NFL Player News

Green Bay signed Merriweather to its practice squad Monday.

In a corresponding move, the Packers released James Robinson from their practice squad. As long as Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon and Emanuel Wilson remain available for Green Bay, Merriweather is unlikely to be elevated.

The Bears designated Herbert (ankle) for return from injured reserve Monday.

The transaction opens a 21-day window in which the Bears can evaluate Herbert in practice. Given that the Bears are likely to hold walk-through sessions or light practices this week leading up to Thursday's game against the Panthers, Herbert may face an uphill battle to be activated from IR in advance of that contest. Even if Herbert is activated for Week 10 or at a later date, he may not be guaranteed to reclaim the lead role out of the backfield that belonged to him prior to his placement on IR in mid-October. D'Onta Foreman has served as the lead back for Chicago over the past four weeks and is averaging 15 carries for 67.8 yards per game while scoring three touchdowns during that span.

Gibson had six carries for 34 yards and five catches for 42 yards in Sunday's 20-17 win over the Patriots.

Gibson's snap share (44 percent) was right in the usual range, with his better-than-usual production at least partially due to Washington holding possession for more than 60 percent of the game. He did have five targets the week before as well, so it's possible the Commanders are trying to get him a bit more involved, though still not to an extent that would give fantasy managers confidence in starting Gibson for a Week 10 matchup at Seattle.

Chandler is expected to take over as Alexander Mattison's top backup after Cam Akers sustained a ruptured Achilles during Sunday's game at Atlanta, Kevin Seifert of ESPN reports.

With Akers now set to miss the remainder of the season, Chandler finds himself positioned as Minnesota's No. 2 running back going into Week 10. He's gotten just 13 touches through nine games so far this season, returning 85 yards from scrimmage on those opportunities.

Patterson (ankle) rushed one time for zero yards and caught his only target for three yards during Sunday's 31-28 loss to the Vikings.

Patterson saw two touches, including on the second play of the game, in the first half before leaving with an ankle injury. The veteran was cleared to take the field to start the second half, but his role remained meager. Patterson had a fourth-down conversion and a nine-yard run in the second half negated by penalties, but those were his only opportunities after returning to action. It's clear the Falcons have a few plays designed specifically for Patterson every week, but as long as Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier are healthy, Patterson will likely be limited to kick-return and gadget duties.

White netted minus-2 yards on four carries in Sunday's 30-6 win over the Giants.

White played just five offensive snaps while starter Josh Jacobs racked up 98 yards and two touchdowns on 26 rushes, and the former had two of his four carries result in negative yardage. Fellow running back Ameer Abdullah also earned four touches, leaving White with few opportunities to produce ahead of a Week 10 matchup against the Jets.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said Monday that Blasingame is in the concussion protocol and won't play Thursday versus Carolina, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

Blasingame sustained the concussion during Sunday's loss to New Orleans and won't be able to clear the five-step protocol on a short week. In Blasingame's absence, Chicago could opt to use their tight ends to fulfill any lead-blocking functions that the fullback might have handled Week 10.

Green Bay cut Robinson from its practice squad Monday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Less than three weeks after joining the Packers' practice squad, Robinson is parting ways with Green Bay. He's now set to become a free agent unless he's claimed by another team during the current waiver period.

Abdullah rushed twice for eight yards and caught both of his targets for 17 yards in Sunday's 30-6 win over the Giants.

Abdullah played just eight offensive snaps in the blowout victory, but he managed to earn more than two touches in a single contest for the first time this season. Nonetheless, starter Josh Jacobs continues to dominate opportunities out of the Raiders' backfield, and that figures to continue against the Jets in Week 10.

Head coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday that Akers underwent an MRI that confirmed he sustained a torn left Achilles' tendon in Sunday's 31-28 win over Atlanta, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Akers showed some promise during his six appearances with the Vikings following a September trade with the Rams, rushing 38 times for 138 yards and a touchdown while securing 11 of 12 targets for 70 yards. However, his season will be cut short due to the second Achilles injury of his career, after he previously missed most of the 2021 season after rupturing his right Achilles' tendon in an offseason workout. Akers is slated to become a free agent during the offseason, and though he drew praise from O'Connell during his brief time with the club, he's unlikely to be a high-priority signing for the Vikings or another team while he makes his way back from another major injury. His absence for the rest of the 2023 campaign paves the way for Alexander Mattison to serve as Minnesota's clear lead back moving forward, while Ty Chandler and Kene Nwangwu also could see increased snaps out of the backfield in change-of-pace roles.