NFL Player News

Thielen (ankle) returned to Sunday's game versus the Rams, Chad Graff of The Athletic reports.

On the Vikings' second snap from scrimmage after halftime, Thielen made a six-yard catch but went back to the sideline afterward. It appears he's attempting to gut out an ankle injury that he seemingly aggravated in the second quarter and previously forced him to sit out Weeks 14 and 15.

Goodwin (foot) is listed as active Sunday at Seattle, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Goodwin set himself up for his first game action since Week 12 with back-to-back full practices to end the week. Now that it's official, he'll be a part of a receiving corps without Allen Robinson (COVID-19) and Jakeem Grant (concussion). Expect Darnell Mooney, Goodwin and Damiere Byrd to handle most of the WR reps for the Bears in Week 16.

Thielen left Sunday's game against the Rams due to an ankle injury.

At the end of his second catch of the game, Thielen was tackled by his ankles and was visibly frustrated as he got to his feet and assisted off the field by team trainers. There's a chance he aggravated the high left-ankle sprain that forced him to sit out Weeks 14 and 15, and if he's unable to return, he'll finish Week 16 with 33 receiving yards.

Perriman (illness) wasn't reinstated from the reserve/COVID-19 list ahead of Sunday's game against the Panthers, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

Tampa Bay placed Perriman on the list Dec. 18, but the fact that he hasn't cleared the NFL's COVID-19 return-to-play protocol more than a week later suggests he tested positive for the virus. He'll miss his second straight game as a result, with his absence looming larger than normal for Tampa Bay with starting receivers Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (knee) sidelined for the contest. Fortunately for Tampa Bay, Antonio Brown (ankle/suspension) and Justin Watson (knee) are back after extended absences, with the latter representing a candidate to replace Perriman as the team's No. 4 wideout.

Texans offensive coordinator Tim Kelly said Thursday that Collins will likely assume a more prominent role in the Houston passing attack Sunday against the Chargers while Brandin Cooks (illness) is on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Deepi Sidhu of the Texans' official site reports.

Cooks wasn't able to clear the NFL's COVID-19 return-to-play protocols in advance of the Week 16 contest, while Danny Amendola (knee) was activated from injured reserve but will be inactive Sunday. That leaves Houston with few established options at receiver heading into the game, with Collins presumably the top candidate to serve as the Texans' de facto No. 1 receiver. Collins demonstrated a rapport with Davis Mills in the Week 14 loss to Seattle (five receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown), but the rookie wideout dropped down to four targets in the Week 15 win over the Jaguars while the Texans leaned more heavily on the ground game. Assuming the favored Chargers are able to sit on a lead for most of the day, the Texans will be forced into catchup mode, potentially making Collins a sneaky play in fantasy playoff matchups.

The Raiders placed Edwards on the reserve/COVID-19 list prior to Sunday's game against the Broncos.

Quarterback Marcus Mariota was also added to the list Sunday, leaving both players unavailable for the Week 16 matchup. Wideout Dillon Stoner was elevated from the practice squad to provide depth at the position with Edwards away from the team.

Smith-Marsette (coach's decision) is a healthy inactive for Sunday's game against the Rams.

After playing a career-high 48 percent of the offensive snaps and providing one of Minnesota's two touchdowns in its 17-9 win over Chicago in Week 15, Smith-Marsette won't suit up Sunday with fellow wideouts Adam Thielen (ankle), Dede Westbrook (reserve/COVID-19 list) and Dan Chisena (reserve/COVID-19 list) all returning to action this weekend. Currently sixth on the depth chart at receiver, Smith-Marsette could be inactive for the rest of the season so long as the top five options are all available.

Raymond (shoulder) will play Sunday against the Falcons.

Raymond was able to practice in a limited capacity all week, so his ability to suit up isn't unexpected. Raymond has had an inconsistent season with spiked weeks occasionally, but mostly subpar results. With Jared Goff on the COVID list and Tim Boyle drawing the start, Raymond's chances of a better-than-usual outings are reduced. The last time Boyle started in Week 11 against the Browns, Raymond played 70 percent of the snaps on offense and tallied one target with no receptions.

Harry (hip) is listed as active for Sunday's game against the Bills.

With Nelson Agholor (concussion) out, Harry has an opportunity to see some added Week 16 looks, but among New England's wideouts, Jakobi Meyers and Kendrick Bourne profile as higher-percentage fantasy options versus Buffalo.

Toney (oblique/quadriceps) is listed as active Sunday at Philadelphia.

After completing a recent stint on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Toney still had some concerns with the oblique and quad issues that sidelined him Weeks 12 through 14, managing a limited practice Friday and earning a questionable tag for Week 16 action. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported earlier Sunday that Toney was slated to return, and indeed that has come to pass. Considering he's putting an end to a four-game absence, there's a chance Toney is eased in, but he'll only have to contend for targets with fellow wide receivers Kenny Golladay, Darius Slayton, Pharoh Cooper and David Sills with five position mates out of commission.