NFL Player News

Erickson (back) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game in Oakland.

Erickson returned to practice Thursday as a limited participant before upgrading to a full session Friday. He should have at least one or two more weeks with a top-three role in Zac Taylor's three-wide-heavy offense, as A.J. Green (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game after sitting out every practice this week. Erickson's four games with snap shares above 50 percent have yielded 18 catches for 281 yards on 29 targets, though most of that production came with Andy Dalton playing quarterback rather than Ryan Finey. There's also some chance for rookie Stanley Morgan to take away a slice of the snaps and targets that have been going to Erickson and Auden Tate.

Johnson was diagnosed with a concussion after exiting Thursday's 21-7 loss to the Browns following a helmet-to-helmet hit from Cleveland safety Damarious Randall, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Pittsburgh ended up losing both of its top two receivers to concussions in the contest, as JuJu Smith-Schuster exited in the first half with the head injury before Johnson followed him to the locker room in the third quarter. Johnson's concussion may have been the more significant of the two, as Schefter notes the rookie was bleeding from his ear after being hit by Randall. Johnson will need to clear the NFL's five-step protocol before he's able to play again, but the fact that Pittsburgh's next game won't come until Nov. 24 in Cincinnati should aid his efforts.

Harris (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers.

Harris was unable to practice this week and will miss his first game of the season. The 21-year-old has three grabs for 10 yards on the season but typically makes his biggest impact as a kick and punt returner.

Cooper (knee/ankle) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game in Detroit, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

A thigh bruise in Week 6 forced Cooper out of a loss to the Jets after just three snaps, but he's otherwise been able to play at a high level while battling a variety of physical issues. His presence at practice Thursday and Friday suggests he'll be fine to handle his usual workload come Sunday, potentially drawing a shadow matchup with Lions cornerback Darius Slay.

Anderson (shoulder/back) doesn't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against Washington after practicing fully Friday, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports.

While Anderson's playing status is no longer in doubt, his Week 11 fantasy utility is debatable. The speedy wideout maintains a degree of big-play upside, but he's been a hit-or-miss option of late and is coming off a quiet effort in the Week 10 win over the Giants. In that contest, he caught just one of his three targets for 11 yards, despite playing 54 of the Jets' 65 offensive snaps.

The Broncos will activate Patrick (hand) from injured reserve Friday, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reports.

Patrick's spot on the 53-man roster comes after cornerback Bryce Callahan (foot) was moved to IR in a corresponding move. The second-year wideout is trending toward suiting up against the Vikings on Sunday, in which case he'll compete for the No. 2 or No. 3 receiver gig behind top option Courtland Sutton.

Cooper (knee/ankle) said he will play in Sunday's game at Detroit, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Cooper has battled through a few different injuries this season, only once missing a significant portion of a game. A limited practice session Thursday put him on track for Sunday's matchup with the Lions, regardless of how he's listed on the final injury report Friday.

Thielen (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against Denver, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Absent from practice for a second straight week, Thielen will hope to rejoin the lineup after a Week 12 bye. Olabisi Johnson will once again fill in as the No. 2 receiver, with Laquon Treadwell slotting into the No. 3 role. When Thielen has been off the field this season, the Vikings mostly have relied on one/two-wide formations, with No. 2 tight end Irv Smith and fullback C.J. Ham both getting steady playing time.

Thielen (hamstring) isn't practicing Friday, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

Coach Mike Zimmer wasn't ready to rule Thielen out for Week 11 after missing Thursday's practice, but another absence to close out the week makes it a virtual certainty the receiver won't be available Sunday against the Broncos. The Vikings will announce an official decision on Thielen's status with the release of their final injury report later Friday.

Brown (ankle) took part in Friday's practice, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

It won't be clear until after practice how much work Brown got in, but his participation alone is a positive sign on the heels of a missed practice Thursday. Brown's status for Sunday's game against the Texans will be revealed when the Ravens release their final injury report of the week later Friday.