NFL Player News

Walker (oblique) isn't participating in Tuesday's practice, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

Walker sat out the Seahawks' Thanksgiving loss to the 49ers due to a strained oblique, and he may be trending toward another absence in Week 13 with Seattle set to face the Cowboys in a second straight Thursday game. According to Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune, head coach Pete Carroll didn't definitively rule Walker out for this week's contest, but he said the running back will go into the game with "some questions," per Curtis Crabtree of Fox 13 Seattle. Carroll also noted that he hasn't seen anything from Walker this week to suggest that the 23-year-old is any healthier than he was a week ago, so rookie Zach Charbonnet looks like he could be in store for another turn as Seattle's lead back.

Moss is expected to serve as the Colts' lead back for at least Sunday's game against the Titans after team owner Jim Irsay said Jonathan Taylor would undergo thumb surgery Wednesday, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Taylor opened the season on the PUP list as he completed his recovery from January ankle surgery, and Moss served as Indianapolis' lead back from Weeks 2 through 4, compiling 280 yards and a touchdown on 66 carries to go with six receptions on eight targets for 42 yards and another score. The two then worked in a near-even timeshare over the ensuing three games following Taylor's return in Week 5, but Moss had since faded into a supporting role. With Irsay noting that Taylor is expected to miss 2-to-3 weeks, Moss should at least temporarily have a clear path to reclaiming a three-down role, as the Colts haven't shown much of an inclination to give work to third-stringer Trey Sermon this season. Given the opportunity in front of him, Moss is worthy of rostering in nearly every league.

Taylor will undergo thumb surgery in Los Angeles on Wednesday, and the Colts are hoping the running back will be able to return to action in 2-to-3 weeks, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Head coach Shane Steichen will likely elaborate further on Taylor's status when he speaks to the media Wednesday, and Stephen Holder of ESPN.com notes that the Colts haven't ruled out the possibility of the 24-year-old back needing to go on injured reserve, which would entail a four-game absence. At least for its Week 13 game at Tennessee, Indianapolis is expected to turn its backfield over to Zack Moss, who handled the lead role in Weeks 2 through 4 while Taylor was on the PUP list as he completed his recovery from January ankle surgery. Though he sustained the injury at some point during this past Sunday's 27-20 win over the Buccaneers, Taylor still played 42 snaps on his way to finishing with 91 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries.

Dowdle (ankle) was listed as a limited participant in Tuesday's practice, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.

Dowdle has had his reps capped for the second day in a row, but after the running back experienced no reported setbacks in the team's Thanksgiving Day win over the Commanders, he'll most likely be available for a second consecutive Thursday game against the Seahawks this week. While serving as the top complement to lead back Tony Pollard in the 45-10 win over Washington, Dowdle carried three times for 11 yards and turned his lone target into a 15-yard touchdown reception.

The Browns signed Kelly to their practice squad Tuesday.

The Tennessee product has spent the majority of the past three seasons with Cleveland, and the team has decided to bring him back after parting ways with him just one week ago. Kelly's most recent in-game action came in 2022, when he appeared in one game for the Browns and played 14 special teams snaps. In a corresponding move, Cleveland cut Kenyan Drake from its practice squad.

Drake was cut from the Browns' practice squad Tuesday.

Drake landed with Cleveland's practice squad roughly one month ago after his release from Baltimore, but the Browns have now decided to part ways with the veteran running back. The Alabama product has appeared in two games this season (both with the Ravens), logging 31 total yards on three touches. In a corresponding move, the Browns signed RB John Kelly to their practice squad.

Patterson rushed eight times for 43 yards during Sunday's 24-15 win over the Saints. He also returned two kickoffs for 43 yards.

Patterson's eight touches were his most since Week 7, when he rushed 10 times for 56 yards with Bijan Robinson limited by an illness. The veteran was on the field for only 16 offensive snaps Sunday, which makes his modest production even more impressive. The majority of Patterson's production came in the second quarter, as he finished the period with four carries for 32 yards. The Falcons rushed 41 times compared to just 21 pass attempts, and Patterson was third in rushing attempts behind Robinson (16) and Tyler Allgeier (10). While it was encouraging to see Patterson more involved offensively, his fantasy value remains limited as long as Robinson and Allgeier are healthy.

Kelley recorded three carries for eight yards and two receptions for six yards in Sunday's 20-10 loss to the Ravens.

Kelley tied his season low in snap count with 13 compared to starter Austin Ekeler's 53. The 26-year-old has struggled even more in the recent weeks in the backup position, averaging a mediocre 2.7 yards per carry in the last three weeks compared to Ekeler's 4.4, and he hasn't had a game with more than 10 carries since the lead back was hurt in Weeks 2 through 4. With this small amount of production as the auxiliary back, the veteran remains a reserve option for fantasy managers unless Ekeler is injured again this season.

Taylor suffered a thumb injury in Sunday's 27-20 win over the Buccaneers that will require further evaluation and could threaten his availability, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The Colts didn't provide any indication that Taylor emerged from the Week 12 contest with an injury after he played 42 snaps and carried 15 times for 91 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Tampa Bay. An update on Taylor's status will likely come within the next day or two once he undergoes a more thorough evaluation, but with his availability for Sunday's game in Tennessee -- and potentially beyond -- now up in the air, Zack Moss could see a significant role in the backfield once again. Moss had previously served as the Colts' clear lead back in Weeks 2 through 4 while Taylor opened the season on the PUP list.

Chandler rushed four times for eight yards and secured one of two targets for three yards in the Vikings' 12-10 loss to the Bears on Monday.

A game after he posted an impressive 110 total yards on 14 touches against the Broncos, Chandler saw his role significantly reduced. The reserve back was also much more inefficient while facing a stingy Bears run defense, and the downturn in opportunity and production seems to indicate Alexander Mattison's hold on the top running back job is as secure as ever heading into the Vikings' Week 13 bye before a Week 14 road matchup against the Raiders.