NFL Player News

Brown (illness) did not practice Wednesday.

Brown will have two more opportunities to retake the practice field before Cincinnati is forced to decide whether to assign him an official injury designation for Week 18. The starting running back is coming off his most productive game of the season, having carried the ball 22 times for 101 yards and two touchdowns while adding three catches for 40 yards during the Bengals' win over the Cardinals in Week 17. If able to suit up Week 18, Brown will get a chance to close out the 2025 campaign strong with a home matchup against Cleveland.

Robertson-Harris (knee) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Matt Citak of the Giants' official site reports.

Robertson-Harris likely tweaked his knee during the Giants' Week 17 win over the Raiders, when he finished with three solo tackles. He'll have two more opportunities to log a full practice ahead of Sunday's NFC East tilt against the Cowboys.

Neal (neck) did not practice Wednesday, Matt Citak of the Giants' official site reports.

Neal remains on injured reserve but had his 21-day practice window opened 14 days ago. He was a full participant in practice his first day on the practice field, so it appears he's since suffered a setback, or the Giants could be opting to simply shut him down for the remainder of a lost season.

Nunez-Roches (ankle/toe) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Matt Citak of the Giants' official site reports.

Nunez has missed the Giants' last three games due to ankle and toe injuries, but he's started Week 18 prep on the right foot with a limited practice. He'll have two more opportunities to increase his practice participation and potentially avoid an injury designation heading into Sunday's regular-season finale against the Cowboys.

Mallory (lung) was estimated as a non-participant in Wednesday's practice walkthrough.

It's not clear when Mallory was hurt, though it may have been Sunday against Jacksonville, when he logged a season-high 11 offensive snaps and made his first catch of the campaign. With the Colts officially eliminated from playoff contention, Mallory could see more work Sunday versus Houston if he's able to suit up, but the lung issue could throw a wrench in that potential opportunity. Mallory will have two more days this week to get onto the practice field before Indianapolis assigns injury designations.

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said Wednesday that Salyer (hamstring) is "trending in a really good direction" but isn't expected to be available for Sunday's regular-season finale against the Broncos, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Harbaugh said, "it doesn't look like [Salyer will] be able to go this week" versus Denver but offered optimism that the starting left tackle could be available in the first round of the AFC playoffs, with the Chargers still capable of falling anywhere from the No. 5 to the 7th seed. With Harbaugh previously announcing Los Angeles will rest key starters in Week 18, it will be Trey Lance who has to operate with either Austin Deculus or Trevor Penning protecting his blind side on Sunday.

McKee is expected to start Sunday's game against the Commanders, according to ESPN's Tim McManus.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni hasn't publicly disclosed his plans, but he hinted Wednesday that he'll do so after discussing everything with the team. Multiple reports suggest that Sirianni will hold out QB Jalen Hurts and other starters.

The Rams announced Wednesday that Higbee (ankle) has been designated to return from IR.

Higbee will now begin a 21-day window wherein he can participate in practice without counting against the 53-man roster. The veteran tight end can be activated from IR at any point in that span, if deemed healthy, making Sunday's game against the Cardinals his earliest tentative chance to return. Higbee hasn't played since Week 11, and across 11 regular-season appearances so far he's secured 20 of 30 targets for 190 yards and two touchdowns.

Boutte (head) returned to practice Wednesday, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.

Boutte wore a red non-contact jersey, indicating that he still has multiple steps to clear in concussion protocol before he can play in a game. He missed Sunday's blowout win over the Jets but could be back for Week 18 against Miami.

Jackson (back) practiced fully Wednesday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

In doing so, coach John Harbaugh indicated that Jackson, who was inactive in Week 17 due to a back contusion, "looked good," while adding that the QB is looking at utilizing extra protection for his back. As for Jackson's status for Sunday night's game against the Steelers, Harbaugh said that he's "optimistic" that the signal caller will be available. With that in mind, despite Jackson's full participation Wednesday, his situation is worth monitoring at least until Friday's final injury report reveals whether he carries an injury designation into the weekend.