NFL Player News

Fant (ankle) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

Fant was unable to practice Wednesday due to the ankle injury he sustained during Cincinnati's loss to the Ravens in Week 15, but he's now making tangible progress in his recovery. Friday's session will represent Fant's last chance to prove he's capable of handling full practice reps ahead of Sunday's matchup against Miami.

Higgins (concussion) was listed as a limited participant in practice Thursday.

Ben Baby of ESPN.com notes that Higgins hasn't been a full practice participant since reporting concussion-like symptoms following the Bengals' Dec. 7 loss to the Bills. The wideout thus has one more chance to log a full session this week, and he'll also need to receive clearance from an independent neurologist in order to be removed from the five-step concussion protocol. If Higgins is still limited in Friday's practice, he could be ruled out for Sunday's game against the Dolphins ahead of the weekend.

Lloyd (hamstring) is officially ruled out for Saturday's road game against the Bears, Wes Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site reports.

Lloyd came off IR temporarily on Wednesday, as part of Green Bay's reported plan to place him back on IR, to make it possible for the 2024 third-round pick to get healthy in time for a return during the playoffs. With Josh Jacobs (knee/ankle) and No. 3 back Chris Brooks (chest) both officially questionable to face Chicago, Emanuel Wilson is the only fully healthy member of the Packers' backfield.

Nailor (back) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

Coming off a two-touchdown performance in this past Sunday's 34-26 win over the Cowboys, Nailor has been slowed by a back injury during Week 16 prep. He's now been a limited practice participant for two straight days, but so long as he can upgrade to full activity Friday, he'll likely approach Sunday's matchup with the Giants without an injury designation.

Williams (neck) practiced on a limited basis Thursday, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Williams is operating with practice restrictions this week due to the neck injury that forced him to miss a portion of the first half of this past Sunday's loss to the Vikings and also cede backfield reps to backup Malik Davis. Overall, Williams logged a 28 percent snap share and 15 carries, while Davis took on 52 percent and 10 touches himself. In the end, Friday's practice report will reveal if Williams is tagged with a designation ahead of Sunday's game against the Chargers.

Johnson (quadriceps) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

Johnson is dealing with a quadriceps injury he likely suffered in the Week 15 win over the Patriots. The slot cornerback was able to log a full walkthrough practice Wednesday with the injury, but he was only a limited participant in Thursday's session. The starter will have one more session to attempt to elevate his practice participation in an effort to potentially avoid an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Browns. If Johnson cannot suit up, Cam Lewis will likely take over slot-cornerback duties for the Bills' defense.

Harrison (heel) practiced in a limited fashion Thursday, Zach Gershman of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Harrison followed up Wednesday's capped walkthrough with a similar activity level one day later, which generally is a good sign that he's trending toward a return to action Sunday against the Falcons. Friday's injury report will provide insight into his odds to do so, but with Xavier Weaver (hamstring) also limited in practice this week, Michael Wilson and Jalen Brooks currently are the only healthy options at wide receiver on Arizona's active roster.

Jones (calf) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

Jones missed three games earlier in the season with a calf injury, and the issue seems to have reignited in the wake of the Bills' Week 15 road victory over the Patriots. The downgrade in practice participation from Wednesday's session does not bode well for the starting defensive tackle, but he will have one more chance to re-elevate his participation, expunge any playing doubt, and potentially dodge an injury designation for Sunday's road game against the Browns.

Jefferson (back) was a limited participant at Thursday's practice.

Jefferson progressed to limited participation Thursday after sitting out Wednesday's practice session. The veteran wide receiver got hurt during Tennessee's loss to the 49ers this past Sunday. If Jefferson suits up Sunday against the Chiefs, he would likely continue to work as the third wide receiver behind rookie fourth-round picks Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike.

Williams (foot) does not carry an injury designation for Saturday's matchup against Chicago, Wes Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site reports.

Williams' foot injury had forced him to sit out each of Green Bay's last three games, but the rookie third-round pick is all clear for Saturday's key road divisional matchup. If either of Christian Watson (chest) or Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) is limited or unavailable versus Chicago, Williams could have an opportunity to handle an expanded depth role in his return.