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  Wes WelkerNE - WR

  Welker (knee) was a limited practice participant all week, ESPN reports.

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  Welker (knee) was a limited practice participant all week, ESPN reports. Impacts: The Patriots are listing Welker as questionable heading into next week, but it's difficult to imagine a more useless injury designation. Barring a setback prior to the Feb. 5 Super Bowl, Welker will play.

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  Rob GronkowskiNE - TE

  Gronkowski's father said Rob has a high ankle sprain, the Boston Herald rep...

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  Gronkowski's father said Rob has a high ankle sprain, the Boston Herald reports. Impacts: Gronkowski will still play in the Super Bowl barring a setback, but this information confirms that he will be playing hurt.

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  Hakeem NicksNYG - WR

  Nicks (shoulder) did not practice Friday, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York D...

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  Nicks (shoulder) did not practice Friday, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reports. Impacts: Nicks played a big role in getting the Giants to the Super Bowl, and he will almost certainly play in the big game. Expect the former Tar Heel to return to practice at some point next week.

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  Hakeem NicksNYG - WR

  Nicks (shoulder) did not practice Thursday, Newark Star-Ledger writer Mike ...

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  Nicks (shoulder) did not practice Thursday, Newark Star-Ledger writer Mike Garafolo reports. Impacts: Nicks will be ready for the Super Bowl, which isn't until Feb. 5. It wouldn't be shocking if the Giants held their injury prone star receiver out of practice until some time next week.

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  Rob GronkowskiNE - TE

  Gronkowski (ankle) did not practice Thursday, ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss repo...

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  Gronkowski (ankle) did not practice Thursday, ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss reports. Impacts: The Super Bowl isn't until Feb. 5, so Gronkowski has plenty of time to get ready. No one should be surprised if the Patriots keep him out of practice until the middle of next week.

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  Stevan RidleyNE - RB

  Ridley (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's AFC Championship Game, t...

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  Ridley (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's AFC Championship Game, the Patriots' official site reports. Impacts: The decision comes after the rookie fumbled for the second straight game in the Divisional Round against the Broncos. This is the first time all season Ridley has been inactive.

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  Jake BallardNYG - TE

  Ballard missed practice Friday due to undergoing a knee procedure, though t...

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  Ballard missed practice Friday due to undergoing a knee procedure, though the team wouldn't classify it as a surgery or specify what the procedure was, Mike Garafolo of the Newark Star-Ledger reports. Impacts: It seems like Ballard might be a game-time decision for Sunday. Luckily for the Giants, Travis Beckum has looked a bit more competent lately, so they shouldn't be hurt too much if Ballard can't give it a go.

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  Eli ManningNYG - QB

  Manning (illness) is probable for Sunday's game against San Francisco, Newa...

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  Manning (illness) is probable for Sunday's game against San Francisco, Newark Star-Ledger writer Mike Garafolo reports. Impacts: Manning was never in any danger of missing a game this important, but this makes it more official.

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  Ahmad BradshawNYG - RB

  Bradshaw (foot) returned to practice Friday, The Star-Ledger reports.

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  Bradshaw (foot) returned to practice Friday, The Star-Ledger reports. Impacts: Bradshaw did not practice the previous two days, but his Friday return indicates the Giants again took the cautious route with him this week. Expect Bradshaw to be ready to go for Sunday's NFC Championship Game.

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  Jake BallardNYG - TE

  Ballard did not take part in Friday's practice, The Star-Ledger reports.

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  Ballard did not take part in Friday's practice, The Star-Ledger reports. Impacts: The reason for Ballard's absence was not immediately available, but it likely has to due with the knee injury that has bothered him since late in the season. He figures to suit up for Sunday's NFC title game, but be aware that he may be playing at less than 100 percent.

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  Tom BradyNE - QB

  Brady (left shoulder) practiced fully Thursday, ESPN.com reports.

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  Brady (left shoulder) practiced fully Thursday, ESPN.com reports. Impacts: Brady's availability for Sunday's game against the Ravens is in no doubt at this point. We'll have to see if the Patriots list him as probable or questionable on Friday, however.

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  Santonio HolmesNYJ - WR

  Holmes will definitely be back with the Jets for the 2012 season, owner Woo...

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  Holmes will definitely be back with the Jets for the 2012 season, owner Woody Johnson told the New York Daily News. Impacts: A public quote from an owner certainly isn't binding, but it's a show of support for Holmes in any event. The Jets probably want to find a way to keep and motivate Holmes besides, given that his 2012 contract is guaranteed; in short, they don't have many alternatives.

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  Eli ManningNYG - QB

  Manning (illness) will return to practice Thursday, Ralph Vacchiano of the...

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  Manning (illness) will return to practice Thursday, Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News reports. Impacts: Manning left practice early on Wednesday due to an illness, but he'll be back on the field Thursday, as the Giants continue their preparation for Sunday's NFC Championship game against the 49ers.

