KEY THURSDAY MEDIA UPDATES
>>>> Note: Due to travel and time constraints over the next two weeks, the table will include offensive skill position players only.
Week 17 is an unusual week for injury analysis. Some teams and players choose not to risk playing through nagging and serious injuries they may otherwise have gutted through. Other players continue to play through to reach team and individual goals. Some teams choose to rest players in anticipation of more important playoff games to come. Other teams continue to play starters to keep continuity in the weekly routine. Unfortunately, we don't always know which players and which teams fall into which bucket.
Here's what we do know after Thursday's practice and media sessions:
***Philadelphia, Jacksonville, and Kansas City are locked into their current playoff seeding. Doug Marrone has told reporters he will not rest starters. Kansas City will start Pat Mahomes over Alex Smith at quarterback. I think it's likely the key starters on all three teams will see fewer snaps than usual.
***The Rams will not start Jared Goff or Todd Gurley. Goff will be active -- he's the only other quarterback currently on the roster -- but will play only in an emergency. On Thursday, Sean McVay told the media Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, and Cooper Kupp will not play much. Kupp has yet to practice with a knee injury and is obviously doubtful at best.
***It's not been confirmed but Pittsburgh offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert told reporters Ben Roethlisberger and LeVeon Bell will be inactive. A Pittsburgh win and New England loss would give the Steelers home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, so I'm not willing to bank on Gilbert being correct yet.
I'll continue to update this list as it changes.
***DeAndre Hopkins is now considered unlikely to play through a calf injury according to local media. Bill O'Brien told reporters the team wouldn't decide on Hopkins' status until game time.
***Anthony Lynn told reporters Melvin Gordon would only participate in the walkthrough on Thursday and would return to a limited practice on Friday. It still appears the Chargers are planning to start Gordon this week.
***A day after telling reporters he has been playing with knee tendinitis for much of the season, Dez Bryant was held out of practice. I still lean toward Bryant playing but will be watching his Friday practice participation closely.
The Wednesday and Thursday practice participation reports are our first chance to see which players each NFL team are limiting in practice after the previous week's games. Players limited in mid-week practice aren't necessarily in danger of missing that week's game. But they all need to be watched closely.
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Quarterbacks
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| Player | Team | Injury | Practice Participation | Game Status | FBGs Expects | ||
| Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |||||
| Tom Brady | NE | Achilles / Shoulder | DNP | Limited | Expected to Play | ||
| Ben Roethlisberger | Pit | Not Injury Related | DNP | DNP | Awaiting Information | ||
| Jared Goff | LAR | Not Injury Related | Not Listed | Not Listed | Active as Backup | ||
| Cam Newton | Car | Shoulder | Limited | Limited | Expected to Play | ||
| Blake Bortles | Jac | Wrist | Full | Full | Expected to Play | ||
| Paxton Lynch | Den | Ankle | Full | Full | Expected to Play | ||
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Running Backs
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| Player | Team | Injury | Practice Participation | Game Status | FBGs Expects | ||
| Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |||||
| Le'Veon Bell | Pit | Not Injury Related | Not Listed | DNP | Awaiting Information | ||
| Todd Gurley | LAR | Not Injury Related | Not Listed | Not Listed | Inactive | ||
| DeMarco Murray | Ten | Knee | DNP | DNP | Likely Inactive | ||
| Melvin Gordon | LAC | Ankle | DNP | Limited | Game-time Decision | ||
| Joe Mixon | Cin | Ankle | DNP | Limited | Awaiting Information | ||
| Giovani Bernard | Cin | Ankle | Limited | Limited | Likely to Play | ||
| Rex Burkhead | NE | Knee | DNP | DNP | Inactive | ||
| Mike Gillislee | NE | Knee | DNP | DNP | Unlikely to Play | ||
| James White | NE | Ankle | Limited | Limited | Awaiting Information | ||
| Jerick McKinnon | Min | Shoulder | Full | Full | Expected to Play | ||
| Samaje Perine | Was | Groin / Shoulder | Full | Full | Likely to Play | ||
| Isaiah Crowell | Cle | Shoulder / Ribs | Limited | Limited | Expected to Play | ||
| Duke Johnson Jr | Cle | Shoulder | Limited | Limited | Expected to Play | ||
| Kerwynn Williams | Ari | Quad / Ribs | Limited | Limited | Likely to Play | ||
| Elijhaa Penny | Ari | Hand / Groin | Limited | Limited | Likely to Play | ||
