NFL Player News

Ward (calf) won't practice Wednesday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Ward was sidelined for the Browns' Week 15 loss to the Bears due to a calf injury, and Wednesday's DNP indicates he's still dealing with the issue. The 28-year-old likely needs to upgrade to at least limited practice Thursday or Friday in order to return for Sunday's matchup against the Bills.

The Dolphins waived Judon on Wednesday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

The 33-year-old appeared in 13 games with the Dolphins before being waived on Wednesday, recording 19 total tackles and one pass defensed. Judon has been a very productive pass rusher over the course of his 10-year NFL career, totaling 72.0 sacks. Now a free agent, he could be picked up by a team in need of edge-rusher depth in the near future.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said Wednesday that London will participate in practice and remains day-to-day, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.

Morris expressed optimism Monday about London's chances of retaking the field for Sunday's road matchup against the Cardinals, and it appears the star wideout will take a tangible step in the right direction Wednesday. In all likelihood, London will be a limited participant at practice Wednesday, but if he's able to upgrade to full on field-reps even once in Week 16, he could avoid an injury designation entirely for Sunday's matchup.

Vannett (oblique) was a limited practice participant Tuesday, per the NFL's transaction log.

The 32-year-old played 11 special-teams snaps and likely picked up an oblique injury during the Rams' Week 15 win over the Lions. Vannett's practice participation Wednesday and Thursday will likely provide the best indication of whether he can play in Thursday night's divisional matchup against the Seahawks.

The Panthers announced Wednesday that Moore (elbow) has been designated to return from IR and had his 21-day practice window opened, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.

Moore can be activated from IR at any point within his 21-day practice window, making Sunday's contest against the Buccaneers his earliest tentative return date. When officially back to full health, Moore will resume handling a depth role in Carolina's wide receiver corps. He practiced in full Wednesday.

Latu (neck) didn't participate in Tuesday's walkthrough.

The Alabama product played a season-high 19 offensive snaps in Sunday's win over the Raiders, but it now appears he sustained a stinger in the process. Latu likely needs to upgrade to limited practice either Wednesday or Thursday to have a chance at suiting up for the Week 16 matchup against the Commanders on Saturday.

Ruckert signed a two-year, $10 million extension with the Jets on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The fourth-year pro from Ohio State has agreed to a new deal that keeps him with the Jets through the 2027 season. Ruckert has played a reserve role for most of his NFL career, catching 55 of 75 targets for 427 receiving yards and one touchdowns across 55 games. His role in the Jets' offense could grow following Wednesday's extension, though he's still expected to remain the top backup behind Mason Taylor.

Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said Harrison (heel) will participate in Wednesday's walkthrough practice, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.

Gannon said Harrison is doing "good." The second-year pro has missed two straight games due to a heel injury suffered Week 16, but Gannon has stated that Harrison is expected to play again this season. In order to make his return Sunday versus the Falcons, Harrison may have to prove himself healthy enough to handle full practice reps at least once in Week 16.

Oliver recorded an 18-yard catch on his lone target in Sunday's 34-26 win over the Cowboys.

After making a splash in the Vikings' 31-0 win over the Commanders in Week 14 with a pair of touchdown grabs, Oliver was held quiet Sunday despite Minnesota clearing the 30-point threshold once again. Even with top tight end T.J. Hockenson available, Oliver continued to see ample playing time, as he was on the field for 34 of the Vikings' 55 snaps on offense. Even if that playing-time trend holds through the Vikings' final three games of the season, Oliver will remain a touchdown-dependent fantasy option at tight end with limited appeal.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said Sampson (hand/calf) is not in line to practice Wednesday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Sampson did not practice in any capacity prior to being ruled out for Cleveland's loss to the Bears in Week 15, his first missed game of the season. He'll have two more chances to get back on the practice field prior to Sunday's matchup against the Bills, though it's worth noting that Stefanski said all of the Browns' injured players are "trending in the right direction," per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. When healthy, Sampson will resume handling a change-of-pace role behind Quinshon Judkins.