NFL Player News

Williams is positioned for a sizable workload Sunday against the Seahawks with teammate Spencer Ware (hamstring) listed as doubtful for the contest, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

Williams took full advantage of the same situation in last week's 29-28 loss to the Chargers, piling up 123 scrimmage yards and two scores on 16 touches while handling a 73 percent snap share. He'll now take aim at a defense that has allowed running backs to produce 4.6 yards per carry and 7.4 per target, though Seattle did a much better job containing opposing backfields the past three weeks (zero touchdowns, 222 rushing yards). Williams' career mark of 3.6 YPC isn't encouraging, but there's a lot to be said for handling the lead back role in an offense led by Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.

Kelly is expected to work as the backup to C.J. Anderson in the event Todd Gurley (knee) and Justin Davis (shoulder) are unavailable for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports.

Kelly, a sixth-round pick out of Tennessee, exhibited some explosiveness during his opportunities in the preseason, but he's largely been an afterthought for the Rams since the regular season began. In fact, Kelly didn't dress for a game until Week 14, when Malcolm Brown's season-ending collarbone injury bumped him up a spot on the depth chart. It appeared the door might have open for Kelly to claim a three-down role when Gurley and Davis both came out of the Week 15 loss to the Eagles with injuries, but the recent addition of Anderson has put somewhat of a damper on the rookie's prospects. Instead, Kelly now looks like a better bet to serve as a change-of-pace option if Gurley and Davis are sidelined, taking on the bulk of the snaps on passing downs while the more experienced Anderson works as the primary ballcarrier. Regardless of how the Rams' running-back situation plays out in Week 16, there probably won't be much clarity until the team releases its inactive list 90 minutes prior the 4:05 p.m. EST kickoff.

Anderson is expected to earn the start at running back Sunday against the Cardinals if Todd Gurley (knee) is unable to play, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports.

Per Rich Hammond of the Los Angeles Daily News, coach Sean McVay said that Gurley will go through a pregame workout before a decision on his status is made shortly before the Rams release their inactive list 90 minutes prior to the 4:05 p.m. EST kickoff. Along with Gurley, fellow back Justin Davis (shoulder) is listed as questionable, but Davis is more of a special-teams contributor and likely wouldn't have much of a role on offense if available. That leaves the newly signed Anderson and rookie John Kelly as the top candidates for touches in the event Gurley sits, with the former apparently ranking as the Rams' preferred backfield option due to his larger body of NFL experience. Because Anderson has been a member of the Rams for less than a week, however, there's still some risk of him losing work on passing downs and handling a limited snap share, making him somewhat of a low-upside handcuff for Gurley.

Breida (ankle) doesn't have a designation on the 49ers' final injury report for Sunday's game against the Bears.

Breida will continue playing through the same ankle injury that has bothered him for most of the season, hoping to avoid an in-game setback like the one he suffered during overtime of last week's 26-23 win over the Seahawks. He led the Niners in both carries (17) and receptions (five) during that contest, while Jeff Wilson was limited to seven touches. It's possible the team evens out the distribution this weekend in an effort to limit the strain on Breida's ankle.

Patterson (illness) was removed from the Patriots' Week 16 injury report after returning to practice Friday.

Patterson logged just five snaps in the Week 15 loss to the Steelers, but he should see more work Sunday against the Bills with Josh Gordon (suspension) no longer available. The same applies to both Chris Hogan and Phillip Dorsett, with the team likely to fill the passing-game void created by Gordon's absence with a committee approach.

Penny (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Chiefs, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Penny didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday, but he might be listed as a limited participant Friday once the Seahawks update their final injury report. A limited session could set Penny up a game-time decision ahead of Sunday's 8:20 p.m. EST kickoff.

Williams (toe) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game at the Jets, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Williams upgraded to full participation Friday after logging limited practice sessions Wednesday and Thursday. He appears to be locked in for heavy usage, with recently signed Kapri Bibbs the only other running back on Green Bay's 53-man roster in the wake of Aaron Jones' season-ending knee injury. Williams handled an 87 percent snap share in last week's 24-17 loss to Chicago, taking 12 carries for 55 yards and a touchdown while adding four catches for 42 yards on five targets.

Conner has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Saints, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

Conner didn't practice all week and will be sidelined for the third consecutive game. That paves the way for Jaylen Samuels to act as the lead option out of the Pittsburgh backfield, with Stevan Ridley on hand in a supporting role.

The Chargers downgraded Ekeler (neck/shoulder) from doubtful to out ahead of Saturday's matchup with the Ravens.

Coach Anthony Lynn essentially admitted Thursday that Ekeler wouldn't be able to play this week while he remained in the concussion protocol and was still dealing with weakness in his shoulder as a result of the neck injury, so the Chargers' decision to rule the running back out a day before the game hardly comes as a surprise. With Melvin Gordon (knee) set to return from a three-game absence, Ekeler would have been stuck in a change-of-pace role had he gained clearance to suit up. Instead, those duties will now fall to rookie Justin Jackson in Week 16.

Coach Sean McDermott said Friday the team will decide in the upcoming day about playing time for LeSean McCoy (hamstring), Chris Ivory (shoulder) and Ford during Sunday's game in New England, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com reports.

It looks like the two veterans have overcome their injuries and will play against the division rival, but the coaching staff has been saying all along that they would like to keep giving Ford some looks, so expect the rookie to see at least a handful of carries. That said, unless the Bills sit McCoy completely, it's hard to rely on a relative unknown that might be third in the pecking order against a heavily favored Patriots squad.