NFL Player News

Stevenson (illness) wasn't spotted at practice Thursday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Stevenson missed Wednesday's session as well, so his status for Sunday's game against the Bills is worth closely monitoring. Meanwhile, fellow running backs Damien Harris (hamstring) and Brandon Bolden (knee) began the week as limited practice participants.

The Vikings placed Cook on the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday.

Though Minnesota hasn't revealed whether Cook tested positive for the virus, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune notes that the running back has been following the NFL's protocols for unvaccinated players this season. With that in mind, he'll have to complete a five-day quarantine if he was deemed a close contact of an infected person, or a 10-day quarantine if he tested positive for the virus. That means that Cook won't be available to play for at least Sunday's game against the Rams, and he could also be at risk of missing a Week 17 matchup with Green Bay on Jan. 2 if he tested positive. Minnesota returned Alexander Mattison from the reserve/COVID-list Wednesday after he previously sat out the Vikings' Week 15 win over the Bears, so he'll likely be in line for a turn as Minnesota's lead back against the Rams.

The Steelers placed McFarland (undisclosed) on the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday.

McFarland hasn't taken the field in any of the last three games. It's not yet clear whether the 22-year-old has tested positive for COVID-19, but his status for Sunday's game against Kansas City shouldn't significantly impact Pittsburgh's offensive plans.

Scott played just six snaps on special teams in Tuesday's 27-17 win over the Football Team.

Scott had seen at least 20 snaps on offense from Weeks 7 to 12 but saw just three in Week 13 and played purely special teams with Jordan Howard healthy again in Week 15. It's unlikely things change with Week 16's matchup against the Giants coming just five days later.

Wilson is slated to be the 49ers' lead running back Thursday at Tennessee after Elijah Mitchell (knee) was ruled out for the contest.

Mitchell cleared the concussion protocol earlier this week, but his knee issue was bothersome enough to keep him off the practice field Tuesday and Wednesday and on the sideline for a third straight game. Wilson has taken on a majority share of the running back reps in the meantime, racking up 36 touches for 175 yards from scrimmage and one rushing TD. JaMycal Hasty is the only other RB on the active roster, but wide receiver Deebo Samuel and even fullback Kyle Juszczyk are likelier options to earn touches out of the backfield behind Wilson.

Armah reverted to Washington's practice squad Wednesday.

Armah was elevated to Washington's active roster for Week 15, as the team was thin on tight end depth. Although Armah didn't see the field, it seems that the full-back has earned the now third-string tight end role with Washington. Expect Armah to get elevated again if John Bates or Ricky Seals-Jones face any injuries.

Williams (knee) was listed as a limited practice participant Wednesday, Rachel Gossen of the Raiders' official site reports.

In this past Sunday's loss to the Bengals, Williams played through a knee issue that had him listed as questionable heading into the contest. With that in mind, there's a solid chance his Wednesday limitations were maintenance-related. Meanwhile, Melvin Gordon (thumb/hip) logged a 'DNP' on Wednesday, but so far there's nothing to suggest that the duo won't be available for this weekend's game against the Raiders.

Jacobs (illness) was listed as a non-participant in Wednesday's walkthrough, Rachel Gossen of the Raiders' official site reports.

It remains to be seen if Jacobs' illness might impact his availability for Thursday's practice, but all things considered league-wide his status is now worth monitoring as Sunday's game against the Broncos approaches. Next up for the Raiders' RB reps if Jacobs misses the session or is limited are Peyton Barber and Jalen Richard.

New England listed Harris (hamstring) as a limited participant in Wednesday's practice.

After sitting out last week's loss to Indianapolis with the hamstring injury, Harris is starting off Week 16 prep on a positive note by practicing in some fashion. However, since Harris was listed as a limited participant in practice on three occasions before being ruled out ahead of the Week 15 contest, he would ideally upgrade to full activity by Friday for fantasy managers to feel confident about his availability for Sunday's game against the Bills. At least for the moment, Harris looks to be healthier than Rhamondre Stevenson, who sat out Wednesday's session entirely with an illness. If both Harris and Stevenson are cleared to play Sunday, the two would likely work in a timeshare out of the New England backfield.

Robinson (knee) was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice.

Robinson was once again a limited practice participant to begin the week as he continues to manage the knee injury down the stretch. If the trend from recent weeks holds, the 23-year-old will rest at Thursday's practice before returning as a full participant for Friday's session.