NFL Player News

Irving (shoulder/foot) won't play Sunday at the Rams, but Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said Friday that the running back is trending toward a return Week 13 against Arizona, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

The Buccaneers have listed Irving as a limited participant in five straight practices, dating back to the beginning of last week. He'll miss another game, but he's reportedly making progress, and Bowles even acknowledged recent rumors by telling reporters that Irving "didn't handle it well" when he was unable to practice or play. The implication seems to be that everything is going better now, though Irving will miss at least one more game when the Bucs face the Rams on Sunday night. Sean Tucker figures to get most of the carries after his three-TD outing last Sunday at Buffalo, with Rachaad White also having a role and likely taking most of the passing-down snaps.

The Cardinals signed Jefferson to their active roster Friday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

It's not a good sign for Trey Benson (knee) being activated from injured reserve this week, though the Cardinals also have other injury concerns in the backfield, with Emari Demercado (ankle) ruled out and Bam Knight expected to play through an ankle injury of his own. Jefferson has been with Arizona's practice squad since the beginning of October, but he won't necessarily get touches even if he's active Sunday against the Jaguars.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon said Benson (knee) has looked good in practice throughout the week, but Benson's availability for Sunday's game against the Jaguars will likely be determined based on how Friday's practice goes, Zach Gershman of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Benson was a limited participant at both Wednesday's and Thursday's practices after being designated to return from injured reserve Wednesday. In order to play Sunday, Benson would first need to be activated from injured reserve and added back to the roster. Such a move remains in play, though the coaching staff will first want to see how Benson looks during Friday's practice. With Bam Knight (ankle) banged up and Emari Demercado (ankle) already ruled out for Sunday's game, Michael Carter is currently the only Cardinals running back that will definitely be available Sunday.

Jacobs (knee) will remain limited at practice Friday, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

With regard to Jacobs' chances of playing Sunday against the Vikings, coach Matt LaFleur noted Friday that "It's a collective decision always." The Packers' upcoming injury report thus is slated to reveal whether the team's top running back has a chance to play this weekend, but if Jacobs is unavailable against Minnesota, Emanuel Wilson and, to a lesser degree, Chris Brooks would be in line for added work Week 12.

Davis didn't record a carry or target in Thursday's 23-19 loss to the Texans but returned three kickoffs for 145 yards and a touchdown.

Davis played just six snaps on offense compared to 36 for James Cook and 23 for Ty Johnson. Despite Davis' lack of involvement on that side of the ball, the second-year pro left his mark on Thursday's game with a 97-yard kickoff return touchdown, which gave the Bills a 16-13 lead in the second quarter. Davis will have minimal fantasy appeal as long as both Cook and Johnson are ahead of him on the depth chart.

Mixon (foot/ankle) refuted a report that he is not expected to return this season, Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle reports.

NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported that Mixon is not expected to return this season, prompting the running back to clap back. "Now, I get everyone's looking for splash news & clickbait... but I'm just curious, Ian how do you know more about me than me?," Mixon responded. The report adds that two sources told the Houston Chronicle that the team holds out hope the running back's foot responds to treatment, but added he was not expected to play in 2025. Mixon has been on the reserve/non-football injury list all season, and in his ongoing absence, Woody Marks (115 carries) and Nick Chubb (105 carries) have handled the bulk of the rushing duties for the 6-5 Texans.

Chubb rushed six times for 16 yards and brought in his only target for minus-5 yards in the Texans' 23-19 win over the Bills on Thursday night.

Chubb once again was clearly outpaced by rookie backfield mate Woody Marks, who logged 10 more carries and 58 more rushing yards. The veteran now has just 14 total carries in his last three games, and with Marks doing well with his opportunities, Chubb figures to continue filling a modest role in a Week 13 road matchup against the Colts on Sunday, Nov. 30.

Johnson rushed twice for seven yards and brought in all three targets for 45 yards in the Bills' 23-19 loss to the Texans on Thursday night. He also returned one kickoff for 22 yards.

Johnson continued to serve as the No. 2 back behind starter James Cook over Ray Davis, who didn't log a carry. However, as is often the case, Johnson made a bigger impact as a receiver, recording multiple receptions for the fourth straight contest and eclipsing 40 receiving yards for the second consecutive game. Johnson's fantasy appeal remains limited to deep full-PPR formats and large-field DFS tournaments as long as Cook is healthy, and he'll fill his usual complementary role again in a Week 13 road matchup against the Steelers on Sunday, Nov. 30.

Marks rushed 16 times for 74 yards and brought in his only target for minus-5 yards in the Texans' 23-19 win over the Bills on Thursday night.

Marks once again served as the clear lead back over Nick Chubb, who logged only six carries. The rookie delivered a career-best performance in terms of yardage, and he recorded a career-high three runs of double-digit yards. Marks appears clearly settled in as the leader of the backfield and will continue helming the ground attack in a critical Week 13 road showdown against the Colts on Sunday, Nov. 30.

Cook rushed 17 times for 116 yards and a touchdown while bringing in all three targets for 13 yards in the Bills' 23-19 loss to the Texans on Thursday night.

Cook managed his sixth 100-yard effort on the ground this season while posting his first rushing touchdown since Week 8 via a 45-yard run to cap off Buffalo's opening possession of the contest. The star running back continued to consistently generate solid gains against a tough Texans defense the rest of the night as well, and the productive performance locked in his third consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season. Cook next takes aim at the Steelers' inconsistent run defense in a Week 13 road matchup on Sunday, Nov. 30.