NFL Player News

Coutee (coach's decision) is inactive for Thursday's game against the Colts.

Will Fuller's (hamstring) return from a three-game absence looks like it will be enough to bump Coutee to the inactive list, as Houston will go with four wideouts in Week 12. Though Coutee played 44 offensive snaps to DeAndre Carter's four in Sunday's loss to Baltimore, the latter's standing as the team's top return man allowed him to maintain an active status over Coutee.

Samuel (shoulder) was a limited practice participant Thursday, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

After picking up a shoulder injury this past Sunday versus the Cardinals, Samuel was a DNP on Wednesday before sporting a blue non-contact jersey Thursday, according to Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News. Samuel has kept the door open for an appearance Sunday against the Packers but will help his cause by increasing his activity level by week's end.

Cooper relayed after Thursday's practice that he's moved past the knee injury that limited him during the Cowboys' Week 11 win over the Lions, Michael Giardi of NFL Network reports. "I'm good. Everything is good. I'm a lot better," Cooper said.

Cooper's positive outlook regarding his health was seemingly supported by his full participation in both of the Cowboys' first two practices of Week 12. After handling his second-lowest snap share (55 percent) of the season last week, expect Cooper to be back over the 85 percent mark during Sunday's game versus New England.

Adams (toe) was limited at Thursday's practice.

The Packers are taking no chances with Adams' lingering toe, even after their bye week. Still, there's been no indication Adams is in danger of missing the Sunday night showdown at San Francisco. Expect the team to clarify Adams' standing on Friday's practice report.

Patrick (shoulder) returned to a limited practice Thursday, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.

Patrick sat out Wednesday's session, so his return to practice Thursday suggests that he's trending toward being active Sunday against the Bills. Look for Friday's injury report to either officially list him as questionable, or minus a Week 12 injury tag.

Johnson (concussion) was listed as a full participant at Thursday's practice, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Johnson's ability to complete full practices on back-to-back days to kick off the week bode well for his chances of suiting up Sunday against the Bengals, but he'll retain an injury tag until he gains clearance from an independent neurologist, the final stage of the NFL's five-step protocol for concussions. Assuming Johnson ultimately gets the green light to play, he'll likely represent one of the top targets for quarterback Mason Rudolph, especially with No. 1 wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion/knee) looking unlikely to be available.

Dorsett (concussion) logged a limited practice Thursday.

Dorsett was listed as a non-participant Wednesday, with his upgrade in participation Thursday signifying a positive step as he progresses through the NFL's concussion protocol. The Patriots will provide another update on Dorsett's status following Friday's practice, but the team is reportedly optimistic that the wideout will clear the five-step protocol by the time Sunday's game against the Cowboys arrives, per Jeff Howe of The Athletic. Dorsett's Week 12 availability gains added import with fellow receiver Mohamed Sanu (ankle) having sat out practices Wednesday and Thursday.

Beckham (groin) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Though Beckham's reps were capped for a second straight practice, the Browns haven't provided any indication that he's at risk of missing Sunday's game against the Dolphins. The 27-year-old should have a great opportunity to break his eight-game scoreless streak this weekend against a 20th-ranked Dolphins pass defense (246 yards allowed per game) that will be breaking in two new starters at safety after Bobby McCain (shoulder) and Reshad Jones (undisclosed) were placed on injured reserve earlier this week.

Smith-Schuster (concussion/knee) missed practice again Thursday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Smith-Schuster is trending toward missing Sunday's game against the Bengals, but on the plus side from the Steelers' perspective is that Diontae Johnson (concussion) practiced fully for the second day in a row Thursday. We'll circle back once the duo's official game status' are revealed Friday, but those who normally utilize Smith-Schuster in fantasy lineups should be prepared to find a Week 12 replacement for him.

After being limited at practice Wednesday, Chark (hamstring) practiced fully Thursday, Erik Bacharach of The Tennessean reports.

Chark is thus slated to play Sunday against the Titans and he'll look to build on his rapport with QB Nick Foles, whose return to action in Week 11 coincided with Chark seeing a season-high 15 targets, en route to recording a 8/104/2 stat line in the Jaguars' 33-13 loss to the Colts. That volume was fueled by game flow, but Chark is, in any case, firmly on the fantasy radar, while having averaged 79.6 receiving yards per game to date.