NFL Player News
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Kadarius Toney WR | CLE
Chiefs' Kadarius Toney: Second straight DNP on Friday
Toney (hip) isn't practicing Friday, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.
Toney is sitting out practice for a second consecutive day. He'll look to raise his participation level Saturday before the team publishes its Week 16 injury report for Monday's game against the Raiders. With Skyy Moore (knee) done for the remainder of the regular season, Kansas City's receiving corps behind rookie Rashee Rice includes Justin Watson, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Richie James and Justyn Ross, while it remains to be seen if Toney or Mecole Hardman (thumb) will be available Monday.
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Odell Beckham Jr. WR | NYG
Ravens' Odell Beckham: Practicing Friday
Beckham (illness) returned to practice Friday, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.
Beckham missed practice Thursday, and while the extent of his participation Friday has yet to be revealed, it's a step in the right direction nonetheless. The Ravens play Monday night in Week 16 against the 49ers, so Beckham's game status won't be revealed until Saturday's injury report, though he could avoid an injury designation altogether by logging full participation Friday or Saturday.
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JuJu Smith-Schuster WR | NYG
Patriots' JuJu Smith-Schuster: Not seen at Friday's practice
Smith-Schuster (ankle) wasn't spotted on the field for the start of Friday's practice, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.
Smith-Schuster was a limited participant Wednesday and Thursday, so his apparent absence from Friday's session is noteworthy. The Patriots will release their final Week 16 injury report later Friday, when it will be known whether the wideout carries a designation into Sunday's game against the Broncos.
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Michael Pittman WR | PIT
Colts' Michael Pittman: Close to clearing protocol
Pittman could clear the NFL's five-step concussion protocol as soon as Friday, potentially putting him on track to enter Sunday's game against the Falcons without a designation, Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Pittman went through a full-contact practice Thursday, passing through the fourth step of the protocol after he exited last week's win over the Steelers due to the concussion. If he gains clearance from an independent neurologist, Pittman will be removed from the protocol and should reprise his role as Gardner Minshew's top target this weekend in a game that could prove crucial for the 8-6 Colts' playoff hopes.
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Greg Dortch WR | DET
Cardinals' Greg Dortch: Returning to practice
Dortch (shoulder) will return to practice Friday and could play in Sunday's game at Chicago, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
It sounds like Dortch is headed for a 'questionable' designation on the final injury report, after missing practice Wednesday and Thursday. Marquise Brown, meanwhile, has been ruled out for Week 16 after aggravating his heel injury yet again during the Cardinals' Week 15 loss to San Francisco. If he makes it through Friday's practice without incident, Dortch could get a lot of snaps and targets in Chicago this Sunday.
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Marquise Brown WR | PHI
Cardinals' Marquise Brown: Out this week
Brown (heel) is ruled out for Sunday's game at Chicago, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.
Coach Jonathan Gannon made multiple comments earlier this week about hoping to get Brown back before the end of the season, but a decision to rule the wide receiver out for Week 16 before Friday's practice even starts isn't the most encouraging development. Brown made early exits Week 13 and 15 -- sandwiched around a Week 14 bye -- and he's now missed every practice ahead of Week 16. The most likely beneficiaries in terms of additional WR snaps/targets are Michael Wilson, Rondale Moore, Greg Dortch and Zach Pascal, though Dortch missed practice Wednesday and Thursday due to a shoulder injury. Brown's next chance to play is Dec. 31 at Philadelphia.
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Chris Godwin WR | TB
Buccaneers' Chris Godwin: Returns to practice
Godwin (knee) returned to practice Friday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
Godwin played through the same injury last week after missing practice Wednesday and Thursday, ultimately catching 10 of 12 targets for a season-high 155 yards in a 34-20 win over the Packers. He should be fine to play at Jacksonville on Sunday, especially after missing just one practice (Thursday) this week.
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Zay Jones WR | ARI
Jaguars' Zay Jones: Not expected to play Week 16
Coach Doug Pederson said Friday that Jones (hamstring) is "probably not" going to suit up Sunday versus Tampa Bay, Mia O'Brien of 1010 XL 92.5 FM Jacksonville reports.
Jones, who Pederson recently called week-to-week, looks set to miss at least one contest due to the hamstring injury he sustained in this past Sunday's 23-7 loss to the Ravens. Considering that Jones has already missed back-to-back practices, it wouldn't be surprising to also see him sidelined during Friday's session. Pederson did, however, note that Jones is making progress, which lends optimism to the idea that he could be available Dec. 31 versus the Panthers. On a plus note for Jacksonville, Trevor Lawrence (concussion) is set to resume practicing Friday, per John Shipley of SI.com.
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A.T. Perry WR | PIT
Saints' A.T. Perry: Hauls in late touchdown pass
Perry caught his only target for 35 yards and one touchdown during Thursday's 30-22 loss to the Rams.
Perry went unnoticed for the entire night before the Saints made a late comeback that ultimately fell short in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Derek Carr threw a deep pass down the sideline for the 6-foot-4 wideout, and the rookie out of Wake Forest came down with it for a 35-yard touchdown with just under four minutes remaining. This noteworthy highlight still marked what was an underwhelming night for Perry given that he logged just one target despite playing the third-most offensive snaps (36) among New Orleans' wideouts. Instead, Carr was locked in on his top-two wideouts in Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, as these two combined for 14 receptions on 22 targets. Tight end Juwan Johnson also served a bigger role with four catches on seven targets. With Michael Thomas (knee) still on IR, it's not a good sign for Perry's fantasy relevance that he tied with reserve wideout Keith Kirkwood and No. 2 running back Jamaal Williams for the Saints' sixth-most targets Thursday night. It's likely that Perry will play a similarly modest role over the final two weeks of the season.
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Demarcus Robinson WR | SF
Rams' Demarcus Robinson: Keeps TD streak going Thursday
Robinson brought in all six targets for 82 yards and a touchdown in the Rams' 30-22 win over the Saints on Thursday night.
Robinson continued his late-season surge with new high-water marks in receptions and receiving yards, as well as his fourth touchdown in as many contests. The veteran wideout recorded a four-yard scoring grab just before halftime to answer the Saints' first touchdown, and he finished tied for second in receptions and as the runner-up in receiving yards. The eight-year veteran appears to have moved ahead of Tutu Atwell, who was active Thursday night after a one-game absence due to a concussion but didn't draw a target. Therefore, Robinson is likely to continue to operating as the No. 3 receiver in a Week 17 road matchup against the Giants on New Year's Eve.