NFL Player News

Mixon (concussion) put in a full practice Thursday, Jay Morrison of the Dayton Daily News reports.

Back-to-back full practices to begin the week suggest that Mixon is trending toward suiting up Sunday against the Lions, but his availability won't be confirmed until head coach Marvin Lewis indicates the running back has cleared all phases of the concussion protocol. Mixon was able to put in a full practice last Friday, but ultimately sat out the Bengals' loss to the Vikings two days later after failing to receive clearance to play from an independent neurologist. If Mixon passes all his tests this week, he'll likely start against Detroit, though he could end up splitting backfield reps with Giovani Bernard.

Breida was a limited practice participant Wednesday due to a knee injury, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Breida has enjoyed good health throughout his rookie season, playing in each of San Francisco's 14 games. His ability to practice in some capacity suggests he'll keep the streak going, but if not, Jeremy McNichols would serve as Carlos Hyde's backup Sunday against the Jaguars. Breida has seen a workload bump in Jimmy Garoppolo's three starts, taking 29 carries for 88 yards (3.0 average).

Ekeler (hand) was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice, sporting a large cast over his broken left hand, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Judging by the size of the cast, Ekeler presumably will be limited to a special-teams role if he's cleared to play in Sunday's game against the Jets. His usual duties as a passing-down back are out of the question, and it also appears he would have difficulty taking handoffs. Branden Oliver will thus serve as the top backup to Melvin Gordon, who could get a few extra targets with Ekeler out of the backfield rotation.

Williams (shoulder) was limited at practice Wednesday, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports.

Williams has missed the Dolphins' past three games, but he could be nearing a return to game action. If he does suit up Sunday against the Chiefs, it's unlikely that he would supplant Kenyan Drake as the team's lead back. Drake has been exceptional during Williams' absence, so a complementary role presumably awaits Williams if he is in fact cleared to play Week 16.

Williams (quadriceps) isn't practicing Wednesday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Williams injured his quad in the second half of Sunday's 20-15 loss to the Redskins, leaving Elijhaa Penny and D.J. Foster to split backfield work in the fourth quarter. Penny likely would serve as the lead runner if Williams were to miss Sunday's game against the Giants, with Foster potentially also taking on a larger role than usual. Bronson Hill, who was re-signed Tuesday, might also factor into the backfield equation.

Mixon (concussion) practiced fully Wednesday, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Mixon also practiced fully last Friday before being ruled out in advance of the Bengals' Week 15 loss to the Vikings, so it can't be assumed that he's cleared the NFL's concussion protocol just yet. That said, Mixon's continued full participation does bode well for his chances of returning to action Sunday against the Lions. Mixon had been working as the Bengals' lead back before missing the last two contests with the head injury, but he could be eased back into action in Week 16 and split snaps out of the backfield with Giovani Bernard.

Oliver will step in as the Chargers' No. 2 running back if Austin Ekeler isn't able to play with a broken hand over the team's final two games of the regular season, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Ekeler has mostly made an impact on passing downs and special teams, with the latter still a potential area for contribution if he ends up playing with a club on the hand. Even if Ekeler isn't placed on injured reserve, Oliver may take over as the top backup to workhorse Melvin Gordon. The role likely won't come with many touches, and the Chargers may adjust to Ekeler's absence by using Gordon more often on passing downs.

Elliott (suspension) returned to practice Wednesday, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Elliott is expected to handle a typical workload this week, which came to pass Wednesday, when he took part in every drill in the portion of practice open to the media, according to Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News. The running back's mere presence at practice indicates the Cowboys have made the necessary transaction, activating Elliott from the reserve/exempt list, but the team has yet to make an official move. Once Elliott is a part of the 53-man roster again, he seemingly will have to prove himself to head coach Jason Garrett in order to receive a full allotment of snaps Sunday against the Seahawks, per Archer. Assuming he does, Elliott will be licking his chops versus a Seattle defense that allowed 180 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns to the Rams' Todd Gurley in Week 15.

Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said Wednesday that he wanted to see how Elliott (suspension) performed in practice this week before committing to using the running back in a full-time role Sunday against the Seahawks, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Elliott will return to practice Wednesday, marking his first session with the team since Nov. 3 after the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied his appeal for a six-game suspension. While Elliott was away from the team to serve the ban, he reportedly kept himself in shape by doing rigorous training in Mexico, offering optimism that he won't miss a beat upon returning to practice for the first time in six weeks. If Garrett is satisfied with how Elliott looks Wednesday and in the Cowboys' subsequent two sessions this week, the second-year player can probably be expected to take back his usual three-down workload Sunday, which would make him a worthy lineup option in the fantasy playoffs.

The Cardinals signed Hill to a contract Tuesday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Arizona cut Hill loose prior to Sunday's 20-15 loss to the Redskins, but he'll be brought back as insurance at running back after starter Kerwynn Williams sustained a quadriceps injury in the contest. Even if Williams is ruled out for Arizona's Week 16 game against the Giants, D.J. Foster and Elijhaa Penny would likely factor more prominently into the backfield mix than Hill.