NFL Player News

Williams (hamstring) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice.

Williams injured his hamstring during Sunday's 38-31 loss to the Seahawks, leaving Damien Williams and Charcandrick West as the only options at running back. With Spencer Ware (hamstring) also managing a full practice to start the week, it appears the Chiefs will have a healthy backfield for the regular-season finale against the Raiders. The undrafted rookie out of LSU probably won't be a big piece of the equation unless there's garbage-time work in the fourth quarter.

Patterson (knee) was limited at practice Wednesday.

Patterson departed the Week 16 victory over the Bills with a knee injury, but his limited participation Wednesday is encouraging with regard to his status for Sunday's game against the Jets. His versatility has been an asset to the Patriots this season and if he suits up in Week 17, he could carve out some deep-league utility. Patterson offers occasional contributions in the run game and has the potential to draw more passing targets with Josh Gordon (suspension) no longer in the mix.

Coach Pete Carroll expects Penny (knee) to practice Wednesday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Penny has missed the last two games due to a knee injury, but a glimmer of hope regarding his health arrived in the form of a limited practice last Friday. Carroll piggybacked on that development Monday and reiterated it Wednesday, telling Boyle that Penny should suit up this weekend against the Cardinals if he makes it through the week of prep "OK." Penny's initial listing for Week 17 will be revealed on Wednesday's practice report.

Conner (ankle) practiced fully Wednesday, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

Conner, who has missed the Steelers' last three games with an ankle sprain, thus appears to be trending toward active status for Sunday's regular-season finale against the Bengals, barring any setbacks. For his part, however, coach Mike Tomlin was rather restrained in his expectations for Conner, despite the full practice. "I thought his participation was on the upswing at the end of last week with his ankle," Tomlin said. "We'll be watching him closely to see if he can be a positive contributor to our efforts this week, and his practice participation and effectiveness will be a major factor in that." If Conner is cleared to reprise his lead role out of the backfield, Jaylen Samuels would lose a significant amount of snaps and touches.

Elliott said he'll play in Sunday's game against the Giants, Kate Hairopoulos of The Dallas Morning News reports.

While he doesn't have final say on the matter, Elliott did at least provide a glimpse into his team's possible logic for using key players in the regular-season finale. As Hairopoulos notes, the Cowboys aren't in the same place they were in 2016 when Elliott was rested for a meaningless Week 17 contest. That iteration of the team had already clinched the No. 1 seed with a 13-2 record, while the 2018 Cowboys are locked in as the No. 6 seed at 9-6. Of course, it will still be a major surprise if Elliott handles his normal workload come Sunday. The early signs point toward an abbreviated appearance, with Rod Smith and Darius Jackson providing backfield relief thereafter.

Ekeler (neck/concussion) practiced Wednesday, Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com reports.

Ekeler is thus trending in the right direction as Sunday's game against the Broncos approaches. If he's able to play this weekend, Ekeler would be in line to work in a change-of-pace role behind top back Melvin Gordon, likely bumping rookie Justin Jackson down to the No. 3 role.

Patterson (knee) practiced Wednesday, Zack Cox of NESN.com reports.

The versatile Patterson left the Patriots' Week 16 win over the Bills with a knee injury, but his presence at practice suggests he's not in much danger of sitting out the regular-season finale against the Jets. It's welcome news for the Patriots, who can't really afford to lose more depth at receiver with Josh Gordon (suspension) out of the picture.

Edmonds ran four times for 20 yards and added a one-yard reception during Sunday's 31-9 loss to the Rams.

Edmonds has now recorded at least five touches in five of his last six games, averaging a respectable 4.2 yards per carry during that span. A two-touchdown explosion in Week 13 aside, the rookie has been quiet for much of the season, a byproduct of playing on a woeful offense behind a quality do-it-all back in David Johnson.

Barner caught his only target for a three-yard gain during Sunday's 24-10 loss to Atlanta.

Barner was relegated to mostly special-teams duty in his first three games with the Panthers after being scooped up off waivers from the Patriots. That changed Sunday, as the scatback recorded his first reception on either squad this season. While the Panthers haven't clarified their plans for the season finale against the Saints, there's a decent chance do-it-all lead back Christian McCaffrey is more limited than usual as Carolina looks to preserve his health heading into the offseason. If that's the case, Barner and fellow reserve backs Cameron Artis-Payne and Travaris Cadet could see more opportunities than usual.

Hines rushed twice for two yards and a touchdown and added 41 yards on four catches during Sunday's 28-27 win over the Giants.

The Colts were down by 14 points before Hines barreled into the end zone late in the second quarter. The rookie's role has become more defined down the stretch, but it's still one that limits his carries behind Marlon Mack. With the playoffs on the line, he'll take on a tough Titans defense in the regular-season finale. Tennessee limited Hines to 34 yards from scrimmage back in the two sides' Week 11 meeting.