NFL Player News

Elliott, who won't practice Wednesday, is tending to a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his right knee and a thigh bruise that he sustained during this past Sunday's win against the Lions, Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Elliott played through most of last season with a torn PCL in his right knee, racking up more than 1,000 yards on the ground for the fourth time in six pro campaigns. This time around, he may not be so lucky, however. Elliott told Jon Machota of The Athletic on Wednesday that he's dealing with stiffness in his right knee and is unsure if he'll be able to suit up this Sunday against the Bears. He noted he doesn't necessarily need to practice to be available on game day, but his status nonetheless bears watching in the coming days to see if he has a chance to play this weekend. No matter if Elliott is active or not, Tony Pollard figures to benefit in the Cowboys backfield.

The Rams designated Williams (ankle) for return from injured reserve Wednesday.

Williams suffered a high-ankle sprain on his only snap Week 1 and has been sidelined in the meantime. The Rams now has a 21-day window to evaluate the rookie fifth-round pick and determine when (or if) a return to action is possible. If he gets back on the active roster, Williams may be able to mix into the backfield behind Darrell Henderson with Cam Akers' (personal) status with the team up in the air.

Conner has a chance to contribute in the Jacksonville offense after fellow running back James Robinson was traded to the Jets on Monday, Demetrius Harvey of The Florida Times-Union reports.

Head coach Doug Pederson said JaMycal Hasty will get more carries off the bench to avoid overworking Travis Etienne, who now stands unquestioned as the Jaguars' lead back. Conner, a rookie fifth-round pick, has been a healthy scratch for the entirety of his rookie season, stuck behind Robinson, Etienne and Hasty. The rookie now has a chance to be active on game days, though he might be the No. 3 back behind Etienne and Hasty. That role that wouldn't necessarily entail Conner getting carries this Sunday in London against the Broncos.

The Seahawks designated Homer (ribs) for return from injured reserve Wednesday, John Boyle of the team's official site reports.

As head coach Pete Carroll predicted last Wednesday, Homer is getting back on the practice field this week after missing the minimum four games on injured reserve due to sore ribs. It's unclear if he'll do enough to be cleared to play Sunday against the Giants, but the Seahawks now have a 21-day window in which to evaluate whether or not a return to the active roster is possible. If that comes to pass, Homer likely will vie with DeeJay Dallas for complementary touches in Seattle's backfield behind lead runner Kenneth Walker with Rashaad Penny (ankle) out for the season.

Hubbard (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

According to Newton, Hubbard was spotted pedaling on an exercise bike and wearing a red jersey while his healthy teammates practiced Wednesday. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Hubbard could have kept playing in Sunday's win over the Buccaneers if he had been needed, but the Panthers had an 18-point lead at the time he suffered the ankle injury and kept the second-year back sidelined for the rest of the contest. Hubbard's absence from practice Wednesday creates some question about his availability for this Sunday's game against Atlanta, with D'Onta Foreman and third-string back Raheem Blackshear in line to see more work if Hubbard can't play. Interim head coach Steve Wilks said Wednesday that the Panthers will continue to use a committee approach in the backfield, per Ellis L. Williams of The Charlotte Observer.

Williams (knee) was a limited participant during Wednesday's practice, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Williams has missed back-to-back games due to a knee injury, so his return to practice, albeit in a limited fashion, is an encouraging sign. However, he'll likely have to log at least one full session over the next two days to be cleared for Sunday's matchup against the Colts.

Hasty is expected to be the next running back up for work behind Travis Etienne after James Robinson was traded to the Jets on Monday, Demetrius Harvey of The Florida Times-Union reports.

Through seven contests this season, Hasty has recorded five carries for 69 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown against the Colts in Week 6. Though he hasn't gotten many opportunities behind Etienne and Robinson, Hasty at least appears to be ahead of Snoop Conner, a rookie fifth-round pick who hasn't been active for a game this season. Even though a good chunk of Robinson's snaps and touches will likely be absorbed by Etienne in the coming weeks, head coach Doug Pederson noted that Hasty "probably will increase his load just a little bit" now that Robinson is no longer in the mix.

Patterson (knee) posted a video Oct. 19 on his personal Twitter account featuring himself running at what appeared to be close to full speed.

After being placed on injured reserve following Week 4, Patterson won't be eligible to resume practicing with the Falcons until next week. The Falcons haven't provided an official update on Patterson since he underwent a minor procedure on his left knee, but the 31-year-old's recent activity suggests a return to practice next Wednesday is plausible. Even if that comes to fruition, Patterson would need to demonstrate in those practice sessions that the knee issue is fully behind him before the Falcons would entertain activating him from IR ahead of their Week 9 matchup with the Chargers on Nov. 6. While Patterson remains out for at least one more game, however, the Falcons will likely turn to rookie Tyler Allgeier to headline their backfield this Sunday against the Panthers.

Robinson (knee) passed his physical with the Jets and is slated to practice Wednesday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Robinson was reportedly dealing with some knee soreness last week, but the issue won't prevent him from taking part in practice with his new team after he was acquired from the Jaguars on Monday. That said, head coach Robert Saleh told Ethan B. Greenberg of the Jets' official site that at this stage, Robinson isn't yet a lock to play Week 8 against the Patriots. The Jets want to evaluate where the running back is at in terms of learning the playbook by the end of the week before deciding on his status for Sunday's game.

Elliott (knee) won't practice Wednesday, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.

Elliott will work off to the side with the rehab group after he was forced to briefly exit Sunday's win over the Lions with a right knee injury. His activity level in practices Thursday and Friday will need to be monitored, as that could be the largest determining factor in Elliott's status for the Cowboys' matchup against the Bears in Week 8. Tony Pollard would stand to handle a larger workload if Elliott ends up limited or has to sit out Sunday.