NFL Player News

Boutte (illness) was on the field for practice Thursday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

After missing Wednesday's session, Boutte's return to the field a day later has him trending toward being available for Sunday's season finale against the Bills. The Patriots will release their second injury report of the week later Thursday, when it will be known whether Boutte was a limited or full practice participant.

Heath played 15 of the Packers' 63 snaps on offense and reeled in his lone target for a three-yard touchdown reception in Sunday's 27-25 loss to the Vikings.

Heath had been a healthy inactive for the Packers' previous two contests, but he suited up as the team's No. 5 receiver in Week 17 while Christian Watson (knee) was sidelined. The 24-year-old cashed in on his lone target with his second touchdown of the season, but Heath is still likely to see his snap count take a hit in Week 18 versus the Bears if Watson is able to return to action.

Pearsall was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice due to an illness and a chest injury, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Since getting held without a reception in three consecutive contests from Weeks 11 through 13, Pearsall's involvement in the 49ers' passing game has increased in four straight games, culminating with career highs across the board (8-141-1 on 10 targets) during Monday's 40-34 loss to the Lions. With his health now compromised, however, Pearsall's status will be one to monitor as the week rolls along to get a sense of his odds to suit up Sunday at Arizona.

Watson (knee) didn't practice Wednesday.

Watson hasn't practiced since suffering a left knee bruise in the Packers' Week 16 win over the Saints, but he was listed as questionable ahead of this past Sunday's eventual loss to Minnesota before ending up on the inactive list. A return to practice Thursday or Friday would give Watson a much better shot to play this Sunday against the Bears.

McConkey missed Wednesday's practice with a toe injury.

McConkey showed no sign of being slowed by an injury in the Chargers' 40-7 win over the Patriots this past Saturday, as he played into the fourth quarter of the blowout and finished with a 8-94-2 receiving line on 10 targets. In addition to the health of his toe, McConkey's Week 18 playing time will depend on how head coach Jim Harbaugh approaches Sunday's game against the Raiders. If the Bengals beat the Steelers on Saturday, the Chargers can then move up to the No. 5 seed in the AFC with a win Sunday. If the Steelers win Saturday, the Chargers will know that they're the No. 6 seed and thus will be more likely to rest key players, including McConkey.

Higgins (ankle/knee) was a limited participant in practice Wednesday.

Higgins was deemed a limited participant in Tuesday's walk-through session, so he'll likely need to practice fully Thursday in order to avoid taking an injury designation into Saturday's game against the Steelers. That said, Higgins was listed as questionable due to the same pair of injuries ahead of the Bengals' Week 17 game against the Broncos, then proceeded to suit up and turned in an 11-131-3 receiving line on 12 targets in Cincinnati's 30-24 overtime win.

Raymond (foot) was listed as a full participant on Wednesday's practice estimation.

Raymond has missed the Lions' last five games due to a foot injury sustained in a Week 12 win over the Colts. However, he was designated to return from injured reserve Dec. 26 and practiced in full Wednesday, suggesting he's nearing a return to the field. Raymond must still be added to Detroit's active roster in order to play in Week 18, when the Lions face the Vikings.

Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said Wednesday that Johnson will play in Sunday's game against the Titans, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Locked in as the AFC's No. 4 seed, Houston has an opportunity to evaluate young players and give Johnson some game reps in Week 18, with a strong showing perhaps allowing the wideout to take on a prominent role in the wild-card round of the playoffs. Ryans didn't comment on playing-time expectations for his starters but did seem to acknowledge the possibility of removing them early, per Alexander. Either way, Johnson will likely get some run after being claimed off waivers from the Ravens last Monday.

Palmer (heel) didn't practice Wednesday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Palmer left Saturday's 40-7 win over New England in the third quarter and was spotted in a walking boot after the game. It's not yet clear how aggressive the Chargers will or won't be this Sunday against the Raiders; they know they'll be either the fifth or sixth seed in the AFC, with hope for moving up to fifth if Pittsburgh loses to Cincinnati on Saturday. It's unclear, in any case, if Palmer will be healthy enough to play this weekend.

Shepard (hamstring) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday.

Sidelined for this past Sunday's win over the Panthers due to hamstring and foot injuries, Shepard is listed with only the first health concern as the Buccaneers begin Week 18 prep. How he fares on the field Thursday and Friday likely will determine whether or not he enters the weekend with a designation for Sunday's game versus the Saints.