NFL Player News

Edwards is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bengals with a back injury.

Edwards received the designation after the back issue limited his participation in Friday's practice. If Edwards ends up sitting out or gets his reps capped this weekend, the Ravens would likely lean more heavily on J.K. Dobbins as its lead option, while Justice Hill and Mark Ingram (illness, questionable) could get more work as backups.

Sanders (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against Washington.

Sanders was added to injury report Thursday and didn't practice Friday. He finished his season with 867 rushing yards, 197 receiving yards and six total touchdowns in 12 games, producing 5.3 yards per carry but only 3.8 per target. Boston Scott averaged just four touches per game over the past seven weeks, but he should see more work Sunday in what likely will be his fourth start of the season. Scott averaged 12 carries, three targets and 75 total yards between the first three starts, playing 56, 69 and 66 percent of offensive snaps. The Eagles also have Corey Clement and Jason Huntley as backfield options on the active roster, and Jordan Howard could be called up from the practice squad.

Edwards-Helaire (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Chargers.

Fellow running back Le'Veon Bell (knee) is listed as questionable for the contest, but with Kansas City having clinched a first-round playoff bye, depth options Darrel Williams and Darwin Thompson should both be in store for a fair share of touches regardless of Bell's status. Edwards-Helaire, meanwhile, will set his sights on being ready to play in time for the Chiefs' postseason opener Jan. 16 or 17.

Sanders (knee) doesn't appear likely to play in Sunday's game against Washington, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia repots.

Sanders was added to the injury report Thursday and held out of practice Friday. If he doesn't play Sunday, the Eagles will be left with Boston Scott, Corey Clement and Jason Huntley in the backfield. Scott has made five starts for the Eagles over the past two seasons, averaging 10.6 carries and 3.0 targets in those games.

Patterson (knee) carries a questionable designation into Sunday's game against the Packers after participating fully in Friday's practice.

Patterson submitted full sessions Wednesday and Friday, but the versatile veteran still carries an injury tag into a vital Week 17 home game against Green Bay. Having just earned his second Pro Bowl nod in as many years, Patterson remains an elite special-teams contributor, compiling an NFL-high 964 kickoff return yards and one return touchdown in 2020. Patterson has also contributed 126 rushing yards and one rushing TD over 31 attempts the past seven weeks, as he continues to step in as the No. 2 back in the absence of Tarik Cohen (knee-ACL). Patterson hasn't missed a game all year, and he's only sat out one of a possible 127 regular-season contests since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2013.

GIbson (toe) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Eagles, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

There were no reports that Gibson suffered a setback in his return to action in last week's loss to Carolina, but there will inevitably be some level of concern after he was held out of practice Wednesday through Friday. If he doesn't end up playing Sunday, Washington likely would split backfield work between J.D. McKissic and Peyton Barber, as was the case Weeks 14 and 15.

Mattison (concussion) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Lions.

Mattison was out for Weeks 13 and 14 while he recovered from an appendectomy, and he then missed Week 16 while navigating the concussion protocol. He's now back for what likely will be his second start of the year, as Dalvin Cook will miss the game for personal reasons. Mattison managed just 30 total yards against Atlanta in his first start, but he draws an excellent matchup with the Lions in Week 17. Cook had 252 total yards and two scores when the Vikings beat the Lions in Week 9.

McCaffrey (thigh) is considered "very doubtful" for Sunday's game against the Saints, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

For whatever reason, the Panthers are listing a bunch of players as doubtful rather than out. None of the group -- including running back Mike Davis (ankle) -- is expected to play, leaving Rodney Smith and Trenton Cannon atop the Carolina depth chart for Week 17. The team also can use wideout Curtis Samuel and fullback Alex Armah in the backfield, so Smith -- the likely starter -- won't automatically take over Davis' role. Davis ended up starting 12 games this season, as ankle, shoulder and thigh injuries limited McCaffrey to three appearances. The star running back nonetheless projects to be a top-three fantasy pick in 2021, just two years removed from an all-time season and entering his age-25 campaign. There's been no report of McCaffrey considering surgery for any of his 2020 injuries, and he should have plenty of time to recover before next season even if he does need some type of procedure.

Gibson (toe) isn't participating in the media-access portion of Friday's practice, Sam Fortier of The Washington Post reports.

Gibson returned from a two-game absence for last week's loss to the Panthers, taking 13 touches for 69 yards while playing 30 percent of offensive snaps. The missed practice time might seem worrisome, but head coach Ron Rivera has said the rookie running backs is "fine," and offensive coordinator Scott Turner said Gibson's reduced snap share last week was a product of game script. Still, Gibson's status will bear monitoring when Washington releases its final injury report later Friday.

Head coach Bruce Arians said he wants to give Jones "a ton of work" in Sunday's game against the Falcons, Carmen Vitali of the Buccaneers' official website reports.

Jones had finger surgery after Tampa's Week 14 contest and was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list shortly thereafter. He's now set to return from a two-game absence, though his pass-catching ability could be impacted by a brace that covers two fingers on his left hand, according to Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site. Regardless, Jones is poised to step back in as the Bucs' lead runner, needing exactly 100 rushing yards to reach 1,000 for the season.