This column is meant to offer our best predictions on what players will/will not play, as of 8 AM ET on Sunday. For the official active/inactive reports, please see our Latest NFL Player News.
We have a fairly busy injury report in Week 12, and it's a mixed bag in terms of big names returning to action and others trending down or being already ruled out of action. There should be very few cases that come down to pregame warmups at this point, however, so let's check in on the latest as of early Sunday morning:
QUARTERBACKS
The Cardinals' Kyler Murray is off the injury report and set to start Sunday's game against the Chargers after practicing in full all week following Week 10 and Week 11 absences due to a hamstring injury. Murray will also have the benefit of getting Marquise Brown (foot) back from injured reserve versus Los Angeles, when he'll share the field with DeAndre Hopkins for the first time.
The Bears' Justin Fields (shoulder) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Jets after practicing in limited fashion all week. As per Saturday night reports, Fields is not expected to play barring a much better-than-expected showing in pregame warmups, a prognostication further corroborated by the fact the Bears promoted Nathan Peterman from the practice squad Saturday to serve as the backup to projected starter Trevor Siemian.
The Rams' Matthew Stafford (neck) is out for Sunday's game against the Chiefs after missing practice all
This column is meant to offer our best predictions on what players will/will not play, as of 8 AM ET on Sunday. For the official active/inactive reports, please see our Latest NFL Player News.
We have a fairly busy injury report in Week 12, and it's a mixed bag in terms of big names returning to action and others trending down or being already ruled out of action. There should be very few cases that come down to pregame warmups at this point, however, so let's check in on the latest as of early Sunday morning:
QUARTERBACKS
The Cardinals' Kyler Murray is off the injury report and set to start Sunday's game against the Chargers after practicing in full all week following Week 10 and Week 11 absences due to a hamstring injury. Murray will also have the benefit of getting Marquise Brown (foot) back from injured reserve versus Los Angeles, when he'll share the field with DeAndre Hopkins for the first time.
The Bears' Justin Fields (shoulder) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Jets after practicing in limited fashion all week. As per Saturday night reports, Fields is not expected to play barring a much better-than-expected showing in pregame warmups, a prognostication further corroborated by the fact the Bears promoted Nathan Peterman from the practice squad Saturday to serve as the backup to projected starter Trevor Siemian.
The Rams' Matthew Stafford (neck) is out for Sunday's game against the Chiefs after missing practice all week. Head coach Sean McVay has yet to announce if John Wolford, who missed Week 11 with a neck injury but threw for 212 yards with a touchdown and interception in Stafford's stead back in Week 10, will draw the start, or whether Bryce Perkins will get the call after performing reasonably well in emergency duty against the Saints when Stafford exited the Week 11 loss early.
The Rams' John Wolford is off the injury report and could draw the start in Sunday's game against the Chiefs for Matthew Stafford (neck). Wolford was unavailable to serve as Stafford's backup in the Week 11 loss to the Saints because of his own neck injury, and head coach Sean McVay has yet to announce if Wolford or Bryce Perkins will get the call versus Kansas City.
The Panthers' PJ Walker (ankle) is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Broncos after practicing in limited fashion all week. Interim head coach Steve Wilks has already announced that Sam Darnold, who was activated from injured reserve back on Nov. 7 after overcoming a high-ankle sprain that had sidelined him all season, will get the start versus Denver instead of Baker Mayfield.
The Dolphins' Teddy Bridgewater (knee) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Texans after practicing in limited fashion all week. If Bridgewater is unable to serve as the No. 2 quarterback for the second straight contest, rookie Skylar Thompson will once again serve in that capacity behind Tua Tagovailoa versus Houston.
RUNNING BACKS
The Raiders' Josh Jacobs (calf) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Seahawks after practicing in limited fashion Friday. As per early Sunday reports, Jacobs is expected to play barring any setbacks in pregame warmups. If Jacobs were to unexpectedly sit, Ameer Abdullah, Brandon Bolden and rookie Zamir White would be line to handle Las Vegas' backfield snaps.
The Bengals' Joe Mixon (concussion) is out for Sunday's game against the Titans after missing practice all week. In his stead, Samaje Perine, who finished with 82 total yards and three receiving touchdowns in Week 11 against the Steelers while helping fill in when Mixon exited that contest, should serve as the lead back for Cincinnati versus Tennessee, while 2021 sixth-round pick Chris Evans should see his first carries of the season as his backup.