| Aaron Jones | GB | Knee | DNP | DNP | Inactive | ||
| Matt Forte | NYJ | Knee | DNP | DNP | Likely to Play | ||
| Rod Smith | Dal | Illness | Not Listed | DNP | Awaiting Information | ||
| Austin Ekeler | LAC | Hand | Full | Full | Expected to Play | ||
| Damien Williams | Mia | Shoulder | Limited | Limited | Awaiting Information | ||
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Wide Receivers
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| Player | Team | Injury | Practice Participation | Game Status | FBGs Expects | ||
| Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |||||
| Antonio Brown | Pit | Calf | DNP | DNP | Inactive | ||
| DeAndre Hopkins | Hou | Calf | DNP | DNP | Unlikely to Play | ||
| Julio Jones | Atl | Thumb / Ankle | DNP | Limited | Expected to Play | ||
| Michael Thomas | NO | Hamstring | Limited | Limited | Likely to Play | ||
| Davante Adams | GB | Concussion | DNP | DNP | Likely Inactive | ||
| Jordy Nelson | GB | Shoulder | DNP | DNP | Likely Inactive | ||
| Dez Bryant | Dal | Knee | Not Listed | DNP | Awaiting Information | ||
| Cooper Kupp | LAR | Knee | DNP | DNP | Unlikely to Play | ||
| Robby Anderson | NYJ | Illness | DNP | Limited | Likely to Play | ||
| Kelvin Benjamin | Buf | Knee | DNP | Limited | Expected to Play | ||
| Devin Funchess | Car | Shoulder | Limited | Full | Expected to Play | ||
| Marqise Lee | Jac | Ankle | DNP | DNP | Likely Inactive | ||
| Keelan Cole | Jac | Quadricep | Limited | Limited | Likely to Play | ||
| Allen Hurns | Jac | Ankle | Limited | Limited | Limited if Active | ||
| Sterling Shepard | NYG | Neck | DNP | DNP | Unlikely to Play | ||
| Amari Cooper | Oak | Ankle | Limited | Limited | Likely to Play | ||
| Chris Hogan | NE | Shoulder | Limited | Limited | Unlikely to Play | ||
| Emmanuel Sanders | Den | Ankle | DNP | DNP | Unlikely to Play | ||
| Jeremy Maclin | Bal | Knee | DNP | DNP | Unlikely to Play | ||
| Mike Wallace | Bal | Knee | Limited | Full | Expected to Play | ||
| Marquise Goodwin | SF | Back | Limited | Limited | Likely to Play | ||
| DeSean Jackson | TB | Ankle | Limited | Limited | Game-time Decision | ||
| DeVante Parker | Mia | Ankle | Limited | Full | Expected to Play | ||
| Deonte Thompson | Buf | Back / Shoulder | Full | Limited | Expected to Play | ||
| Cole Beasley | Dal | Illness | DNP | DNP | Likely to Play | ||
| Cordarrelle Patterson | Oak | Hip | Limited | Limited | Expected to Play | ||
| Brice Butler | Dal | Foot | Full | Full | Likely to Play | ||
| Donte Moncrief | Ind | Ankle | Limited | Limited | Awaiting Information | ||
| Geronimo Allison | GB | Illness | DNP | DNP | Awaiting Information | ||
| Cody Latimer | Den | Thigh | DNP | DNP | Unlikely to Play | ||
| Brandon Coleman | NO | Neck | DNP | Limited | Awaiting Information | ||
| Chris Godwin | TB | Ankle | DNP | DNP | Awaiting Information | ||
| Jermaine Kearse | NYJ | Ankle | DNP | DNP | Awaiting Information | ||
| John Brown | Ari | Toe | DNP | Limited | Limited if Active | ||
| Ryan Grant | Was | Ankle | Full | Full | Expected to Play | ||
| Roger Lewis | NYG | Ankle | Limited | Limited | Likely to Play | ||
| Tavarres King | NYG | Concussion | DNP | DNP | Likely Inactive | ||
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Tight Ends
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| Player | Team | Injury | Practice Participation | Game Status | FBGs Expects | ||
| Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |||||
| Rob Gronkowski | NE | Illness | Not Listed | DNP | Likely to Play | ||
| Kyle Rudolph | Min | Ankle | Limited | Limited | Expected to Play | ||
| Jimmy Graham | Sea | Knee | DNP | DNP | Expected to Play | ||
| Greg Olsen | Car | Foot | Full | Full | Expected to Play | ||
| Eric Ebron | Det | Knee | Limited | Limited | Likely to Play | ||
| Evan Engram | NYG | Rib | DNP | DNP | Unlikely to Play | ||
| Charles Clay | Buf | Knee | Limited | Limited | Expected to Play | ||
| Cameron Brate | TB | Hip / Knee | DNP | Limited | Game-time Decision | ||
| Austin Seferian-Jenkins | NYJ | Ribs / Foot | DNP | DNP | Awaiting Information | ||
| Antonio Gates | LAC | Illness | Not Listed | DNP | Likely to Play | ||
| Jared Cook | Oak | Wrist | Limited | Limited | Expected to Play | ||
| Richard Rodgers | GB | Shoulder | DNP | DNP | Unlikely to Play | ||
| Adam Shaheen | Chi | Chest | Limited | Limited | Unlikely to Play | ||
| Marcedes Lewis | Jac | Ankle | Limited | DNP | Likely to Play | ||
| Garrett Griffin | NO | Foot | Limited | Limited | Awaiting Information | ||
| Josh Hill | NO | Shoulder | Limited | Limited | Awaiting Information | ||
| Michael Hoomanawanui | NO | Concussion | Limited | DNP | Awaiting Information | ||
| George Kittle | SF | Ankle | Full | Full | Expected to Play | ||
| Garrett Celek | SF | Rib / Knee | Limited | Limited | Likely to Play | ||
Follow me on Twitter @JeneBramel for breaking injury news and analysis throughout the week.
