NFL Player News

Ekwonu (knee) didn't practice Wednesday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

The fourth-year pro from NC State appears to have sustained a knee injury in the Panthers' Week 15 loss to the Saints. Ekwonu now likely needs to practice in full Thursday or Friday to avoid an injury designation heading into the Week 16 matchup against the Buccaneers.

Kincaid (knee) is listed as a non-participant after Wednesday's walk-through practice.

Kincaid wasn't on the injury report last week, and there was no report of an issue during/after Sunday's 35-31 win over New England. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on the situation, but it is possible Wednesday's absence is indicative of maintenance more so than real concern about missing time.

Wharton (hamstring) didn't practice Wednesday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

The 27-year-old was sidelined for Carolina's Week 15 loss to the Saints due to a hamstring issue, and Wednesday's DNP suggest he's still dealing with the issue. Wharton has been impactful in his first season with the Panthers, recording 36 total tackles, including 2.0 sacks, and one pass defensed across nine contests. He likely needs to upgrade to at least limited practice Thursday or Friday in order to play in Sunday's divisional matchup against the Buccaneers.

Smith (shoulder/back) is returning to practice Wednesday, Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com reports.

Smith didn't practice at all last week, yet Raiders coach Pete Carroll said the veteran QB had "a really good chance to be back" for Week 16 against the Texans. It's arguably a matchup between the NFL's best defense and worst offense, but Smith's presence would at least be good news for fantasy managers that are relying on TE Brock Bowers or RB Ashton Jeanty.

Horn recorded a seven-yard reception on his lone target in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Saints.

Horn took the field for just four of Carolina's 57 plays on offense, marking the fourth straight game he played single-digit snaps. He had played double-digit snaps in all but one of Carolina's six games between Weeks 5 and 10, but Brycen Tremayne appears to have since leapfrogged him on the depth chart as the Panthers' preferred No. 4 wideout behind Tetairoa McMillan (foot/ankle), Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker.

The Chiefs placed Mahomes (knee) on injured reserve Wednesday.

Mahomes underwent surgery Monday to address ACL and LCL tears in his left knee, with the Associated Press reporting afterward that his procedure went well and Mahomes hopes to be ready for Week 1 next season. QB Gardner Minshew will start Week 16 against the Titans while Mahomes begins his journey to be ready for Week 1 next season.

Mims hauled in four of his six targets for 29 yards and carried once for eight yards in Sunday's 34-26 win over the Packers. He also returned a kickoff for 37 yards.

Mims checked out at one point of Sunday's game to be evaluated for a concussion and was ultimately diagnosed with a stinger, but he was cleared to return to action and ended up playing 21 of the Broncos' 68 offensive snaps. His 31 percent snap share was roughly on par with his rate from the last few weeks, as he continues to handle more of a part-time role on offense. The Broncos were notably without rookie wideout Pat Bryant (hamstring) on Sunday, so if Bryant returns for a Week 16 matchup with the Jaguars, Mims would probably be more likely to see his snap share decline than hold steady or increase.

Higgins remains in concussion protocol Wednesday, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor hinted at Higgins still needing to clear multiple steps of the protocol, which isn't surprising after he suffered his second concussion of the season in Week 14 and then managed just two limited practices in Week 15. There's also some chance Cincinnati's lack of playoff hopes factors into the situation, though QB Joe Burrow has been adamant about trying to right the ship down the stretch. Mitchell Tinsley is the favorite to take most of Higgins' vacated snaps (again) if Higgins is unavailable Sunday at Miami.

McMillan (foot/ankle) did not participate in Wednesday's practice, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

McMillan is sitting out Carolina's first practice session of Week 16 due to a pair of injuries. He wasn't listed on the team's injury report leading up to the Week 15 loss to the Saints, in which he tallied two catches for 25 yards on four targets, the lowest yardage total of his NFL career. The rookie first-round pick will have two more opportunities to retake the practice field ahead of Sunday's key divisional matchup against the Buccaneers. Head coach Dave Canales said McMillan is day-to-day, per David Newton of ESPN.com.

Kolar went without a target while playing 21 of the Ravens' 41 snaps on offense in Sunday's 24-0 win over the Bengals.

Though his 51 percent offensive snap share was his highest rate since Week 3, Kolar went without a target for just the third time in 12 games on a day in which quarterback Lamar Jackson attempted just 12 passes. Kolar will have a chance at seeing more pass-game involvement on the occasions that the Ravens aren't sitting on big leads, but he'll still be third in line for targets at tight end behind Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely.