NFL Player News

Melton (heel) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Falcons, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Melton will miss a fourth consecutive game due to his heel injury. Denzel Burke is likely to draw his seventh start of the season in Melton's absence.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed Friday that Carter will start Sunday's game against the Falcons, Theo Mackie of AZCentral reports.

Carter handled 18 touches and churned out a season-high 94 scrimmage yards after Bam Knight injured his ankle in the Week 15 loss to Houston. Knight was subsequently placed on IR, clearing the path for Carter to take on the starting role Sunday and likely for the remainder of the season, with Emari Demercado and Corey Kiner on hand for depth.

Sanders (hip) isn't expected to play Sunday against the Bengals, but he may return in Week 17 against the Buccaneers or Week 18 against the Patriots, Travis Wingfield of the Dolphins' official site reports.

Sanders had his 21-day window to return from injured reserve opened Wednesday, but he isn't expected to make his season debut Sunday. The kicker will likely be ruled out on Friday's injury report, which would pave the way for Riley Patterson to continue performing kicking duties for the Dolphins.

Kincaid (knee) is slated to practice Friday, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.

Kincaid didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday, but coach Sean McDermott noted Friday that the tight end didn't experience a setback with his knee. Instead, it's an issue the team is managing ahead of Week 16 action. The Bills' upcoming injury report will reveal Kincaid's game status for Sunday's game against the Browns, but Getzenberg suggests that he's trending toward being available this weekend.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Friday that Bland (foot) will likely require surgery, and Jones thinks Bland will be out for the rest of the season, Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Official confirmation is still pending, but all signs point to Bland needing season-ending surgery on the foot injury he sustained in the Week 15 loss to the Vikings. The Cowboys would be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Chargers on Sunday, though wins by the Eagles and Packers on Saturday would knock Dallas out before Sunday's games begin. Expect Bland to be ruled out against the Chargers on Friday's injury report.

Fitzpatrick (calf) won't play Sunday against the Bengals, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.

Fitzpatrick injured his calf in Monday's loss to the Steelers and will miss at least one game as a result of the injury. Ifeatu Melifonwu will likely draw the start in Fitzpatrick's absence for a Dolphins team that has been eliminated from playoff contention.

Lundt (knee) won't play Sunday against the Browns, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.

Lundt has played three snaps on offense and five snaps on special teams in his young career. The rookie sixth-round pick's next chance to suit up will come in Week 17 against the Eagles.

Head coach Sean Payton said Wednesday that he plans to get McLaughlin more touches moving forward, Jon Heath of USA Today Broncos Wire reports.

RJ Harvey is in line to play through a rib injury Sunday against the Jaguars, but the Broncos will be mindful of the rookie lead back's workload down the stretch to help ensure Harvey's healthy for the playoffs. If Harvey comes off the field more on early downs, that could lead to more opportunities for McLaughlin. While McLaughlin's a capable pass catcher, Tyler Badie seems to be the team's preferred backfield option in passing situations. McLaughlin has yet to exceed seven touches in a game this season, and an increased workload may not lead to much success Sunday against Jacksonville's stout run defense.

Coach Aaron Glenn said Friday that Wilson (knee) will remain on IR for the rest of the season, Eric Allen of the Jets' official site reports.

With the Jets 3-11 and out of playoff contention, there was no need to rush Wilson -- who last played in Week 10 -- back into action. The team's star wideout thus finishes his 2025 campaign with 36 catches (on 59 targets) for 395 yards and four TDs in seven games. Per Glenn, the Jets "just wanted to be smart with (Wilson) because he's a key cog of what we're doing here." The 2022 first-rounder remains under contract with New York through the 2030 campaign, and looking ahead he'll have plenty of time to recover from his knee issue ahead of next season, and when he next takes the field his supporting cast will no doubt be different, with upgrades at QB and WR presumably offseason priorities for the Jets.

Shaheed didn't catch his only target in Thursday's 38-37 overtime win over the Rams, but he had a 31-yard run and a 58-yard punt return touchdown.

Shaheed made the most of his limited touches. His punt return touchdown provided the first six of Seattle's 16 unanswered points in the final 8:03 of regulation, and Shaheed's 31-yard carry came on the team's next offensive play as the Seahawks found a way to get the speedster in space once again. The Seahawks employ a run-first approach on offense and Sam Darnold usually looks Jaxon Smith-Njigba's way when Seattle turns to the air, leaving limited opportunities for supporting players like Shaheed to contribute. That philosophy has led to a 12-3 record, so it's unlikely to change in Week 17 against the Panthers.