NFL Player News

The Buccaneers elevated Joseph to the active roster Friday, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

The Buccaneers activated starting kicker Ryan Succop from the COVID-19 list, but they are calling up Joseph as an insurance policy. It's worth keeping an eye on whether Succop is a late scratch for Sunday's game versus the Falcons, in which case Joseph would bump into a starting role. Over 16 NFL games, Joseph has connected on 17 of 20 field-goal attempts (85 percent).

The Cardinals have ruled Gonzalez (back) out for Sunday's game against the Eagles, Katherine Fitzgerald of The Arizona Republic reports.

Gonzalez didn't practice in any fashion Wednesday through Friday, so he'll be sidelined for a second straight game while he contends with the back issue. In Gonzalez's stead, Mike Nugent will likely be elevated from the practice squad once again to handle kicking duties for Arizona. Nugent proved to be a capable replacement in the Cardinals' Week 14 win over the Giants, knocking down all four of his field-goal tries and both of his point-after attempts.

Folk (back) is questionable for Sunday's game versus the Dolphins.

Folk has entered the past six games with a questionable tag, but he's suited up in each contest. He has been limited in practice during that stretch, but there's no real reason to fear the veteran kicker sitting out this weekend. Since news of the injury surfaced, Folk has connected on all 10 of his field-goal attempts, including two kicks from beyond 50 yards.

Badgley made just one of his three field-goal attempts but made both of his extra points in Thursday's 30-27 win over the Raiders.

Both of Badgley's misses came within the final four minutes of the game with the score deadlocked at 24-24. Each attempt pushed slightly left, including a 51-yard try with just under a minute left to play. As a result of Thursday's contest, the 25-year-old has slipped below 70 percent in terms of made kicks, but with two games left to play it's hard to imagine the Chargers will make a change.

Russolino would stand to start Saturday's game against the Bills if Brandon McManus (COVID-19 list) is unavailable, Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports.

Coach Vic Fangio said Thursday that he doesn't expect McManus to be available Week 15, so it looks like Russolini could be set to make his first NFL start. The 31-year-old recently saw action as a member of the St. Louis BattleHawks in the XFL, when he converted nine of 10 field-goal attempts.

Gonzalez (back) didn't practice Thursday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Gonzalez was seen working out on the side during the open portion of the session, setting the stage for his second straight DNP. He'll have one more chance to prove the health of his back this week, but if he's unable to do so the Cardinals are poised to elevate Mike Nugent from the practice squad for Sunday's game against the Eagles.

The Broncos are expected to be without McManus (undisclosed) Saturday against the Bills, James Palmer of NFL Network reports.

McManus landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list as a close contact, with Palmer noting that if Denver's game was Sunday he'd be able to play. Instead, the Broncos are hosting the Bills on Saturday, with Taylor Russolino expected to handle the team's Week 15 kicking duties.

Gonzalez (back) was spotted working off to the side Thursday and looks set to go down as a non-participant at practice, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

While it's somewhat encouraging that Gonzalez wasn't absent from practice entirely, the kicker will likely need to join the main group in some fashion Friday to have a shot at playing Sunday against the Eagles. If Gonzalez is sidelined for a second straight week, however, the Cardinals would likely call up Mike Nugent from the practice squad to handle kicking duties.

Castillo cleared waivers and signed with the Jets' practice squad Wednesday.

Castillo was cut Tuesday following a disastrous Week 14 outing, where he misfired on three of four field-goal tries. Through six games with the Jets, he connected on eight of 13 field-goal attempts (67 percent), including both tries from beyond 50 yards. He'll remain with the Jets as an emergency kicker.

Folk (back) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Folk has been a fixture on the Patriots' injury reports since early November with the back issue, but he has yet to miss a game as a result. The injury hasn't affected his performance on the field either, as he's converted all 20 of his field-goal tries and 20 of 22 extra-point attempts since Week 2. Expect him to gain clearance ahead of Sunday's game versus the Dolphins.