Tee Higgins WR | CIN
Bengals' Tee Higgins: Clears protocol
Higgins remains listed as questionable for Sunday's game in Miami, but he's on track to play after clearing the five-step concussion protocol, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
After sitting out the Bengals' Week 15 loss to the Ravens due to the concussion -- his second of the season -- Higgins put himself on a path to return to action in Week 16 after he turned in a full practice Friday. Before the Bengals headed to Miami, Higgins made a brief trip to Pittsburgh to complete the final step of the protocol Saturday, when he received clearance from an independent neurologist. Higgins should be ready to handle his typical snap count Sunday.
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Derek Stingley Jr. CB | HOU
Texans' Derek Stingley: Leaning toward playing Week 16
Stingley (oblique), who is officially questionable to suit up against the Raiders on Sunday, is planning to play, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Stingley hurt his oblique last Sunday against Arizona and missed the Texans' first two practices this week. However, he logged a limited session Friday, which appears to be enough for him to take the field versus Las Vegas. Still, Stingley's status seems unlikely to be certain until Houston releases its list of inactives approximately 90 minutes prior to the 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff.
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Woody Marks RB | HOU
Texans' Woody Marks: Planning to play Sunday
Marks, who is officially questionable for Sunday's Week 16 matchup against the Raiders due to an ankle injury, is planning to suit up, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Marks didn't finish last Sunday's win over Arizona after hurting his ankle early in the second quarter. He didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday this week but got in a limited session Friday to give himself a chance of playing Sunday. It sounds like Marks is going to try to take the field, though his final status probably won't be shared until the Texans release their list of inactives about 90 minutes prior to the 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff. Should Marks need to sit out, Houston's backfield work could be split between veteran tailback Nick Chubb (ribs) and rookie Jawhar Jordan.
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Azeez Al-Shaair LB | HOU
Texans' Azeez Al-Shaair: Looking likely to play Week 16
Al-Shaair (ankle/knee), who is officially questionable for Sunday's game against Las Vegas, is trending toward playing, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Al-Shaair is likely to be a game-time decision, per Wilson, but the current expectation is that he'll be able to suit up. The veteran linebacker managed just a DNP/LP/DNP practice progression this week, so chances are he'll be less than 100 percent even if he does get clearance to play. Al-Shaair hasn't missed a game this season and has logged every Texans defensive snap in 10 of the team's 14 contests to date.
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Kyle Hamilton SAF | BAL
Ravens' Kyle Hamilton: Trending toward suiting up Sunday
Hamilton, who is officially questionable for Sunday's Week 16 game versus New England due to an ankle injury, is "more likely to play than not," Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Hamilton appears to have hurt his ankle during practice, as he wasn't on the injury report Wednesday or Thursday before popping up as a limited participant Friday. He was subsequently deemed questionable to play Sunday, though it sounds like he'll be able to take the field. With that said, Rapoport notes that Hamilton's status "is not yet settled" and suggests that the safety will test out the ankle during pregame workouts, so his status probably won't be certain until the Ravens release their list of inactives approximately 90 minutes prior to the 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff.
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John FitzPatrick TE | GB
Packers' John FitzPatrick: Exits locker room in walking boot
FitzPatrick, who injured his Achilles during an overtime loss to Chicago on Sunday, exited the locker room with a walking boot on his right foot after the game, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports.
Achilles injuries tend to be more than minor, especially when they're the non-contact variety, as FitzPatrick's was. It's certainly not a good sign for FitzPatrick's availability moving forward that he left in a walking boot after Saturday's loss, though an official diagnosis may not be announced until after he undergoes further evaluation. Packers coach Matt LaFleur seemed to be resigned to having to look for another tight end to fill FitzPatrick's void for at least the short-term future, saying postgame, "I'm sure we have guys capable on our practice squad. We'll take a look at that and come up with a solution," per Zach Jacobson of 247Sports.com.
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Colston Loveland TE | CHI
Bears' Colston Loveland: Quiet showing against Packers
Loveland recorded three receptions on four targets for 30 yards in Saturday's 22-16 overtime win over the Packers.
Loveland was expected to take on an even larger role in Chicago's offense due to both Luther Burden (ankle) and Rome Odunze (foot) being sidelined. However, he instead tied for third on the team in targets and finished fourth in yardage. While it was a modest showing, Loveland did manage a pair of key catches on Chicago's game-tying drive late in the third quarter. Loveland should maintain a key role in the offense and have the chance to bounce back in Week 17 against the 49ers.
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Jayden Reed WR | GB
Packers' Jayden Reed: Four touches in OT loss
Reed brought in all three targets for 35 yards and rushed once for six yards in the Packers' 22-16 overtime loss to the Bears on Saturday night.
Reed wasn't consistently involved throughout, and he exited the game for a spell in the second half to be evaluated for an undisclosed injury, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Jordan Love's exit from the contest in the second quarter due to a concussion likely didn't help matters, although Reed hauled in a 31-yard pass from Malik Willis in overtime for the majority of his production. Reed will aim to bounce back with a more productive showing at the expense of the Ravens secondary in a Week 17 home matchup next Saturday night.
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Christian Watson WR | GB
Packers' Christian Watson: Two catches in Week 16 loss
Watson brought in two of six targets for 17 yards in the Packers' 22-16 overtime loss to the Bears on Saturday night.
Watson was contained effectively by an injury-hampered Bears secondary, with the fact Jordan Love exited the game midway through the second quarter due to a concussion likely playing a factor. Watson had his own injury scare in the third quarter per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, but he was able to return to the game before the period was over. The veteran wideout's yardage total was his lowest of the season, and he'll aim to bounce back in a Week 17 home matchup against the Ravens next Saturday night.