NFL Player News

Jacobs (shoulder/illness) has been downgraded to out for Sunday's game against the Broncos.

Initially deemed doubtful, it's no surprise that Jacobs will sit out for the season finale. DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard will handle the backfield against the Broncos. Jacobs -- a rookie first-rounder out of Alabama -- had a fantastic season prior to fracturing his shoulder, and he'll end the season with 1,150 rushing yards and seven touchdowns while adding 20 catches for 166 yards. He should be able to make a full recovery for the 2020 season and resume duties as a bell cow.

Barner doesn't carry an injury designation heading into Week 17's game against Tampa Bay.

Barner was upgraded to a full participant in Friday's practice after managing both shoulder and hip injuries. The veteran is expected to handle return duties for the game while providing depth at the running back position behind Devonta Freeman and Brian Hill for Week 17.

Williams (shoulder) is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game in Detroit, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Coach Matt LaFleur essentially confirmed earlier Friday that Williams won't play, leaving Dexter Williams and Tyler Ervin as the reserve options in Green Bay's backfield. The situation could lead to extra touches for Aaron Jones, as it isn't clear if the team will trust Williams or Ervin to handle significant work in an important game. A victory would give the Packers a shot at the NFC's No. 1 seed, while a loss could drop them as low as No. 3. A first-round bye in the postseason would help Williams avoid any additional missed time beyond Sunday.

Jacobs (shoulder/illness) is officially listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Broncos.

Assuming Jacobs is deemed inactive Sunday, DeAndre Washington would be in line to head the Raiders' ground attack. Meanwhile, Jalen Richard should absorb some extra work as a change-of-pace or pass-catching option out of the backfield.

Coach Matt LaFleur said he doesn't expect Williams (shoulder) to play in Sunday's game against the Lions, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

LaFleur's comment essentially confirms the obvious, as Williams hasn't taken part in practice all week. Later Friday, the Packers will release their final Week 17 injury report, which will reveal whether Williams is officially ruled out for the contest or listed as doubtful.

Boone could get another start Sunday against the Bears, Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune reports.

With Dalvin Cook (shoulder) ruled out and Alexander Mattison (ankle) listed as questionable, Boone should have a chance at redemption after his Week 16 start against the Packers yielded 33 yards on 12 touches. He was benched in favor of Ameer Abdullah for most of the second half, with coach Mike Zimmer noting afterward that the second-year pro had missed a few cutback lanes on his carries. In any case, the Vikings are locked in as the NFC's No. 6 seed and seemingly plan to rest some key players, but they'll also be playing against a number of backups, with the Bears ruling out defensive linemen Akiem Hicks (elbow) and Eddie Goldman (concussion). Even so, Boone makes for a risky fantasy option, particularly if Mattison is declared active prior to the 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff. Looking ahead to the playoffs, the Vikings expect Cook to be ready for the wild-card round.

Pittsburgh has ruled Conner (quadriceps) out for Sunday's game against the Ravens, Missi Matthews of the Steelers' official site reports.

With Pittsburgh needing some help in Week 17 to punch its ticket to the postseason, Conner's 2019 campaign may well be over after he experienced another setback on the health front coming out of last Sunday's loss to the Jets. He'll be sidelined for the sixth time this season in the regular-season finale, likely leaving Benny Snell, Kerrith Whyte and Jaylen Samuels to take on most of the snaps and touches out of the backfield. Conner concludes the regular season with 715 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns across 10 games.

Wilkins (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's contest against the Jaguars due to a knee injury, Andrew Walker of the Colts' official site reports.

Wilkins was added to the injury report Thursday with an ankle issue, but it was a knee concern that limited his participation in practice Friday and prompted the Colts to hold him out of the season finale, With Wilkins sidelined, Nyheim Hines and Jonathan Williams could be in line to handle additional snaps behind top running back Marlon Mack.

Jacobs (shoulder/illness) isn't participating in Friday's practice, Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The Raiders will make a ruling on Jacobs' status for Sunday's game in Denver shortly after the session concludes, but with the rookie logging no participation in practices Wednesday through Friday, it would be surprising if he suited up in Week 17. If Jacobs ends up sitting out and the Raiders' long-shot playoff bid falls short, he'll wrap up a productive campaign with 1,316 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns. DeAndre Washington is the most likely candidate to lead the Oakland ground attack against the Broncos, while Jalen Richard serves as a change-of-pace option.

Mattison (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bears, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

Locked in as the NFC's No. 6 seed, the Vikings reportedly are leaning toward taking a cautious approach with their players with little at stake in the regular-season finale, per Cronin. That would seem to point to Mattison getting an inactive status, but it apparently isn't a sure thing, whereas Dalvin Cook (shoulder) has already been ruled out. Should Mattison join Cook on the inactive list or have a limited role (if any) Sunday, Mike Boone and Ameer Abdullah would be Minnesota's main backfield options for Week 17. Minnesota and Chicago will kick off at 1 p.m. ET.