NFL Player News

Denver designated Boone (ankle) for return from injured reserve Wednesday, Aric DiLalla of the team's official site reports.

Boone, who has resided on IR since Week 8, is now eligible to practice with the team and will have a 21-day period to be added to the active roster. He's totaled 21 touches for 143 yards across seven appearances this season, but when available, he could see an increased workload in Denver's new-look running back room, which currently features Latavius Murray and Marlon Mack. Boone's status for Sunday's game in Baltimore remains unclear, but more information on his availability should surface later in the week.

Dillon was a limited participant in practice Wednesday due to a quadriceps injury.

Dillon joined fellow running back Aaron Jones (shin/glute) on the injury report to kick off Week 13 prep. The latter has been a regular on reports for four weeks in a row, while former is showing up after enduring an awkward tackle near the end of this past Sunday's loss at Philadelphia. Dillon and Jones have two more sessions this week to put themselves in positions to suit up Sunday at Chicago.

Etienne (foot) was a limited participant at practice Wednesday.

Per Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network, head coach Doug Pederson said he "feels good" about Etienne's chances of playing Sunday against the Lions, noting that the team doesn't want to rush the running back to a full practice before he's 100 percent. Etienne now has two more chances to upgrade his participation level in practice, with JaMycal Hasty, Snoop Conner and perhaps newcomer Darrell Henderson on hand to fill in if Etienne doesn't end up playing. The second-year back missed the second half of Sunday's 29-28 win over the Ravens after spraining his foot early in the game, but Pederson said afterward that Etienne could have returned to the game.

Jones (shin/glute) was a limited participant in practice Wednesday.

While Jones has been a regular on Packers injury reports since he was knocked out of a Week 9 loss at Detroit, fellow running back AJ Dillon has avoided them until this week, which he also kicked off as a limited practice participant due to a quadriceps issue. Consequently, the statuses of both players will need to be watched to get a sense of whether their respective abilities to play are in danger for Sunday's game at Chicago. The next two days of prep will determine whether or not Jones and/or Dillon head into the weekend with a designation.

Mostert (knee) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Head coach Mike McDaniel said earlier Wednesday that he expects Mostert to return for Sunday's game in San Francisco against his former team after missing the Dolphins' Week 12 win over Houston. It'll also be a return to San Francisco for McDaniel and fellow running back Jeff Wilson, who took 78 percent of the snaps before halftime in Sunday's 30-15 win over Houston before handing things over to Myles Gaskin once the Dolphins built a huge lead. Wilson is unlikely to handle to handle such a large snap share if Mostert returns this week, but Wilson was getting more work between the two before Mostert's knee injury popped up.

Mixon (concussion) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official site reports.

Mixon, who was inactive in the Bengals' Week 12 win over the Titans, didn't practice at all leading up to that contest, so his participation in Wednesday's session bodes well for his chances of returning to action Sunday against the Chiefs. In order to do so, Mixon will need to clear the NFL's five-step concussion protocol, but barring any setbacks in the coming days, he appears poised to resume leading Cincinnati's backfield this weekend.

Stevenson appears poised to serve as the Patriots' clear lead back on early downs and passing downs with Damien Harris (thigh) ruled out for Thursday's game against Buffalo.

Stevenson has been the lead back even when Harris is healthy, but the second-year pro has seen even more work when his teammate is out, averaging 15.4 carries and 6.4 targets in the five games Harris has missed or left early with an injury. The Bills present a tough matchup, but Stevenson's workload projection is among the best of all running backs for Week 13, and his involvement as a pass catcher keeps him somewhat protected against the game-script concerns that often plague bigger backs.

Harris (thigh) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Bills.

With Harris out, look for Rhamondre Stevenson to handle a heavy workload as New England's lead back, while Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris are on hand to work in reserve roles. The Patriots could also promote J.J. Taylor from the practice squad to add another healthy back to the mix for the Week 13 contest. Damien Harris will now target a potential return to action Week 14, when the Patriots face the Cardinals on the road on Dec. 12.

Warren (hamstring) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic reports.

Earlier Wednesday, Warren said that he was on track to put an end to his one-game absence and return to action this Sunday against the Falcons, and his ability to begin the week as a full practice participant backs up his optimism. Though the undrafted rookie out of Oklahoma State has mainly served in a complementary role this season, Warren could be primed for his largest workload to date if top back Najee Harris (oblique) -- who sat out Wednesday's session -- is unable to play. Even if Harris is cleared to play this weekend, the Steelers could look to manage his snaps and lean more heavily on Warren than usual.

Harris didn't practice Wednesday due to an oblique injury, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

Previous reports indicated that Harris suffered an abdominal injury in Monday's win over the Colts, but the Steelers are now listing him with an oblique issue ahead of this Sunday's game against the Falcons. On the plus side in terms of the Steelers' Week 13 backfield prospects, Harris's top backup Jaylen Warren (hamstring) indicated that he has been cleared to play this weekend, a notion supported by his full practice participation Wednesday.