NFL Player News

Hubbard (ankle) returned to practice Wednesday, Ellis L. Williams of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Hubbard and interim head coach Steve Wilks both were optimistic Monday that the running back would return for Sunday's game in Cincinnati, after his absence from the Week 8 loss to Atlanta helped D'Onta Foreman operate as the clear lead back en route to a three-touchdown day. Hubbard actually picked up more work than Foreman through the first three quarters of Carolina's first game without Christian McCaffrey in Week 7, only to exit early with an ankle sprain. Hubbard looks like he may miss just the Week 8 game, though it's possible he's now fallen behind Foreman in the backfield pecking order.

Taylor (ankle) won't practice Wednesday, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis reports.

Bowen relays that the running back tweaked his ankle in this past Sunday's loss to the Commanders and isn't 100 percent as this weekend's game against the Patriots approaches. If Taylor ends up sitting out or is limited in the contest, Deon Jackson and the newly acquired Zack Moss would be next up for touches out of the Indianapolis backfield after Nyheim Hines was dealt to the Bills on Tuesday.

Indianapolis signed Wilkins to its practice squad Wednesday.

Wilkins was drafted by the Colts in the fifth round of the 2018 Draft and rushed for more than 300 yards in each of his first three seasons in Indianapolis. However, he saw just one offensive snap across five appearances -- split between Indianapolis and Tennessee -- last year and ended the 2021 campaign on the Titans' practice squad.

The Falcons announced Wednesday that Patterson (knee) has been designated for return from injured reserve, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.

Head coach Arthur Smith said Patterson will practice Wednesday, according to Josh Kendall of The Athletic, with the transaction opening up the running back's 21-day window to be evaluated for a return to the 53-man roster. Patterson has spent time rehabbing a left knee injury since being placed on IR after Week 4, but pending his participation level in practice this week, he could be activated for as early as Sunday's game against the Chargers. Tyler Allgeier has led the Atlanta backfield in Patterson's stead, but the 31-year-old will likely reclaim the No. 1 role once back to full health.

Williams turned five carries into eight yards and two catches on three targets for six yards during Sunday's 34-26 loss in Minnesota.

In his return from a two-game absence due to a knee injury, Williams served as the Cardinals' No. 2 running back behind Eno Benjamin with James Conner (ribs) again sidelined. However, Williams' snap share (27 percent) and touch count (seven) paled in comparison to Benjamin's marks (74 percent and 13). There's a chance Conner returns to action as soon as Sunday against the Seahawks, which could mean Williams sees few to no opportunities.

Davis gained 23 rushing yards on eight carries and caught both his targets for 18 yards in Sunday's win over the Bears.

With Ezekiel Elliott (knee) sidelined, Davis saw his first action of the season on offense and had a solid performance as the Cowboys' No. 2 running back behind Tony Pollard. Dallas has a Week 9 bye and Elliott could be back in action the following week against the Packers, however, which would relegate Davis back to a special-teams role.

Conner played one offensive snap during Sunday's 21-17 loss to the Broncos.

The 22-year-old was active for the first time this season but saw minimal action in his NFL debut. Travis Etienne is now Jacksonville's workhorse with James Robinson sent to the Jets, leaving JaMycal Hasty to work as a distant No. 2 option. Conner is unlikely to see much playing time while Etienne and Hasty remain in good health.

The Broncos waived Ozigbo on Tuesday, Aric DiLalla of the team's official site reports.

Ozigbo's time in Denver came to an abrupt end Tuesday, after the team brought in running back Chase Edmonds via trade from the Dolphins earlier in the day. The 26-year-old saw just one carry across two games played in 2022 for the Broncos, but he'll now search elsewhere for a shot at more playing time this season.

GM George Paton said Tuesday that Gordon still is the Broncos' starting running back, despite the Broncos acquiring Chase Edmonds in the Bradley Chubb trade with the Dolphins, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.

Since Javonte Williams went down with a torn ACL in Week 4, Gordon has seen at least 52 percent of the offensive snaps in three of four games, with the exception a season-low 15 percent Week 6. Overall, Gordon racked up 46 touches for 213 yards from scrimmage and one rushing TD during that stretch, while Latavius Murray and Mike Boone (ankle, now on IR) combined for 57 touches. Clearly, there are reps available in the Broncos backfield, and Paton indicated Edmonds won't necessarily challenge Gordon for the No. 1 spot on the depth chart. As a result, Gordon should continue to be involved while ceding touches to Murray and Edmonds moving forward.

Gainwell carried the ball once for three yards and caught his only target for eight yards in Sunday's win over Pittsburgh.

The Eagles won by a comfortable 35-13 score, but it was Boston Scott, not Gainwell, who got the garbage-time carries. Gainwell saw the field for just 14 offensive snaps and remains far from a fantasy-relevant role.