NFL Player News

Brown was listed as a limited practice participant Wednesday due to a rib injury.

While Hunter Henry (knee) missed a second straight game, Brown saw his highest snap share of the season (68 percent) in this past Sunday's 27-21 loss to the Bills, finishing with one catch for five yards. However, he seemingly sustained an injury at some point along the way, and he may need to upgrade to full practice participation Thursday or Friday to avoid taking an injury designation into this weekend's season finale versus the Jets.

Mayer (toe) was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday's estimated practice report.

The second-round rookie has already missed the Raiders' last two games, and his continued absence from practice doesn't bode well for his chances of suiting up in Sunday's season finale versus the Broncos. While Mayer was sidelined last week, Austin Hooper played 85 percent of the offensive snaps, catching three passes for 28 yards on three targets in a 23-20 loss to the Colts.

Kelce was a limited participant at practice Wednesday due to a neck injury.

Kelce's neck issue doesn't appear to be a major concern, and he'll still have two more opportunities to practice fully this week before the Chiefs decide whether he carries a designation into Sunday's game against the Chargers. However, with the Chiefs locked in as the AFC's No. 3 seed in the playoffs, the tight end will be a candidate to be rested this weekend, especially if he's less than 100 percent. Kelce approaches Week 18 action needing 16 more receiving yards to hit the 1,000-yard mark for the eighth consecutive season.

Rams head coach Sean McVay said Wednesday that Higbee (shoulder) won't play in Sunday's game against the 49ers, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Higbee is nursing a shoulder injury, and the Rams have no reason to push him to play Week 18 with a wild-card spot already sewn up. McVay plans to rest several key starters, and Higbee will get an extra week to tend to his ailing shoulder. Look for Davis Allen to see significant playing time at tight end with Carson Wentz under center versus San Francisco on Sunday.

The Broncos won't activate Dulcich (foot) from injured reserve after his 21-day practice window closed Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Coming off a promising rookie campaign in which he tallied 33 catches for 411 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games, Dulcich failed to take a step forward in 2023 due to hamstring and foot issues. He played just 32 offensive snaps across two games in 2023, catching three of four targets for 25 scoreless yards. The 23-year-old tight end has now missed 22 of 34 games to begin his professional career.

Johnson was a non-participant at Wednesday's practice due to a chest injury.

Johnson sat out Weeks 4 through 7 due to a calf issue and has dealt with quadricep and shoulder concerns for about the last month. Despite the recent injuries, he's suited up in all six games since the Saints' Week 11 bye, recording a 20-231-3 receiving line on 34 targets during that span. It's unclear if the current injury is threatening his availability for Sunday's contest against the Falcons, but his activity level -- or lack thereof -- in the coming days could be telling for his Week 18 status.

Henry (knee) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Henry has missed the Patriots' last two games due to the knee issue, but his limited participation in practice to kick off Week 18 prep would seem to suggest he has a better chance to play in Sunday's season finale against the Jets.

LaPorta was a limited participant at practice Wednesday due to an ankle injury.

LaPorta previously tended to a strained calf Weeks 6 and 7, but the issue didn't affect his availability for game days, as he logged at least a 70 percent snap share on both occasions. With a new health concern in tow, his status will need to be monitored as the week goes on to get a sense of his odds to play Sunday against the Vikings, who contained him to three catches (on three targets) for 18 yards in Week 16.

Kieft (shoulder) was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday's injury report.

Kieft missed the team's Week 17 loss to the Saints and appears in danger of missing the team's regular-season finale against the Panthers, although his participation level was just an estimate. The second-year pro will work to get out onto the field Thursday, when the Buccaneers will likely hold a regular practice, which could help put him on the path of suiting up for Sunday.

Njoku won't practice Wednesday due to an illness, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Njoku has been on a tear over the last four games, racking up a cumulative 28-373-4 receiving line on 39 targets during that stretch. He benefited from Amari Cooper sitting out last Thursday's win over the Jets due to a heel injury, with Njoku turning his eight targets into six catches for 134 yards. Now that Njoku is dealing with an illness, though, his status will be monitored to see if he may join a healthy Joe Flacco (coach's decision) on the sideline Sunday at Cincinnati.