NFL Player News

Pollard (foot) was a non-participant at Wednesday's practice, David Helman of the Cowboys' official site reports.

Prior to the session, head coach Mike McCarthy told Helman that he expected Pollard to be a limited participant. According to Todd Archer of ESPN.com, Pollard managed his typical resistance work on the side, but in the end, it didn't translate to any practice reps. McCarthy also relayed that the Cowboys are "feeling a lot better" about Pollard's odds to suit up this Sunday against the Giants than they were before he eventually was ruled for their Week 14 game at Washington, per Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News. Pollard is attempting to miss just one contest as a result of a torn plantar fascia in his left foot.

Walter (illness) wasn't listed on Wednesday's injury report, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Walter was active for last week's win over the Saints but didn't take the field due to an illness. However, it appears as though he'll be available Sunday against Miami. While the 25-year-old was expected to take on a key role against New Orleans, he's unlikely to see much playing time against the Dolphins since Tevin Coleman (concussion) and Michael Carter (ankle) are both expected to return to the field this week.

Ekeler (ankle), who is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Chiefs, is slated to go through a pregame warmup before the Chargers decide on his status for the contest, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

Safety Derwin James (hamstring) and cornerback Asante Samuel (concussion) will also go through workouts before the Chargers determine their availability, though Ekeler's involvement in practices Tuesday and Wednesday would appear to bode well for his chances of gaining clearance prior to Thursday's 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff. If Ekeler ends up sitting out Week 15 or takes on a lighter workload than normal, Justin Jackson, Joshua Kelley and possibly Larry Rountree could all have enhanced roles in the offensive game plan.

Gordon (thumb) is practicing Wednesday, after head coach Vic Fangio previously said the running back would be held out, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

Gordon returned to Sunday's win over the Lions after injuring his thumb and apparently doesn't want to miss practice time this week. He'll likely suit up this weekend against the Bengals and continue sharing work with Javonte Williams.

Mitchell, who won't practice Wednesday due to a concussion and knee irritation, worked on a side field with a member of the 49ers' training staff, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Mitchell wasn't spotted on the field at all last week, so this is a somewhat positive development, even if it doesn't translate to practice reps. Still, he has multiple checkpoints to clear as he works his way through the five-step concussion protocol, making it far from certain that he'll put an end to a one-game absence this weekend against the Falcons. While Mitchell was sidelined this past Sunday against the Bengals, Jeff Wilson served as the primary runner for San Francisco, finishing with 13 carries for 56 yards, while receiver Deebo Samuel matched his season high with eight carries to go with one reception.

Conner (ankle) was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday's practice report, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

In the wake of another productive performance in Monday's loss to the Rams, Conner emerged from the contest with an ankle injury that necessitated an MRI. According to Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site, head coach Kliff Kingsbury termed Conner "day-to-day" earlier Wednesday, but the running back proceeded to focus on rehab over on-field work in the first session of Week 15 prep. Conner has two more chances to mix into drills this week, but if he's available Sunday in Detroit, he could be joined in the backfield by Chase Edmonds (ankle), whom the team designated for return from injured reserve last week.

Sanders (ankle) was a limited participant at Wednesday's walk-through practice.

After the Eagles' last game Week 13 against the Jets, Sanders relayed that he aggravated the ankle injury that has bothered him since Week 8. He sat out three games back then, but he's taken on increased work in three appearances in the meantime, including 27 touches for 142 yards from scrimmage during the victory over the Jets. Per Tim McManus of ESPN.com, head coach Nick Sirianni expressed hope Wednesday that Sanders will be available Sunday versus Washington, but that likely will depend on how the running back responds to on-field work Thursday and/or Friday. Position mate Jordan Howard (knee) also was listed as limited to open Week 15 prep, so the Eagles backfield could be at full capacity in the near future.

Ekeler (ankle) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against Kansas City.

After being listed as a non-participant on Monday's practice report, Ekeler was limited Tuesday and Wednesday. According to Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times, Chargers head coach Brandon Staley said that Ekeler could have returned to this past Sunday's game against the Giants after sustaining a sprained left ankle, so the running back is seemingly trending toward active status Week 15. Either way, Ekeler's availability will be confirmed approximately 90 minutes before Thursday's 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff, when the Chargers release their inactive list.

Barkley (ankle) was a non-participant at Wednesday's walk-through practice, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Barkley continues to nurse the ankle issue that forced him to sit out Weeks 6 through 9. Since his return to action Week 11, he's averaged 16.3 touches for 69.5 yards from scrimmage per game while scoring one touchdown through the air over four outings. His offensive snap share also has ranged between 56 and 86 percent during that span. Barkley has two more chances to get on the practice field this week before the Giants potentially tag him with a designation for Sunday's contest against the Cowboys.

Ekeler (ankle) is participating in practice Wednesday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Ekeler was listed as a non-participant on Monday's estimated practice report before being upgraded to limited participation Tuesday. Receiver Mike Williams (heel) and tight end Jared Cook (quad) also are practicing Wednesday, so if those two and Ekeler are both able to gain clearance for Thursday's game against the Chiefs, quarterback Justin Herbert could have a healthy group of pass catchers at his disposal for the highly anticipated AFC West matchup.