NFL Player News

Ekeler (knee) was limited at practice Thursday.

Given that Ekeler was also listed as limited on Wednesday's practice estimate, the Chargers' top running back will presumably need to practice fully Friday in order to avoid an injury designation ahead of Sunday's game against the Rams. So far there's been nothing to suggest that Ekeler's Week 17 status is in danger, but if he's limited at all this weekend, Joshua Kelley would be next up for added backfield touches.

Stevenson (ankle) remained limited at practice Thursday, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.

Meanwhile, fellow running back Damien Harris, who has been limited at practice of late due to a thigh issue, missed Thursday's session due to a personal matter. Friday's injury report will reveal added context with regard to the duo's status for Sunday's game against the Dolphins, but chances are that both Stevenson and Harris end up officially listed as 'questionable' for Week 17 action.

The Titans elevated Ward from their practice squad to the active roster Thursday, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.

With Derrick Henry (hip) not expected to suit up Thursday night versus Dallas, Ward is now in line to serve as Tennessee's No. 3 backfield option in Week 17 behind Hassan Haskins and Julius Chestnut. Since joining the Titans on Dec. 13, the 25-year-old has yet to log an offensive snap.

Ogunbowale was listed as a limited participant in Thursday's practice with a knee injury.

While Dameon Pierce (ankle) has been sidelined for the past two games with a season-ending injury, Ogunbowale has worked ahead of Rex Burkhead as the No. 2 option in the backfield behind Royce Freeman. Ogunbowale has logged eight carries and no targets in both of those contests, totaling a meager 42 yards on his 16 totes. The knee injury now threatens his ability to maintain the modest role he's held the past two weeks in Sunday's game against Jacksonville, though Ogunbowale can put to rest any concerns about his health by practicing in some capacity Friday.

Harris (thigh) was absent from Thursday's practice due to a personal matter, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.

A thigh injury has prevented Harris from playing in the Patriots' last four games and rendered him a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, but New England is attributing his absence Thursday solely to the personal matter. If Harris returns to practice Friday, there's a good chance he'll be re-listed with the thigh issue, so he's not necessarily in the clear on the health front. Regardless, the Patriots will wait until the conclusion of Friday's practice before deciding whether Harris carries a designation into Sunday's game against the Dolphins.

Sanders (knee) was limited in practice Thursday.

After sitting out Wednesday due to a knee issue, Sanders was seen working as the top running back in drills one day later, with Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott and Trey Sermon next in line for reps, according to Josh Tolentino of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Sanders also appeared to be running fine, per Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia, but he seemingly still has some work to do to get back to all activity. Ultimately, Friday's injury report will unveil if Sanders has a designation ahead of Sunday's contest against the Saints.

The Broncos signed Badie to their active roster from the Ravens' practice squad Thursday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

Badie, who was drafted by Baltimore in the sixth round earlier this year, terminated his practice squad contract with the Ravens on Wednesday and has since latched on with the Broncos. The 22-year-old running back will look to make his NFL debut at some point throughout the final two games of the regular season while working behind Latavius Murray, Chase Edmonds and Marlon Mack.

Davis is in line to serve as the top backup to Ezekiel Elliott in Thursday's game against the Titans with Tony Pollard (thigh) listed as questionable but set to be inactive for the contest, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Elliott and Pollard have worked in a fairly equitable timeshare over the past six weeks when both backs have been available, but with Pollard sitting out Week 17, look for Elliott to occupy a larger portion of the backfield work, at least during the first half of the contest. However, with most sportsbooks listing the Cowboys as two-touchdown favorites against a Titans squad that will be breaking in a new starting quarterback (Joshua Dobbs) and resting several key players in a game that doesn't dramatically affect their postseason odds, Dallas could end up turning the game into a runaway by halftime or the third quarter. If that kind of game script comes to fruition, Elliott could be rested for most of the second half, paving the way for Davis to see more opportunities. Most of Davis' opportunities to date this season have come in garbage-time scenarios, with the rookie carrying 23 times for 103 yards and a touchdown and adding four receptions for 40 yards on five targets across 47 total snaps on offense.

Washington (illness) wasn't spotted at Thursday's practice, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.

Washington was unavailable for both of New Orleans' previous two games due to an illness, but Saints coach Dennis Allen recently explained that the 28-year-old has been dealing with a cluster of migraine headaches, per Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football. With Washington potentially on his way to missing a third consecutive contest Sunday against the Eagles and Alvin Kamara (quadriceps/personal) carrying a questionable tag, David Johnson, Eno Benjamin and Taysom Hill could serve as the team's top ball carriers come New Year's Day.

Kamara (quadriceps/personal) wasn't spotted at Thursday's practice, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.

It's unclear whether the quad issue or the personal matter is what's preventing Kamara from taking the field Thursday, as it was the latter concern that kept him away from the New Orleans facility entirely Wednesday. Whatever the case, he'll be listed as a non-participant for the second practice in a row, making Friday's session an all-important one in deciding his status for Sunday's game in Philadelphia. If Kamara isn't cleared to play this weekend, the Saints would be left with David Johnson and Eno Benjamin as their available running backs, though the jack-of-all-trades Taysom Hill is likely to factor into the equation in some capacity regardless of whether Kamara is available or not.