NFL Player News

Swift (shoulder) isn't participating in Thursday's practice, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Swift hasn't gotten back on the field in any capacity since suffering an AC joint sprain of his shoulder in the Lions' Thanksgiving Day loss to the Bears, so at this stage, he looks to be trending toward a third consecutive missed game this weekend against Arizona. Before deciding on Swift's status one way or the other, the Lions will see if he's able to fit in any activity during the team's final practice of the week Friday. With Jamaal Williams (illness) still stuck on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Craig Reynolds, Jermar Jefferson and Godwin Igwebuike are left as the Lions' healthy options at running back.

Ekeler (ankle), who is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Chiefs, is expected to play, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

The Chargers won't decide on Ekeler's status until after evaluating him in a pregame workout, but barring a setback, he'll avoid the inactive list and start at running back as he usually does. However, Taylor Bisciotti of NFL Network notes that head coach Brandon Staley mentioned that Ekeler is experiencing more soreness than expected with the ankle he sprained in last Sunday's win over the Giants. With that in mind, Bisciotti, citing a source, has been told that Ekeler won't handle a full workload while he plays through the injury, so reserve backs Justin Jackson, Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree could be in store for more snaps than usual. Even if that's the case, Ekeler is still the odds-on favorite to lead the group in snaps and touches, so fantasy managers outside of the shallowest of leagues shouldn't have too many reservations about including him in weekly lineups.

Homer (hamstring/calf) logged a full practice Wednesday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Homer has been sidelined two of the past three games due to injury, but head coach Pete Carroll expressed optimism Monday that the running back would be available Week 15 against the Rams, per John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site. With a full practice behind him, Homer joins Rashaad Penny and DeeJay Dallas as healthy running backs on the active roster, while Alex Collins (abdomen) was limited during Wednesday's session. Penny has taken over the lead role out of the Seahawks backfield after a 138-yard, two-touchdown performance this past Sunday in Houston, so Homer will have to contend with Collins, Dallas and potentially Adrian Peterson (lower back) for reps moving forward.

Williams was listed as a limited practice participant Wednesday due to a knee injury, George Stoia III of The Denver Gazette reports.

In addition to Williams, fellow running back Melvin Gordon (thumb/hip) was listed as a limited participant to begin Week 15 prep, which was fully expected after he emerged from Sunday's win over Detroit with a sprained thumb. In the case of Williams, his appearance on the injury report is more of a surprise, as the Broncos didn't disclose that he hurt his knee at any point during Week 14. His practice activity will bear monitoring over the next two days to gain a sense of his chances of playing this weekend against the Bengals.

Gordon (thumb/hip) was listed as a limited practice participant Wednesday, George Stoia III of The Denver Gazette reports.

Javonte Williams (knee) was also a limited participant, so the statuses of Denver's top two backs will need to be tracked as Sunday's game against the Bengals approaches. If both are available this weekend, they'll continue to work in a backfield timeshare, one that resulted in Gordon (111 rushing yards, two touchdowns) and Williams (73 rushing yards, 10 receiving yards, two touchdowns) putting up useful numbers in Denver's 38-10 win over the Lions in Week 14.

Evans (ankle) was a limited practice participant Wednesday.

Evans didn't practice last week and missed his second straight game in the Bengals' overtime loss to the 49ers, so his return to practice to begin Week 15 is a good sign for his recovery. The 24-year-old could avoid an injury designation for this weekend's game against the Broncos if he can progress to full participation over the next couple days.

Chargers head coach Brandon Staley said Ekeler (ankle), who is listed as questionable for Thursday's contest against Kansas City, is "just sore" and is being viewed as a game-time decision, Gilbert Manzano of The Orange County Register reports. "We're going to make sure before the game that he's feeling OK," Staley said.

After going down as a limited participant on the practice reports the Chargers released Tuesday and Wednesday, Ekeler looks to be trending toward an active status for Week 15, barring a setback in pregame warmups. Even so, fantasy managers planning on using Ekeler this week will still want to verify that he avoids the Chargers' inactive list, which will be released 90 minutes prior to Thursday's 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff. If active, Ekeler could still be at risk of having his snap count and touches managed more carefully than usual.

Jones (knee) was listed as a limited participant during Wednesday's walk-through practice, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Jones' limited reps to begin Week 15 is likely related to the sprained MCL of his right knee that he sustained back in Week 10 against the Seahawks. He missed one game as a result of the injury, and in two appearances since then he's combined for 18 touches for 88 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. Fellow running back AJ Dillon received far more work over those two contests, parlaying 40 touches into 161 total yards and one receiving score. Assuming Jones is able to continue playing through the issue, he may take a back seat to Dillon once again Sunday in Baltimore until he's closer to 100 percent.

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

Robinson picked up only six carries for four yards during Sunday's 20-0 loss to the Titans, but on a positive note, he doesn't appear to have suffered an aggravation of either of his lingering injuries. A report surfaced last week indicating that the 23-year-old is expected to rest every Thursday for the rest of the season, so he'll likely be listed as a non-participant on the Jaguars' second injury report of Week 15.

Harris (hamstring) was listed as a limited practice participant Wednesday.

The fact that Harris has been able to work in a limited fashion on consecutive days coming off New England's Week 14 bye suggests that he has a chance to suit up Saturday against the Colts, though there's a solid chance he'll approach the contest with a questionable designation. If he's cleared ahead of the 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff, Harris may still face competition for carries from Rhamondre Stevenson, who has taken on an enhanced profile in the New England rushing attack in recent weeks.