NFL Player News

Cook (shoulder) is working on the side field at practice Thursday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Cook may soon leave team facilities and fly home to South Florida for the birth of his first child, but he would then rejoin the Jets shortly. The veteran running back has been busy in meetings and observing practice since officially signing with New York on Monday, but rehab from offseason surgery has prevented Cook from participating in on-field activities yet. Meanwhile, Breece Hall (knee) came off the PUP list Tuesday and is being eased into action.

Coach Sean McDermott said Thursday that Harris (knee) will be "somewhat limited" at practice, Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News reports.

Harris returned to practice Wednesday after missing some time due to knee soreness, but he's not back to 100 percent form quite yet. McDermott said the Bills' starters will play Saturday versus the Steelers, but it's possible the team could opt for caution regarding Harris' health and hold him out from game action awhile longer.

Walker (groin) practiced Wednesday but didn't mix into any team drills, Curtis Crabtree of Fox 13 Seattle reports.

Walker was in a helmet before practice and proceeded to take part in individual work and blocking drills, per Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. However, Walker has yet to be cleared for all activities since returning to practice Saturday. Given that head coach Pete Carroll called Walker "week-to-week" when the running back initially suffered a minor groin strain in the first practice of training camp, the Seahawks likely will continue to take things slow with the second-year pro with an eye toward Week 1. In the meantime, rookie second-round pick Zach Charbonnet and DeeJay Dallas represent the top healthy backfield options for Seattle.

Taylor (ankle), who returned to Indianapolis on Monday, has left the Colts again due to a personal matter, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Per Stephen Holder of ESPN.com, the Colts released a statement Wednesday noting that the running back -- who remains on the active PUP list -- "had a personal matter arise...and his absence is excused." At this time, Taylor is without a timeline to return to the team, but according to Holder, Taylor's current absence is not related to his contract situation.

Washington signed with the Broncos on Wednesday, Ben Swanson of the team's official site reports.

Washington closed out the 2022 campaign on the Saints' reserve/non-football illness list, but he's now healthy and ready to earn a role on Denver's roster in 2023. The 29-year-old spent the last five seasons in New Orleans, mostly handling a role on special teams. He'll now be reunited with Sean Payton, his former head coach for four of his years in New Orleans.

Cook (shoulder) observed practice and attended meetings Wednesday after officially signing with the Jets earlier in the day, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Cimini notes that Cook will soon fly home to South Florida for the birth of his first child, then return to the team next week. The report adds that the running back won't practice for about a week as he continues to recover from February shoulder surgery. Cimini previously relayed that the Jets plan to limit the early-season workload of Breece Hall (knee), and in such a scenario, the team wold lean more heavily on Cook over the first few weeks. Beyond Cook and Hall, the Jets also have Michael Carter, Zonovan Knight and rookie Israel Abanikanda on hand at running back.

Harris (knee) returned to practice Wednesday, Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News reports.

Harris had been dealing with some knee soreness, but now that he's back on the field, the 26-year-old will look to solidify his role in a Buffalo backfield that is expected to be led by second-year player James Cook. Fellow veteran Latavius Murray appears to be Harris' main competition for the top backup gig behind Cook. Though Harris may not be in store for a high volume of touches to begin the season, if he's able to carve out a steady role in short-yardage situations, he could yield fantasy utility in formats that weigh touchdowns more heavily.

Head coach Frank Reich said Wednesday that Sanders (groin) won't suit up for Friday's exhibition against the Giants and may miss the rest of the preseason, Augusta Stone of the Panthers' official site reports.

Reich said Sanders' injury is "getting better," per David Newton of ESPN.com, but it will nonetheless be a significant red flag if the starting running back isn't able to suit up for any more preseason action. The Panthers may simply be taking a cautious approach to Sanders' health, which would be warranted with only the likes of Chuba Hubbard, Raheem Blackshear, Spencer Brown and Camerun Peoples behind him on the depth chart. Regardless, Sanders' status will warrant close monitoring by fantasy managers. Sanders hasn't practiced since suffering a groin injury last Wednesday.

Head coach Arthur Smith said Wednesday that Patterson (undisclosed) is likely to miss the remainder of the preseason, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.

Smith said more information about Patterson's status will be made available ahead of Week 1, but for now the veteran running back's status looks to be truly up in the air. Patterson is nursing an undisclosed soft-tissue injury. When healthy, Patterson could play a versatile role for the Falcons, contributing out of the backfield behind Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier and in the receiving game behind Drake London and Kyle Pitts.

Harris is expected to compete for a depth role behind Rhamondre Stevenson along with Pierre Strong (undisclosed) and Ty Montgomery (leg) after the Patriots signed Ezekiel Elliott on Tuesday.

Prior to the addition of Elliott, Harris was a candidate to secure early-down work when Stevenson needed a breather. However, with the proven veteran back now on board, Harris will now need to battle with Strong, Montgomery and even J.J. Taylor to earn complementary touches in New England's backfield to begin the season. Harris is thus off the fantasy lineup radar as long as both Stevenson and Elliott are healthy and available.