NFL Player News

Marks, who is officially questionable for Sunday's Week 16 matchup against the Raiders due to an ankle injury, is planning to suit up, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Marks didn't finish last Sunday's win over Arizona after hurting his ankle early in the second quarter. He didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday this week but got in a limited session Friday to give himself a chance of playing Sunday. It sounds like Marks is going to try to take the field, though his final status probably won't be shared until the Texans release their list of inactives about 90 minutes prior to the 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff. Should Marks need to sit out, Houston's backfield work could be split between veteran tailback Nick Chubb (ribs) and rookie Jawhar Jordan.

Al-Shaair (ankle/knee), who is officially questionable for Sunday's game against Las Vegas, is trending toward playing, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Al-Shaair is likely to be a game-time decision, per Wilson, but the current expectation is that he'll be able to suit up. The veteran linebacker managed just a DNP/LP/DNP practice progression this week, so chances are he'll be less than 100 percent even if he does get clearance to play. Al-Shaair hasn't missed a game this season and has logged every Texans defensive snap in 10 of the team's 14 contests to date.

Hamilton, who is officially questionable for Sunday's Week 16 game versus New England due to an ankle injury, is "more likely to play than not," Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Hamilton appears to have hurt his ankle during practice, as he wasn't on the injury report Wednesday or Thursday before popping up as a limited participant Friday. He was subsequently deemed questionable to play Sunday, though it sounds like he'll be able to take the field. With that said, Rapoport notes that Hamilton's status "is not yet settled" and suggests that the safety will test out the ankle during pregame workouts, so his status probably won't be certain until the Ravens release their list of inactives approximately 90 minutes prior to the 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff.

FitzPatrick, who injured his Achilles during an overtime loss to Chicago on Sunday, exited the locker room with a walking boot on his right foot after the game, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports.

Achilles injuries tend to be more than minor, especially when they're the non-contact variety, as FitzPatrick's was. It's certainly not a good sign for FitzPatrick's availability moving forward that he left in a walking boot after Saturday's loss, though an official diagnosis may not be announced until after he undergoes further evaluation. Packers coach Matt LaFleur seemed to be resigned to having to look for another tight end to fill FitzPatrick's void for at least the short-term future, saying postgame, "I'm sure we have guys capable on our practice squad. We'll take a look at that and come up with a solution," per Zach Jacobson of 247Sports.com.

Loveland recorded three receptions on four targets for 30 yards in Saturday's 22-16 overtime win over the Packers.

Loveland was expected to take on an even larger role in Chicago's offense due to both Luther Burden (ankle) and Rome Odunze (foot) being sidelined. However, he instead tied for third on the team in targets and finished fourth in yardage. While it was a modest showing, Loveland did manage a pair of key catches on Chicago's game-tying drive late in the third quarter. Loveland should maintain a key role in the offense and have the chance to bounce back in Week 17 against the 49ers.

Reed brought in all three targets for 35 yards and rushed once for six yards in the Packers' 22-16 overtime loss to the Bears on Saturday night.

Reed wasn't consistently involved throughout, and he exited the game for a spell in the second half to be evaluated for an undisclosed injury, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Jordan Love's exit from the contest in the second quarter due to a concussion likely didn't help matters, although Reed hauled in a 31-yard pass from Malik Willis in overtime for the majority of his production. Reed will aim to bounce back with a more productive showing at the expense of the Ravens secondary in a Week 17 home matchup next Saturday night.

Watson brought in two of six targets for 17 yards in the Packers' 22-16 overtime loss to the Bears on Saturday night.

Watson was contained effectively by an injury-hampered Bears secondary, with the fact Jordan Love exited the game midway through the second quarter due to a concussion likely playing a factor. Watson had his own injury scare in the third quarter per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, but he was able to return to the game before the period was over. The veteran wideout's yardage total was his lowest of the season, and he'll aim to bounce back in a Week 17 home matchup against the Ravens next Saturday night.

Higgins (concussion), who is officially questionable for Sunday's contest versus Miami, is expected to play, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Higgins missed last Sunday's loss to Baltimore due to a concussion he suffered in a Week 14 loss to the Bills. Though the concussion was his second of the season, he appears to have made good progress in his recovery after logging a full practice session Friday. Assuming Higgins has cleared the NFL's five-step concussion protocol, he appears set to return to action against the Dolphins, which would be a big boost to a Cincinnati offense that was shut out last weekend.

Moore recorded five receptions on seven targets for 97 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 22-16 overtime win over the Packers. He added one rush for 12 yards.

Moore was expected to serve in a big role due to Rome Odunze (foot) and Luther Burden (ankle) both being sidelined. However, he made a limited impact early on after suffering an apparent back injury early in the first quarter, while Caleb Williams attempted only nine passes in the first half. Despite the slow start, he managed to play through the injury and played a key role in Chicago's comeback win, delivering long catches of 22 and 20 yards in the fourth quarter. Moore capped off his day with a 46-yard receiving score to give the Bears the win in overtime. This was his highest yardage total of the season, and Moore now has five touchdowns in his last five games.

Watt (lung) is focusing on getting healthy, and a date for him to return to action is uncertain, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Schefter indicates that Watt's focus is simply on recovering from his partially collapsed lung, with a return to play currently a secondary concern. The star linebacker has already been ruled out for Sunday's Week 16 game against Detroit, and it's not clear if he even has a chance to play in Week 17 against Cleveland. Watt would need to get medical clearance for him to return against the Browns, though Schefter suggests that "ideally Watt gets more time to recover" from the lung injury.