NFL Player News

Higgins (hamstring) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Ravens after practicing fully Friday.

The same holds true for Tyler Boyd (concussion), meaning the Bengals will have their top wide receivers available for the season finale. The rookie wideout will look to maintain the chemistry he displayed with quarterback Brandon Allen in Week 16, when he logged six catches on nine targets for 99 yards and a touchdown in Cincinnati's 37-31 win over the Texans.

Watkins (rib) does not carry an injury designation into Sunday's matchup against Washington after practicing with no restrictions Friday.

The 22-year-old steadily improved his practice participation throughout the week, and he's seemingly shown enough to the team training staff to gain clearance for Week 17. Watkins remains a depth option within the Eagles' passing attack, though he'll move up one slot in the receiving corps after DeSean Jackson (ankle) was ruled out for the regular-season finale Friday. The sixth-round rookie has produced five catches for 97 yards and a touchdown over his past two appearances.

Rams head coach Sean McVay confirmed Kupp (illness) wouldn't be activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list ahead of Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times reports.

After he was revealed to have tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week, Kupp was facing an uphill battle to clear all health-related protocols ahead of the regular-season finale. As a result, the Rams' decision to officially rule Kupp out for the contest comes as little surprise, and it now sets Van Jefferson up to fill a starting role at receiver alongside Robert Woods and Josh Reynolds. The Rams will hope that Kupp can gain clearance in time for a potential wild-card playoff game Jan. 9 or 10, should Los Angeles punch its ticket to the postseason with a win over the Cardinals or a Bears loss to the Packers.

Boyd (concussion) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Ravens after practicing fully Friday.

Tee Higgins (hamstring) will also enter the weekend without a designation, setting the stage for the Bengals to have both of their top wideouts available. Boyd, who sat out the team's Week 16 win over the Texans, heads into the season finale with a PPR-friendly 78-840-4 line through 14 games.

Coutee (foot) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Titans.

After following up limited practices Wednesday and Thursday with a full workout Friday, Coutee looks to be in the clear to handle his usual starting role in the season finale. Interim head coach Romeo Crennel hasn't suggested that any of the team's healthy players will be rested as the 4-11 Texans close out their season, so look for Coutee to remain a key part of the passing attack. Over his last four outings, Coutee has played no fewer than 63 percent of the Texans' offensive snaps, turning in a 21-272-2 line on 24 targets during that span.

Shepard (rib) isn't on the injury report for Sunday's game against Dallas, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

Shepard will close out the regular season in a favorable matchup, after posting season highs for targets (12), catches (nine) and yards (77) in last week's loss to Baltimore. He missed the first Cowboys-Giants matchup back in Week 5, which was Darius Slayton's best game (eight catches for 129 yards) of the season. Shepard should spend a lot of time in the slot Sunday, as Golden Tate (calf) is doubtful to play.

Hill (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Chargers.

In addition to Hill, the Chiefs also ruled out Sammy Watkins (calf), which sets the stage for the Chiefs -- who have clinched the AFC's No. 1 seed and a first-round bye -- to roll out a wideout corps headed by Demarcus Robinson, Mecole Hardman and Byron Pringle in Week 17. Hill is expected to be good to go for Kansas City's playoff opener Jan. 16 or 17.

Powell (foot) has been ruled out for Sunday's regular-season finale against Tampa Bay, Jason Butt of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Powell never seemed especially likely to go Week 17, as the return man was unable to submit even a limited practice session heading into Sunday's finale. He'll close out the year with 8.9 yards per punt return, good for eighth-best in the NFL. The 25-year-old also saw his offensive role increase as the campaign progressed, contributing seven of his 12 receptions over his final five appearances of 2020.

The Bills have ruled Beasley (knee) out for Sunday's game against the Dolphins.

Beasley wasn't able to practice in any capacity Wednesday through Friday, effectively sealing his fate for the regular-season finale. Fortunately for the Bills, their receiving corps will be fortified by the return of John Brown, who will suit up Sunday after missing the previous five games with an ankle injury followed by a short stint on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Look for Brown, Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis to operate as the team's starting receivers Week 17, though all three could have their workloads managed in the event Buffalo -- which is locked in as the AFC's No. 2 or 3 seed -- elects to rest players to some degree with an eye on entering the postseason at optimal health.

Robinson (hamstring) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against Green Bay.

Robinson was only a full participant in practice one time this week, just like he was las week before he went on to record 10 receptions in a win over the Jaguars. His snap share (68 percent) in that game was a season low, but that's at least partially due to the Bears resting starters in the fourth quarter of a blowout win. Robinson had a big game against the Packers not too long ago, catching eight of 13 targets for 74 yards and two touchdowns in a Week 12 loss. The Bears will qualify for the playoffs if they get revenge on the Packers, while a loss would leave Chicago's fate in the hands of the Cardinals and Rams.