NFL Player News

Head coach Pete Carroll said Monday that he's "hopeful" that Homer (calf/hamstring) will be back Sunday versus the Rams, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

Carroll is notoriously optimistic about his players getting back on the field. We may need to see him at practice in some fashion Wednesday to feel truly hopeful that he can play Sunday. His role on offense likely will be limited regardless, as he's coming off soft-tissue injuries, Rashaad Penny appears to be the starter for now, and Alex Collins is healthy as the No. 2 option. Homer should contribute on special teams and on clear passing downs if he can play.

Head coach Pete Carroll said Monday that the Seahawks will continue rotating running backs, but Penny deserves the chance to be the primary option out of the backfield, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

While Carroll won't commit to Penny being the unequivocal No. 1 back, he seemingly admitted that it's Penny's job to lose. That's not surprising after Penny rushed 16 times for 137 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 33-13 win over the Texans while Alex Collins generated just 16 yards on seven carries. However, both of Penny's touchdowns this week were from beyond 30 yards, so we don't know if he'll be the goal-line back moving forward, especially if Adrian Peterson (back) is ready for the Week 15 matchup against the Rams. Nevertheless, we should expect Carroll to feature Penny in the backfield as long as the 2018 first-round pick continues to be effective.

Mattison (illness), whom the Vikings placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday, isn't vaccinated and thus has entered into a 10-day quarantine, making him unavailable for next Monday's game at Chicago, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Mattison returned to his complementary role out of the backfield last Thursday against the Steelers with Dalvin Cook (shoulder) back in the lineup, taking six carries for 27 yards. With Monday's development, those reps now will trickle down to Kene Nwangwu and Wayne Gallman, who was claimed off waivers Monday. Mattison's next chance to suit up will come Dec. 26 against the Rams.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh said he expects Carter (ankle) to return from injured reserve for Sunday's game in Miami, Andy Vasquez of The Bergen Record reports.

The rookie running back has been sidelined for New York's last three games with a low-grade ankle sprain, but he looks like he'll be in store for a minimum-length stay on IR. Before the Jets add him back to the roster, the team presumably will see how he checks out in their first Week 15 practice Wednesday, when he'll likely be designated for return from IR. If he demonstrates enough progress to get the green light for Sunday, Carter could immediately supplant Tevin Coleman (concussion) and Ty Johnson as the lead option out of the backfield. After seeing the field for no more than 46 percent of the Jets' offensive snaps through the first three weeks of the season, Carter handled at least half of the snaps in six straight games prior to exiting early with the injury Week 11. During that six-game stretch, Carter averaged 89.3 yards from scrimmage and 0.67 touchdowns on 13 carries and 4.3 receptions per contest.

Ekeler (ankle) was listed as a non-participant on Monday's practice estimate, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

That said, coach Brandon Staley has indicated that Ekeler's ankle issue is "nothing major," and that the Chargers' top back is expected back at practice in advance of Thursday night's game against Kansas City.

Conner will remain the Cardinals' lead running back Monday versus the Rams after the team opted not to activate Chase Edmonds (ankle) from injured reserve, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

The Cards designated Edmonds to return from IR on Thursday, opening a 21-day window in which to get him back on the active roster. With Edmonds not yet recovered from the high-ankle sprain he sustained back in Week 9 at San Francisco, he'll miss a fourth consecutive contest. In the previous three outings as the unquestioned top RB for Arizona, Conner earned at least 81 percent of snaps en route to averaging 20.3 touches for 91.3 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown per game.

Mattison (illness) was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday.

Mattison reverted to a complementary role Week 14 versus the Steelers with Dalvin Cook back on the field, and he's now entered COVID-19 protocols. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Mattison tested positive for the virus. Veteran tailback Wayne Gallman was claimed off waivers to bolster Minnesota's depth at running back in the meantime.

Huntley was placed on the Eagles' practice squad COVID-19 list Monday.

Huntley will need to produce back-to-back negative tests at least 24 hours apart or complete a 10-day quarantine before he is able to return to team facilities. The second-year pro hasn't appeared in any games for the Eagles this season, so his potential absence shouldn't affect their gameday plans.

Hasty caught all three of his targets for 10 yards in Sunday's 26-23 win over the Bengals.

Elijah Mitchell (concussion/knee) was held out of action, so Jeff Wilson (13-56-0) and Deebo Samuel (8-37-1) took over rushing duties while Hasty handled the receiving work out of the backfield as expected. Wilson's return from injured reserve back in Week 10 has pigeonholed Hasty into a primarily receiving backup role in games where Mitchell is sidelined. The 24-year-old shouldn't make much noise in fantasy circles heading into Week 15's matchup with the Falcons.

The Cardinals didn't activate Edmonds (ankle) off injured reserve, meaning he'll remain out for Monday's game against the Rams, Darren Uban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

The 25-year-old unofficially was a game-time decision for Monday's contest and will end up missing his fourth consecutive game. Edmonds was designated to return from injured reserve Dec. 9, so there's still over two weeks remaining in his 21-day practice window during which he can be activated. James Conner will continue to lead Arizona's backfield in Monday's divisional matchup, while Eno Benjamin works in a secondary role.