NFL Player News

Offensive coordinator Greg Roman noted Thursday that Dobbins (knee) "is looking good" in his second week of practice since being designated to return from IR, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

"I really think that time off and what he was able to take care is going to make a big impact on his effectiveness," Roman said of Dobbins, who last suited up Week 6. "We're excited about having him back." It remains to be seen if Dobbins is officially activated ahead of Sunday's game against the Steelers, but if he is, the 2020 second-rounder could well be eased back into the mix Week 14, with Gus Edwards, Kenyan Drake and Justice Hill also in the Ravens' backfield corps.

Swift (ankle) practiced fully Thursday.

Swift opened the week with a limited showing Wednesday with an ankle issue, but it didn't impact his activity level one day later, effectively clearing him for Week 14 action. The Lions tacked on Jamaal Williams (hand) onto Thursday's injury report, but like Swift he was able to log a full practice. As a result, the Swift-Williams backfield is a go ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Vikings.

Barkley was limited at Thursday's practice due to a neck injury, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Barkley wasn't listed on the Giants' injury report Wednesday, so his appearance one day later was unexpected. He was able to fit in some drills in spite of the health concern and has one more session to put himself in a position to avoid a designation ahead of Sunday's game against the Eagles. If Barkley is at all limited this weekend, Matt Breida and Gary Brightwell could take on larger roles out of New York's backfield.

Harris (oblique) returned to a limited practice Thursday, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

Harris didn't practice Wednesday, but the running back's return to the field Thursday bodes well for his chances of playing Sunday against the Ravens. Friday's final injury report will reveal whether Pittsburgh's top back heads into the weekend with an injury designation or fully cleared for Week 14 action.

Broncos offensive coordinator Justin Outten said he "absolutely" envisions Boone having a larger role this Sunday against the Chiefs, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports. "The second week [back from injured reserve] I see him going up," Outten said of Boone.

After a five-week stint on IR due to an ankle injury, Boone was activated in advance of last Sunday's game against the Ravens. Boone played 12 snaps in the 10-9 loss and carried six times for 18 yards to go with one reception for eight yards, working ahead of Marlon Mack (five snaps) but firmly behind starter Latavius Murray (35). Though Murray is likely to continue to start against Kansas City, expect the gap in usage between him and Boone to be more narrow now that the latter is further removed from the injury. The fantasy upside isn't especially high for either back while they remain tied to the NFL's lowest-scoring offense (13.8 points per game), but finding more opportunities for the 27-year-old Boone could become a priority for the 3-9 Broncos, especially once the team is officially eliminated from playoff contention. The 32-year-old Murray is on an expiring deal and is averaging just 3.7 yards per carry through seven games with Denver.

Perine will cede starting running back duties to Joe Mixon in Sunday's game against the Browns after the latter practiced fully Wednesday and cleared the NFL's concussion protocol, but Perine may have earned a larger role than he previously held after excelling as a replacement for Mixon over the past two games, James Palmer of NFL Network reports.

According to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, head coach Zac Taylor already confirmed Wednesday that Mixon would reclaim the starting role, even though Perine amassed 248 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 48 touches (38 carries, 10 catches) over the previous two weeks while helping the Bengals knock off likely playoff teams in the Titans and Chiefs. Before exiting early in the Bengals' Week 11 win over the Steelers, Mixon had played more than two-thirds of the snaps in each of the team's first nine contests, but it's possible a more even timeshare between him and Perine may be in place Sunday. Perine demonstrated over the last two games that he's capable of filling in on both early and passing downs while churning out yardage efficiently, making him a reliable fill-in option if Mixon should need a breather during a given possession. That said, Perine can't be counted on to see enough touches to make him a viable fantasy lineup option outside of deeper leagues now that Mixon is back in the picture.

Foreman (foot) was limited at practice Thursday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

In the wake of Carolina's Week 13 bye, Foreman was held out of drills Wednesday as he tends to a rib injury. He took a step in the right direction with his upgrade in participation Thursday, and Friday's practice report will reveal whether or not he exits the week with a designation for Sunday's game at Seattle. If Foreman ends up limited or out this weekend, Chuba Hubbard would be the biggest beneficiary out of the Panthers backfield.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor confirmed Thursday that Mixon cleared the NFL's concussion protocol last week, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports. After practicing fully Wednesday, Mixon is on track to end his two-game absence this Sunday against the Browns.

Mixon was a limited participant in all three of the Bengals' practices last week before being listed as questionable ahead of the team's game against the Chiefs. According to Dehner, Mixon disclosed that he was "barely" experiencing concussion symptoms that were mostly related to his vision by the end of the week, and despite clearing the protocol ahead of kickoff time, the Bengals ultimately chose to make the running back inactive for the second straight week in an eventual 27-24 win over Kansas City. With Mixon having now cleared the protocol and set to turn in a full week of practice, he'll be returning to action as the starter, which Taylor confirmed Wednesday, per Dehner. However, with backup Samaje Perine excelling in a three-down role in Mixon's absence the past two weeks, it's possible the distribution of work between the two backs is tighter than it had been in previous weeks when both were healthy.

Reynolds (ribs) was designated to return from injured reserve Thursday, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Reynolds suffered the injury in Week 9's win over the Packers and was placed on IR on Nov. 9. He now has a 21-day window to either be added back to the active roster or revert to IR for the remainder of the season. Before suffering the injury, Reynolds operated as the team's No. 3 running back, a role that Justin Jackson has since occupied.

Harris (thigh) wasn't participating in practice Thursday, Mark Daniels of Masslive.com reports.

Harris missed last Thursday's loss to the Bills due to a thigh injury, so his absence from practice at this stage makes the running back's status worth monitoring in advance of Monday night's contest against the Cardinals. In Harris' absence versus Buffalo, Rhamondre Stevenson logged a 98 percent snap share, and in the event that Harris isn't able to face Arizona, Stevenson once again would be in line for a big backfield workload Week 14, with Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris in reserve.