NFL Player News

Williams (heel) doesn't have an injury designation for Thursday's game against the Chiefs, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Meanwhile, fellow wideout Keenan Allen is back from the reserve/COVID-19 list after missing Sunday's 37-21 win over the Giants, and running back Austin Ekeler -- who is questionable with an ankle injury -- also has a shot to play Thursday after limited practices Tuesday and Wednesday. Things have gone better for Williams in recent weeks following a midseason slump, but he's still ranked as a distant No. 2 option in the passing game behind Allen, seeing between five and eight targets in each of the past eight games.

Hopkins is in line to miss the remainder of the regular season due to a knee sprain, but the Cardinals are hopeful he'll be available for the playoffs, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

According to Schefter, Hopkins is receiving a second opinion on his knee Thursday from Dr. Neal ElAttrache, which could result in the wideout requiring surgery. With Hopkins sidelined, the Cardinals will be down to A.J. Green, Christian Kirk, Rondale Moore, Antoine Wesley and Andy Isabella at the position for the foreseeable future.

McLaurin (concussion) didn't practice Wednesday, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

On a positive note, McLaurin worked on the side with team trainers just three days after entering the concussion protocol, according to JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington. McLaurin will have two more opportunities to mix into drills this week, which he'll have to do in at least a limited capacity Thursday or Friday to give himself a chance to play Sunday at Philadelphia.

Samuel (groin) didn't practice Wednesday, with Washington head coach Ron Rivera noting that the wideout felt sore after Sunday's 27-20 loss to Dallas, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

Though there were some murmurs of Samuel's role expanding prior to the Week 14 game, he ultimately saw just two targets (no catches) and played 14 snaps (21 percent), finishing with less than 20 yards for a fifth time in as many appearances this season. Even if he does keep fighting through the groin injury, Samuel clearly isn't the best version of himself this year and doesn't seem likely to move into a full-time role anytime soon.

Moore (hamstring) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

Moore was held out late in Sunday's 29-21 loss to the Falcons, with head coach Matt Rhule calling the wideout day-to-day when he met with the media Monday. A limited practice to start Week 15 gives Moore a decent shot to suit up this weekend in Buffalo, though he'll have a tough matchup and still has to contend with some of the worst quarterback play in the league, regardless of whether Cam Newton or P.J. Walker in under center.

Washington placed Sims on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday.

Sims helped fill in for an injured Terry McLaurin (concussion) and finished with 3-69-1 receiving line on four targets in Sunday's 27-20 loss to the Cowboys. With both wideouts now in danger of missing this weekend's game in Philadelphia, there may be an opportunity for Curtis Samuel, DeAndre Carter or Dyami Brown to take on more snaps.

Arizona head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Hopkins is slated to get a second opinion on his leg injury Wednesday after previously getting an MRI, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

With that in mind, Hopkins' status for Sunday's game against the Lions has yet to determined. If Hopkins is out or limited this weekend or beyond, added looks would be available for fellow wideouts A.J. Green, Christian Kirk and Rondale Moore. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Hopkins, who is thought to be dealing with a knee issue, won't participate in Wednesday's walk-through practice.

Moore had three catches on four targets for five yards and two carries for 11 yards during Monday's 30-23 defeat to the Rams.

In a game during which the Cardinals ran 75 offensive plays, including 49 passes by Kyler Murray, Moore made a negligible impact, recording his fourth-fewest yards from scrimmage (16) in a game this season. Since the Cardinals' Week 12 bye, Moore has put up the least productive two-game stretch (26 total yards) of his rookie campaign. The 2021 second-round pick will aim to get back on track this Sunday against a Lions defense that ranks 29th in total defense (379.2 yards per game).

The Vikings have placed Jackson on their practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list.

Jackson will now need to clear the league's COVID protocols before he can return to practice. From there, he will continue to look to make an impression and await an opportunity to join the team's 53-man roster.

Powell shifted back to the Rams' practice squad, per the NFL's transaction log.

Powell was elevated to the team's 53-man roster for their victory over the Cardinals on Monday. He ended up playing 10 snaps on special teams, and returned one kick for 27 yards and recorded one fair catch.