NFL Player News

Laborn (5’9/204) spent one year at Marshall after transferring from Florida State and made the most of his opportunity. Running as the Herd’s lead back, Laborn erupted for 1,535 yards and 16 touchdowns on 303 carries last season while adding another 18 catches for 131 yards through the air. Laborn was instrumental in Marshall’s 2022 road win over Notre Dame when he rushed for 33-163-1 against the Irish. An above-average athlete with an 8.47 RAS, Laborn is a bit undersized for an NFL back, but that shouldn’t leave teams too concerned. He needs to clean up the fumbles after he allowed the ball to hit the turf five times last season. A former four-star recruit who received several Power Five offers, Laborn -- like any 49ers running back with a pulse -- is somebody to watch throughout minicamps.

This makes sense after Bryant was subject to a debilitating hit late in the team’s Week 16 loss to the Jaguars, requiring immobilization and the cart to be removed from the field. We wouldn’t expect him to clear concussion protocol in time to appear against the Chiefs in Week 17, although fantasy managers will want to monitor his status the rest of the week.

With Jordan Mason (ankle) listed as a DNP to start the week, the Vikings will hope Jones can get on the field for Week 17 against the Lions. Jones rushed 21 times for 85 scoreless yards in Week 16’s win over the Giants, and added another two catches for eight yards. Jones would profile as a fringe RB2/RB3 if he can go this week.

Mason was carted to the locker room in the Vikings’ Week 16 win over the Giants. A DNP to open the week isn’t a good sign for his Week 17 availability, and his absence would lead to a larger role for Aaron Jones (ankle) if he can suit up. This is only an estimated practice report, we’ll see if Mason’s status changes on Tuesday when the Vikings take the field for the first time on a short week.

We are still waiting for an official word on McCarthy’s injury after it was reported earlier that he would undergo an MRI. Monday’s DNP isn’t a good sign for his Week 17 availability against the Lions, but there’s still time for things to change. If he’s unable to go, Max Brosmer would be in line to make his second career start. Brosmer threw four interceptions in his first start and would not be on the fantasy radar in any format if he gets the nod.

Metcalf will have a chance to appeal the league’s decision and plans to do so, but if the two-game suspension is upheld, the Steelers’ WR1 will miss Week 17 against the Browns and Week 18 against the Ravens. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero notes that Metcalf reported the same fan to security last season after an interaction with the fan while he was with the Seahawks, but things escalated this time, as Metcalf could be seen pulling the fan’s shirt and later swiping at him before walking away. The Steelers currently sit at 9-6 on the season and are in first place in the AFC North. They can secure their spot in the playoffs with a win on Sunday.

Flournoy drawing a limited designation to start the week is a surprisingly good sign. The second-year receiver was knocked from Week 16’s game against the Chargers and ruled out almost immediately after leaving the field. It’s too early to say if he’ll be good to go for Week 17 against the Commanders, but it looks like he’s on track to log a few practices before Thursday.

Williams played through the same neck injury in Week 16 and did not suffer any reported setbacks after the game. The decision to list him as limited is likely more due to load management at this point in the season. Unless the team reports differently, we would expect Williams to be good to go for Week 17’s game against the Commanders. He will be on the RB2 radar if active.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed on Monday that Williams would miss the remainder of the season. The former third-round pick suffered a torn Achilles in Week 16’s loss to the Falcons and will now spend the next several months rehabbing in hopes of returning sometime in 2026. Williams started all 10 games he appeared in this season for the Cardinals, totaling 46 tackles, five pass breakups, one interception, and one forced fumble.

Nolen winds up with only 169 defensive snaps in 2025 between a Week 1-8 calf injury, a Week 12-14 knee injury, and this latest cart-off against the Falcons in Week 16. He had a 74.1 PFF defensive grade, but obviously the Cardinals will be hoping for a little more availability going forward in the second year of Nolen’s rookie contract.

It’s an estimated report, but it’s a new listing. St. Brown played through the entire game with the injury, notably being called for a game-ending offensive pass interference penalty on the final play. Lions coach Dan Campbell said he’s “hopeful it’s just irritation from yesterday’s game.” This will be a developing situation to watch ahead of Week 17’s finals in most leagues. We’d tentatively expect St. Brown to play based on him finishing last week’s game and the Lions absolutely needing the game to stay alive in the playoff chase, but it is a short week.