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  Eli ManningNYG - QB

  Manning was unable to finish practice Wednesday due to an "illness," Ralph...

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  Manning was unable to finish practice Wednesday due to an "illness," Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News reports. Impacts: Manning has plenty of time to recover before Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the 49ers, but the Giants are obviously hoping that this is not something that lingers for their quarterback.

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  Rashard MendenhallPIT - RB

  Mendenhall (ACL surgery) may not be offered a contract extension by the Ste...

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  Mendenhall (ACL surgery) may not be offered a contract extension by the Steelers, according to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writer Scott Brown. Impacts: Taking a "wait-and-see" approach, team president Art Rooney II suggested that the Steelers have time to evaluate Mendenhall upon his return next season from reconstructive knee surgery. They won't make a long-term commitment to him unless they know he's healthy again.

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  Arian FosterHOU - RB

  Foster was selected to his second Pro Bowl, but won't play because of an in...

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  Foster was selected to his second Pro Bowl, but won't play because of an injury to his foot, the Houston Chronicle reports. Impacts: There's nothing so far to indicate that this is a serious issue for Foster, who is slated to be a restricted free agent this offseason. The Texans would like to sign the running back to a long-term deal, but if they can't, they would tender him at the maximum value and would match any offer that he might receive from another team.

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  Peyton ManningIND - QB

  Manning's (neck) future with the Colts remains undecided, according to new ...

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  Manning's (neck) future with the Colts remains undecided, according to new GM Ryan Grigson, the Washington Post reports. "In regards to Peyton, we're not even there with anything involving (him) quite yet," Grigson said Tuesday as he announced coach Jim Caldwell's firing. "We have to know about his medical [issues]; there are so many things. I'm not there yet." Impacts: Manning is throwing and continuing in his rehab, but as the March 8 deadline for his $28 million payment approaches, his health -- and in turn his future with the Colts -- remains up in the air. Either way, the team is expected to select Andrew Luck with the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, but whether Manning will be around to mentor him in 2012 (and if he's not, where he will play) remains one of the biggest offseason situations to track in the coming weeks.

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  Tim TebowDEN - QB

  Tebow reportedly played through considerable pain in Saturday's playoff los...

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  Tebow reportedly played through considerable pain in Saturday's playoff loss to the Patriots, ESPN.com reports. Impacts: To start the third quarter of Saturday's game, Tebow was in pretty rough shape. Following a hit that he took in the pocket, Tebow reportedly tore cartilage in his first rib where it attaches to his sternum, bruised his lung and had fluid buildup in his pleural cavity. Despite the injuries, Tebow toughed it out Saturday and is still expected begin his offseason training program according to schedule.

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  Fred JacksonBUF - RB

  While Jackson (broken fibula) is likely to still see more of the carries ou...

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  While Jackson (broken fibula) is likely to still see more of the carries out of the backfield next season, the difference in workload may not be by nearly as much as last season when both were healthy, BuffaloBills.com reports. "I wouldn't call it 50-50, but it's closer to 50-50 than it ever has been because (Spiller's) more confident and we have more confidence in him having experience now," said coach Chan Gailey. Impacts: There are a few issues in play here that lead us to believe Jackson may not come close to the MVP-type numbers he was putting up before the injury ruined the rest of his season: 1) He'll be 31 in February, and even though there's not a ton of tread on his tires, it's tough to see him staying at such peak form for the long term, especially coming off a major injury; 2) The Bills like Spiller's great speed and know he needs to be involved in the offense in some fashion for the team to have long-term success; 3) Jackson is entering the last year of his contract and the Bills may just passively take him out of the long-term plans if they know he's going to be too expensive as a 30-something back. Some of this is disappointing -- given the great player and teammate Jackson has become -- even though no one but Father Time and the timing of Jackson's contract may be to blame, so while we could see Jackson being a key guy in this offense for another year or two or even three if they can figure out the contract thing, you can't ignore that Spiller has talent and he'll be stealing some portion of carries compared to 2011, where Jackson was pretty much the exclusive guy for 10 weeks.

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  C.J. SpillerBUF - RB

  While teammate Fred Jackson is likely to still see more of the carries out ...

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  While teammate Fred Jackson is likely to still see more of the carries out of the backfield next season, the difference in workload may not be by nearly as much as last season when both were healthy, BuffaloBills.com reports. "I wouldn't call it 50-50, but it's closer to 50-50 than it ever has been because (Spiller's) more confident and we have more confidence in him having experience now," said coach Chan Gailey. Impacts: Spiller had a big stretch run after Jackson went down with a broken fibula, enough that Bills followers have finally stopped calling the former No. 9 overall selection a bust pick. This could be a big fantasy issue if it truly is going to be a more direct time-share. Even though Spiller might be in the 30-40 percent range once it all shakes out, that might make him one of the more valuable No. 2's in the league, given his speed and the fact that he plays in a decent offense with a good run-blocking offensive line.

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