NFL Player News

Williams doesn't have an injury designation ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Colts, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

Williams has missed back-to-back games due to a knee injury, but he returned to practice during Week 8 prep and is expected to be available Sunday. The veteran running back has played primarily on special teams this season and is firmly planted behind Brian Robinson, Antonio Robinson and J.D. McKissic on the running back depth chart.

Pollard is expected to start Sunday against the Bears in place of Ezekiel Elliott (knee), Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The Cowboys are sending signals they plan to hold Elliott out until after their Week 9 bye, leaving practice-squad players Malik Davis and Qadree Ollison as the likely options behind Pollard, who had 132 total yards and two touchdowns the only other time Elliott missed a game the past four years (Week 15 of 2020). It's a good opportunity for Pollard to see much more than his usual 11.1 touches per game, with the Cowboys playing at home against a sub-.500 team on short rest.

Hill rushed four times for 28 yards and wasn't targeted in Thursday's 27-22 win over the Buccaneers.

Hill looked spry in limited action, but Kenyan Drake was the primary beneficiary of Gus Edwards' departure due to a hamstring injury, as Drake turned seven carries and four targets into 67 scrimmage yards and a touchdown. With J.K. Dobbins (knee) on IR, Hill could step into a larger role alongside Drake if Edwards isn't ready to return in Week 9 against the Saints.

Interim head coach Steve Wilks said Friday he has a "lot of confidence" in Blackshear, who will handle an increased role Sunday against the Falcons with Chuba Hubbard (ankle) ruled out, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

The undrafted rookie out of Virginia Tech initially earned a practice squad spot in Buffalo before signing with the Panthers on Sept. 21. A little more than a month later, Blackshear played his first offensive snaps in the NFL, taking two carries for a loss of five yards in a 21-3 win over the Buccaneers in Week 7. He also has eight kick returns for 224 yards this season, and his role this Sunday could include a considerable amount of the work on passing downs. D'Onta Foreman is the likely starter and lead runner, after taking 17 touches for 145 yards in the win over Tampa Bay. Wilks said Spencer Brown may be called up from the practice squad to provide the team with a third healthy back this weekend.

Coach Robert Saleh wouldn't commit to Robinson suiting up Sunday against the Patriots, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Robinson has practiced all week with the Jets after being acquired in a trade Monday, but it remains to be seen whether he has mastered enough of the playbook to take the field. If he plays against New England, Robinson will likely work in a rotation with Michael Carter and Ty Johnson. Once Robinson's up to speed, he's expected to settle into a platoon with Carter.

Foreman is expected to lead the Carolina backfield Sunday against Atlanta with teammate Chuba Hubbard (ankle) ruled out, The Associated Press reports.

The Panthers haven't done much on offense this season, but Foreman and Hubbard combined for 218 total yards last week in a 21-3 win over the Buccaneers in Carolina's first game after the Christian McCaffrey trade. While that type of cumulative production won't happen most weeks, Foreman has a nice opportunity ahead of him with Hubbard unavailable against a struggling Atlanta defense. Raheem Blackshear is the only other healthy tailback on the active roster, though Panthers interim head coach Steve Wilks said he still wants to use a backfield committee and might call up Spencer Brown from the practice squad before Sunday. Regardless, Foreman is a clear favorite to start and lead the team in carries.

Hubbard (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Falcons.

Hubbard didn't practice in any capacity this week after injuring his ankle last Sunday against Tampa Bay. While Hubbard is out of the mix for at least one game, D'Onta Foreman is poised to lead Carolina's backfield in Atlanta, while Raheem Blackshear could see increased reps and bump up to the No. 2 role. Hubbard's next chance to play will come Week 9 on the road against Cincinnati.

Elliott (knee/thigh) is not expected to suit up Sunday versus the Bears, Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Elliott is reportedly expected to miss some time due to a Grade 2 right MCL sprain and thigh bruise, though coach Mike McCarthy wouldn't rule him out entirely, saying the 27-year-old has a chance to play Sunday as long as he can practice Saturday, per Hill. That means for the status of Elliott, who began the week with back-to-back missed practices, reports out of Dallas on Saturday could be more significant than Friday's actual injury report, as long as the latter doesn't officially rule him out. Whether Elliott is sidelined or active while limited, Tony Pollard figures to benefit from increased backfield opportunities.

Hubbard (ankle) is not practicing Friday, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

Hubbard hasn't practiced in any capacity since injuring his ankle during last Sunday's win over the Buccaneers. Friday's official injury report will provide Hubbard with an official game designation for Sunday's contest against Atlanta, but it certainly looks like he's trending in the wrong direction. If Hubbard is inactive Week 8 or even limited, D'Onta Foreman will have a clear path to leading Carolina's backfield.

Mack could garner some snaps in the Broncos' backfield in Week 8 against the Jaguars, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.

Mack was signed to the Broncos' active roster Monday after the team acquired him from the 49ers' practice squad, and head coach Nathaniel Hackett said Friday that the running back is "definitely an option" to play Sunday versus Jacksonville. Mack will likely operate as the third fiddle behind Melvin Gordon and Latavius Murray in Week 8, greatly limiting his upside.