NFL Player News

Dowdle (ankle) was limited at Thursday's practice, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.

For a sixth week in a row, Dowdle is operating with practice restrictions due to a lingering ankle issue. He's still been able to suit up for the past five game days, turning 38 touches into 132 yards from scrimmage and two TDs while working as Tony Pollard's primary backup. Friday's injury report will unveil whether or not Dowdle enters the weekend with a designation for Sunday's visit to Miami.

Mostert (knee/ankle/rest) didn't practice Thursday, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Miami's inclusion of the term 'veteran rest' on the injury report suggests Mostert is in no actual danger of missing Sunday's game against the Cowboys. His practice workloads have been carefully managed all year -- as have his in-game workloads when the Dolphins build a significant lead -- but Mostert has been the unquestioned lead runner ahead of De'Von Achane in recent weeks apart from blowout scenarios. A matchup with the playoff-bound Cowboys theoretically could shift the carry distribution more toward Mostert, though it might instead work in Achane's favor if the Dolphins fall behind, as the rookie has been getting most of the snaps in obvious passing situations recently (e.g. nine targets in a loss to the Titans in Week 14).

Achane (toe) was a limited participant Thursday in his return to practice, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Achane played through the same injury last week, taking 12 touches for 62 yards in a 30-0 win over the Jets. He's on the right track to play again this Sunday against the Cowboys, having returned to practice Thursday after what was seemingly a precautionary absence Wednesday. The rookie figures to continue mixing in behind Raheem Mostert, whose absences from practice Wednesday and Thursday don't seem especially concerning given that the Dolphins have often held him out this season and are listing 'rest' as one of the reasons for the veteran back missing practice this week.

Moss (forearm) didn't practice Thursday.

Given that Moss was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday's practice estimate, what the running back is able to do Friday -- if anything -- will be pivotal with regard to his chances of suiting up Sunday against the Falcons. While Moss looks iffy for Week 16 at this stage, fellow back Jonathan Taylor (thumb) logged a full practice Thursday and appears poised to return from a three-game absence this weekend.

Taylor (thumb) was a full practice participant Thursday.

The Colts listed Taylor as a full participant on their second straight practice report, though Wednesday's was merely an estimate after the team held a walk-through session to kick off Week 16 prep. Taylor had missed each of Indianapolis' last three games while recovering from Nov. 29 surgery to repair a ligament tear in his right thumb, and while the running back wouldn't formally confirm Thursday that he'll return to action Sunday in Atlanta, all signs point to him playing following the full practice. Assuming Taylor does play Sunday, he'll be doing so with some sort of protective brace or wrap on his injured thumb, per James Boyd of The Athletic. Taylor's potential return comes at an opportune time for the Colts, who could be without the services of Zack Moss (forearm) on Sunday. Moss had served as the Colts' lead back in Taylor's absence for each of the last three games before exiting this past Saturday's 30-13 win over Pittsburgh with a right forearm injury that continued to keep him off the field for Thursday's practice.

Williams (concussion) didn't practice Thursday.

Williams was elevated from the practice squad for the first time this season ahead of Sunday's 28-20 loss to the Rams, briefly benefitting from Brian Robinson's hamstring injury. Williams got one carry on 13 snaps before entering concussion protocol, and he's now in danger of missing a matchup with the Jets on Sunday.

Dillon (thumb) practiced on a limited basis Thursday.

Going back to last week, Dillon now has logged three consecutive capped sessions as he attempts to see if he can play through a broken right thumb. Ball security appears to be the biggest sticking point for his availability on game days, and he likely will enter the weekend with a designation for Sunday's contest at Carolina if he's unable to get back to all on-field work Friday. Fellow running back Aaron Jones (knee/finger) also has been limited this week, but there are fewer question marks for his status ahead of Week 16 action.

Robinson (hamstring) didn't practice Thursday.

Reporters saw Robinson working out Thursday afternoon, but he apparently wasn't deemed ready to practice. He's yet to practice since suffering the hamstring injury Week 13 -- right before a Week 14 bye -- and now appears in danger of missing a second game when the Commanders face the Jets this Sunday. Antonio Gibson stayed in his usual role for last week's 28-20 loss to the Rams, while Chris Rodriguez stepped up as the lead runner and Jonathan Williams also got some snaps before suffering a concussion.

Jones (knee/finger) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Jones continues to operate with practice limitations as he tends to a lingering knee injury and a new finger concern. In his return from a three-game absence this past Sunday against the Buccaneers, he took 13 carries for 53 yards and recorded four catches (on four targets) for 16 yards. Eight of those rushes occurred in the opening possession of the game, and coach Matt LaFleur noted of Jones' early usage that he was "a little bit cautious" with the running back after that point, per Ryan Wood of USA Today. LaFleur added that Jones was available for every play in Week 15, so assuming he's active Sunday at Carolina, he could be poised for an even bigger workload. Fellow RB AJ Dillon again had a cap on his reps Thursday, with his own availability likely tied to how his broken thumb potentially impacts ball security.

Mattison (ankle) didn't practice Thursday.

Mattison looks to be trending toward missing a second straight game this weekend against the Lions, as he hasn't been able to practice in any capacity since sustaining a right ankle sprain in the Vikings' 3-0 win over the Raiders in Week 14. Ty Chandler looks poised to serve as Minnesota's lead back Sunday, and head coach Kevin O'Connell alluded Wednesday to the possibility of the second-year player remaining atop the depth chart even Mattison has fully moved past the ankle injury, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. Mattison has mustered just 3.9 yards per carry and zero touchdowns on the ground in addition to losing two fumbles over his 13 appearances in 2023, while Chandler came through with the best performance by any Vikings running back this season in this past Saturday's 27-24 overtime loss to the Bengals. Chandler carried 23 times for 132 yards and a touchdown and added three catches for 25 yards on four targets in the loss, and the Vikings could look to reward him for his efforts.