The Ravens' Gus Edwards (hamstring/knee) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Jaguars but finished the week with two full practices. As per early Sunday reports, Edwards is expected to make his return from a two-game absence, but he'll still likely be sharing snaps with Kenyan Drake, and to a lesser degree, Justice Hill, versus Jacksonville.
The Buccaneers' Leonard Fournette (hip) has been downgraded to out for Sunday's game against the Browns despite practicing in limited fashion all week. Fournette entered the weekend carrying a doubtful tag, but he did not travel to Cleveland with the team. His absence will lead to a starting role for rookie Rachaad White, who actually took the first snap in the Week 10 win over the Seahawks in Germany and finished that game with 105 rushing yards on 22 carries.
The Dolphins' Raheem Mostert (knee) is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Texans after only getting a limited Friday practice in this week. Myles Gaskin and Savon Ahmed should fill in as complementary options behind lead back Jeff Wilson against the Texans' league-worst run defense
The Chiefs' Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle) was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, sidelining him for the next four games at minimum. His absence will lead to what should be a clear-cut lead role for rookie Isiah Pacheco, while veteran complementary option Jerick McKinnon should also enjoy a larger role.
The Saints' Mark Ingram (knee) is questionable for Sunday's game against the 49ers after practicing in limited fashion all week. If Ingram sits out again, Dwayne Washington will be in line to serve as Alvin Kamara's backup against San Francisco.
The Broncos' Chase Edmonds (ankle) was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, sidelining him for the next four games at minimum. His absence, coupled with the release of Melvin Gordon earlier in the week, will lead to a Week 12 opportunity for veteran Marlon Mack to serve as Latavius Murray's backup versus Carolina.
The Buccaneers' Giovani Bernard was activated off injured reserve Saturday after missing the last eight games with an ankle injury. In his Week 12 return against the Browns, Bernard could serve in the primary backup role to Rachaad White with Leonard Fournette (hip) ruled out for the contest.
The Steelers' Jaylen Warren (hamstring) is out for Monday night's game against the Colts after missing practice all week. In his absence, Benny Snell is in line to serve as Najee Harris' backup versus Indianapolis.
The Falcons' Caleb Huntley (ankle) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Commanders after practicing in limited fashion all week. If Huntley can't suit up, Avery Williams would be in line to serve as the No. 3 back behind Cordarrelle Patterson and Tyler Allgeier.
The Titans' Hassan Haskins (hip) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Bengals after practicing in limited fashion both Thursday and Friday. If Haskins ultimately sits out, Dontrell Hilliard will likely draw some additional snaps behind Derrick Henry.
The Panthers' Giovanni Ricci (neck) is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Broncos after missing practice all week.
WIDE RECEIVERS
The Chargers' Mike Williams (ankle) is out for Sunday's game against the Cardinals after missing practice all week. With the veteran speedster reinjuring himself in Week 11, Joshua Palmer will slot into the No. 2 receiver role versus Arizona, while DeAndre Carter will bump up to the No. 3 role.
The 49ers' Deebo Samuel (hamstring) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Saints after practicing in limited fashion all week. As per early Sunday reports, Samuel is expected to play barring any pregame setbacks. If he were to reverse course, the likes of Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle and even elite pass-catching back Christian McCaffrey would all benefit.
The Cardinals' Marquise Brown (foot) was activated from injured reserve Saturday, leaving him poised to play in Sunday's game against the Chargers. Brown is likely to be on some type of snap limit per late-week reports, but with Arizona expected to be down Greg Dortch (thumb) in addition to Rondale Moore (groin), Brown's workload could be larger than initially planned.
The Rams' Cooper Kupp (ankle) was placed on injured reserve Nov. 15 and underwent surgery the following day. Per latest reports, he'll likely sit out the remainder of the season with the defending champions likely to soon be eliminated from playoff contention.
The Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase (hip) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Titans after practicing in limited fashion all week. As per late Saturday night reports, Chase isn't projected to suit up versus Tennessee. In his expected absence, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd should remain as Joe Burrow's top targets after Boyd posted a 9-148 line on 13 targets versus the Steelers in Week 11.
