NFL Player News

Barner (knee) was placed on injured reserve Friday.

Barner handled return duties for the Panthers from Week 13 to Week 16 before ultimately landing on IR with a knee issue. He earned just one target in the passing game with Carolina after a midseason release from the Patriots. Barner's upcoming absence allowed the Panthers to promote offensive lineman Dorian Johnson from their practice squad.

Williams (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's contest against the Raiders.

Williams made an abbreviated exit last Sunday at Seattle due to a hamstring injury. Although he proceeded to practice in full Wednesday through Friday, the Chiefs opted to place a "questionable" tag on the reserve running back. Spencer Ware (hamstring) is in the exact same boat as he attempts to return from a two-game absence. If Ware is active, he could take on the largest share of the work given to the backfield, leaving the Williamses (also, Damien) the occasional touch.

Patterson (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Jets.

Patterson was forced out of the Patriots' Week 16 win over the Bills, but it looks like he has a good shot to play Sunday after practicing all week, albeit in a limited fashion. Assuming he suits up this weekend, the versatile Patterson could carve out some deep-league fantasy utility, given that he offers occasional contributions in the ground game and could draw more passing targets going forward with Josh Gordon (suspension) no longer in the picture.

Penny (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

It's a bit surprising to see Penny with a game designation after he logged full practices Wednesday and Thursday. It's possible he had a minor setback during one of those sessions, but the more likely scenario is that there isn't really any doubt about his Week 17 availability. The Seahawks could give the rookie a bit of extra run in an effort to keep Chris Carson fresh for the playoffs.

Coach Sean McVay called Anderson the Rams' starting running back for Sunday's game versus the 49ers in the absence of Todd Gurley (knee), Myles Simmons of the Rams' official site reports.

The decision to hold out Gurley for a second consecutive contest likely was made easier by Anderson's performance Week 16. After less than a week of practice with his new squad, Anderson ripped apart the porous Cardinals run defense for 167 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries. He'll attempt to approach those numbers against a San Francisco unit that has allowed 23.4 rushes for 99.8 yards and one TD on the ground per game to running backs over the last five outings.

Conner (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bengals after practicing fully all week.

Per Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Conner, who missed the Steelers' past three games with a high-ankle sprain, is expected to play this weekend after logging full practices throughout the week. Official confirmation of the running back's Week 17 status will arrive upon the release of the team's inactives in advance of Sunday's 4:25 PM ET kickoff. If Conner is cleared to play as expected, Jaylen Samuels would presumably revert to a complementary role in the Pittsburgh offense.

Barner (knee) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Saints, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Barner was initially announced as doubtful before he was quickly upgraded to questionable. The 29-year-old was added to the injury report as a non-participant Thursday, so the specifics of his injury remain unclear.

Williams signed a two-year extension with the Chiefs on Thursday, Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo Sports reports.

The Chiefs rewarded Williams for his strong work in the wake of Kareem Hunt's release and Spencer Ware's injury. Since taking on a larger role after the Chiefs' bye, Williams has averaged 5.7 yards per carry while adding 19 receptions and five touchdowns from scrimmage. He'll be a part of the Chiefs' backfield plans moving forward, but this signing won't preclude Kansas City from exploring other options at running back through free agency and the draft.

Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave confirmed that Freeman will serve as the Broncos' lead back Sunday against the Chargers, Zac Stevens of BSNDenver.com reports.

This was the expected outcome after it was revealed Wednesday that standout rookie Phillip Lindsay (wrist) wouldn't play in Week 17 with surgery on deck. Lindsay's absence leaves Freeman and Devontae Booker as the only backs on the active roster, with Freeman outpacing Booker in carries by a 113-29 margin. Musgrave still noted that Booker will "get a bunch of runs" in addition to presumably serving as the Broncos' primary pass-catching option out of the backfield, but unless Denver falls behind big early and is forced into catch-up mode, Freeman projects as the higher-upside fantasy play of the two.

Barner suffered a knee injury and was a non-participant at practice Thursday, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Barner wasn't listed on the injury report Wednesday, so the specifics of the issue remain unclear. The 29-year-old's participation at practice Friday should provide a better idea of his availability for Sunday's season finale against the Saints.