NFL Player News

Higgins (hamstring) didn't practice Friday, Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Higgins has been a non-participant in practice throughout the week. Head coach Zac Taylor was non-committal about Higgins' status for Sunday's game against the Browns, but the receiver's lack of practice activity doesn't bode well for his chances of playing in the season finale.

Hill (ankle/personal) is in line to practice Friday, Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald reports.

Hill, who has been managing an ankle issue and tending to a personal matter this week, didn't practice Thursday, but the wideout's return to the field Friday has him trending in the right direction ahead of Sunday's game against the Bills. The Dolphins' final Week 18 injury report will be released later Friday and will reveal whether Hill approaches Sunday's contest with an injury designation or is fully cleared.

Smith (ankle) isn't practicing Friday, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Smith has missed three straight practices and is in danger of being inactive for the first time in his NFL career when the Eagles play at New York on Sunday. The game can only impact Philadelphia's playoff seed if the Cowboys lose to Washington, and both NFC games will be played at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Perry (illness) did not participate in practice Thursday after not even appearing on the injury report Wednesday.

The wide receiver's status for Sunday's game against the Falcons is now uncertain. Perry has nine catches for 193 yards and two touchdowns this season, but he has yet to log more than four targets in a game.

Jennings (concussion) practiced in a limited fashion Thursday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

While he maintained his activity level from Wednesday's session, Jennings was seen working without a blue non-contact jersey, per Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area, which may be a sign that the wide receiver has nearly made his way through the concussion protocol. Gaining clearance from an independent neurologist will be the final hurdle for the fourth-year pro to play for the first time since Week 15, but Friday's injury report will reveal whether or not Jennings heads into the weekend with a designation for Sunday's contest against the Rams.

Kirk (groin) was listed as a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

Since being designated for return from injured reserve Wednesday, Kirk has turned in a pair of limited practice sessions, keeping hope alive that he may be able to put an end to his four-game absence this Sunday in Tennessee. In order for Kirk to be eligible to play in Week 18, however, the Jaguars would first have to add him back to the 53-man roster by no later than 4 p.m. ET on Saturday. Even if Kirk hasn't made enough progress in his recovery from core-muscle surgery to play against Tennessee, he would still have an opportunity to return to action during the wild-card round, should Jacksonville punch its ticket to the postseason with a victory over the Titans.

Jones (hamstring/knee) was a limited practice participant Thursday.

Jones has now been listed as a limited participant on six consecutive practice reports, but because he's missed the Jaguars' last two games due to the pair of injuries, he may need to upgrade to full participation Friday to guarantee his availability for Sunday's contest versus the Titans. At the very least, Jones should take a questionable tag into the weekend if he maintains limited participation Friday. If Jones does gain clearance to play in the regular-season finale, he could find himself down to third in the pecking order at receiver behind Calvin Ridley and Christian Kirk (groin), the latter of whom has turned in a pair of limited practices this week since being designated for return from injured reserve.

Mims (hamstring) returned to a full practice Thursday.

Mims, who was inactive for the Broncos' Week 17 win over the Chargers, logged a limited practice Wednesday, but the wideout's return to a full session a day later sets the stage for him to suit up for his team's season finale against the Raiders on Sunday. In 15 games to date, the 2023 second-rounder has logged a 21-361-1 line on 32 targets, a pace that has limited the rookie's fantasy lineup utility to deeper formats.

Allen (heel) didn't practice Thursday.

Allen, who last suited up Week 14, also missed Wednesday's practice and doesn't seem especially likely to play in his team's season finale Sunday against the Chiefs with the Chargers eliminated from playoff contention. If Allen remains sidelined this weekend, Joshua Palmer could lead the Los Angeles WR corps versus Kansas City if he's able to progress fully through the NFL's concussion protocol ahead of Week 18 action.

Sutton (concussion) was a full participant in practice Thursday.

Sutton sat out the Broncos' Week 17 win over the Chargers after suffering a concussion in a Week 16 loss to New England, but he appears to be working toward a return to action for this Sunday's season finale in Las Vegas. After practicing in limited fashion Wednesday, Sutton demonstrated progress by taking every rep Thursday, indicating that he's been cleared for contact. Before getting the green light to play Sunday, Sutton will still need to get clearance from an independent neurologist prior to being removed from the five-step concussion protocol, something that could happen Friday or Saturday.