The Broncos' Jerry Jeudy (ankle) is out for Sunday's game against the Panthers after missing practice all week. With KJ Hamler (hamstring) also sidelined, Russell Wilson will likely be targeting Courtland Sutton, Kendall Hinton, Jalen Virgil and tight end Greg Dulcich substantially when dropping back versus Carolina.
The Chiefs' Kadarius Toney (hamstring) is out for Sunday's game against the Rams after missing practice all week. With Mecole Hardman (IR-foot) also out, Justin Watson is expected to bump up to the No. 3 receiver role behind the returning JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
The Jets' Corey Davis is off the injury report and set to return to his usual starting role in Sunday's game against the Bears after missing the Week 11 loss to the Patriots with a knee injury.
The Chiefs' JuJu Smith-Schuster has cleared concussion protocol and will start in Sunday's game against the Rams after missing the Week 11 win over the Chargers. Smith-Schuster could be in for even more targets than usual with Kadarius Toney (hamstring) and Mecole Hardman (IR-abdomen) unavailable.
The Broncos' KJ Hamler (hamstring) is out for Sunday's game against the Panthers after missing practice all week. In his absence, rookie Jalen Virgil should serve as the No. 3 receiver.
The Rams' Allen Robinson (ankle) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Chiefs after practicing in limited fashion all week. As per early Sunday reports, Robinson isn't expected to play. If he sits out as expected, Van Jefferson and Ben Skowronek will serve as the top two targets for either John Wolford or Bryce Perkins, while Brandon Powell should bump up to a No. 3 role.
The Ravens' Demarcus Robinson (hip) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Jaguars but worked back to a full practice Friday. As per early Sunday reports, Robinson is expected to play and will be in line to serve as the de facto No. 1 receiver after posting a 9-128 line on nine targets versus the Panthers in Week 11.
The Cardinals' Rondale Moore (groin) is out for Sunday's game against the Chargers after missing practice all week. With Greg Dortch (thumb) also expected to sit out, Robbie Anderson and A.J. Green should have larger roles than usual behind DeAndre Hopkins and the returning Marquise Brown.
The Ravens' Devin Duvernay (hamstring) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Jaguars after logging a limited practice Friday. As per early Sunday reports, Duvernay is expected to play and serve as the de facto No. 2 receiver alongside Demarcus Robinson.
The Buccaneers' Russell Gage (hamstring) is out for Sunday's game against the Browns after missing practice all week. In his absence, more opportunities should be available for Julio Jones and Scotty Miller behind top targets Mike Evans and Chris Goodwin.
The Packers' Romeo Doubs (ankle) is out for Sunday night's game against the Eagles after missing practice all week. In his ongoing absence, more opportunities should be available for Christian Watson and Randall Cobb alongside Sammy Watkins.
The Cardinals' Greg Dortch (thumb) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Chargers after missing practice all week. As per late Saturday night reports, Dortch isn't expected to play. In his likely absence and that of Rondale Moore (groin), Robbie Anderson and A.J. Green should see additional opportunities.
The Panthers' Terrace Marshall (shoulder) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Broncos but did work back to a full practice Friday. If Marshall were to sit out, Shi Smith and Laviska Shenault would work as the top wideout options behind D.J. Moore.
The Seahawks' Dee Eskridge (hand) is out for Sunday's game against the Raiders after missing practice all week. In his absence, DeeJay Dallas is expected to take over kick-return duties for Seattle.
TIGHT ENDS
The Cardinals' Zach Ertz (knee) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, ending his season. Rookie Trey McBride and journeyman Stephen Anderson will continue to handle the majority of tight end duties for Arizona in Sunday's Week 12 battle against the Chargers.
The Falcons' Kyle Pitts (knee) was placed on injured reserve Monday, sidelining him for the next four games at minimum. In his absence, Parker Hesse, MyCole Pruitt and Anthony Firkser could all have a hand in holding down the fort at tight end beginning with Sunday's Week 12 clash against the Commanders.
The Eagles' Dallas Goedert (ankle) was placed on injured reserve Nov. 15, and as per latest reports, he's hopeful of missing just the minimum four games and returning for the Dec. 18 game against the Bears. In his absence, Jack Stoll and Grant Calcaterra should handle the bulk of snaps at tight end, as was the case against the Colts in Week 11.
The Rams' Tyler Higbee (knee) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Chiefs after finishing the week with two limited practices. If he were to sit out, Brycen Hopkins would be line to start at tight end.
The Commanders' Logan Thomas (ribs/illness) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Falcons and downgraded to a missed practice Friday after logging limited sessions Wednesday and Thursday. As per late Saturday night reports, however, Thomas is expected to suit up and fill his usual starting tight end role.
The Chargers' Gerald Everett is off the injury report and set to return to his usual starting role in Sunday's game against the Cardinals after missing the Week 11 loss to the Chiefs with a groin injury.
The Ravens' Isaiah Likely (ankle) is out for Sunday's game against the Jaguars after missing Friday's practice. His absence should lead to even more snaps for Mark Andrews, while Josh Oliver and Nick Boyle should serve as complementary options.
The Panthers' Ian Thomas (illness) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Broncos after missing the last two practices of the week. If Thomas sits out, Tommy Tremble should have bulk of tight end snaps to himself versus Denver.
The Colts' Kylen Granson (illness) is questionable for Monday night's game against the Steelers after missing practice all week. If Granson sits out, Mo Alie-Cox would be in line to start, with rookie Jelani Woods backing him up.
KICKERS
The Chargers' Dustin Hopkins (hamstring) was placed on injured reserve Tuesday after suffering a setback. Cameron Dicker, who was signed to the active roster that same day after the team utilized his full allotment of practice-squad elevations, will continue to serve as Los Angeles' placekicker against the Cardinals after going 7-for-7 on field-goal attempts and 6-for-6 on extra-point tries in his first three games in Hopkins' stead.
The Titans' Randy Bullock (calf) has been downgraded to out for Sunday's game against the Bengals after missing both Wednesday's and Friday's practices. In his absence, rookie Caleb Shudak, who was just designated to return from the reserve/PUP list Tuesday, will suit up for his first NFL game.
KEY DEFENSIVE PLAYERS
Cornerbacks
The Cardinals' Byron Murphy (back) is out for Sunday's game against the Chargers.
The Titans' Kristian Fulton (hamstring) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Bengals.
The Browns' Greg Newsome (concussion) is out for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers.
The Saints' Marshon Lattimore (abdomen) is questionable for Sunday's game against the 49ers. As per early Sunday reports, Lattimore is expected to sit out.
The Texans' Derek Stingley (hamstring) is out for Sunday's game against the Dolphins.
The Broncos' K'Waun Williams (knee) is out for Sunday's game against the Panthers.
Safeties
The Chargers' Nasir Adderley (thumb) is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Cardinals.
The Bears' Jaquan Brisker (concussion) is out for Sunday's game against the Jets.
The Chiefs' Juan Thornhill (calf) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Rams.
Defensive Linemen
The Saints' Marcus Davenport (calf) is questionable for Sunday's game against the 49ers.
The Saints' Cameron Jordan (eye) is questionable for Sunday's game against the 49ers, but as per early Sunday reports, he's expected to play.
The Titans' Denico Autry (knee) is out for Sunday's game against the Bengals.
The Colts' Yannick Ngakoue (back) is questionable for Monday night's game against the Steelers.
The Colts' Kwity Paye (ankle) is questionable for Monday night's game against the Steelers.
The Colts' DeForest Buckner (ribs) is questionable for Monday night's game against the Steelers.
The Titans' Jeffery Simmons (ankle) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Bengals.
The Buccaneers' Vita Vea (foot) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Browns.
The Commanders' Chase Young (knee), who was activated from the reserve/PUP list Monday, is questionable for Sunday's game against the Falcons. As per late Saturday night reports, his status will come down to how he looks in pregame warmups, especially since he's also been dealing with an illness the last 24 hours.
The Rams' A'Shawn Robinson (knee) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, ending his season.
The Jets' Sheldon Rankins (elbow) is out for Sunday's game against the Bears.
Linebackers
The Commanders' Cole Holcomb (foot) was placed on injured reserve Friday, sidelining him for the next four games at minimum.
The Packers' De'Vondre Campbell (knee) is doubtful for Sunday night's game against the Eagles.
The Saints' Pete Werner (ankle) is out for Sunday's game against the 49ers.
