NFL Player News

The Eagles designated Sanders (ankle) for return from injured reserve Wednesday.

Following a three-week absence due to a low-ankle sprain, Sanders is in line to rejoin the Eagles for practice Wednesday, opening up a 21-day window for the team to either activate him from IR or shut him down for the season. Even though Sanders was averaging just nine carries per game over seven outings as Philadelphia's de facto lead back, the Eagles surprisingly have morphed into a run-first offense in his absence, with quarterback Jalen Hurts and backs Jordan Howard and Boston Scott leading the ground attack. Given how successful that approach has been the past three weeks -- the Eagles rank second in the NFL in scoring and fourth in total yards over that span -- Sanders could find himself as part of a committee rather than the clear No. 1 option out of the backfield, according to Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia. Before the Eagles outline his role, Sanders will need to prove his health in practice this week to put himself in the mix to play Sunday against the Saints.

Snell recorded one carry for four yards in Sunday's 16-16 tie with the Lions.

Snell played on just six of the Steelers' 87 offensive snaps Sunday. With rookie Najee Harris operating as the team's three-down back, Snell remains far off the fantasy radar. It remains likely that the 23-year-old's only path to consistent production would come if Harris were to be sidelined with an injury. The Steelers will square off against the Chargers in Week 11.

Bolden (hip) practiced in a limited capacity Tuesday.

As was Damien Harris, who got back on the practice field for the first time since he suffered a concussion Week 9 at Carolina. With Harris out this past Sunday versus the Browns, Bolden earned 18 (of 67) offensive snaps on his way to six touches for 70 yards from scrimmage. Meanwhile, Rhamondre Stevenson led the way with 37 plays and 24 touches for 114 total yards and two TDs, and J.J. Taylor brought up the rear with 13 snaps and six rushes for 11 yards. If Harris is able to return Thursday in Atlanta, he likely would take back the No. 1 gig, but Bolden has carved out a consistent role in the Patriots offense, which has equated to six-plus touches in six of the last eight games.

Harris (concussion) was limited at Tuesday's practice.

Making his first on-field appearance since picking up a concussion in Week 9 in Carolina, Harris operated with a cap on his practice reps. That's no surprise considering he likely has a few boxes left to check in the protocols for head injuries, the last of which is gaining clearance from an independent neurologist. Joining Harris as a limited participant Tuesday was fellow running back Brandon Bolden (hip), leaving Rhamondre Stevenson and J.J. Taylor as the healthy options out of the Patriots backfield. If Harris is unable to make the requisite progress this week, Stevenson likely is the biggest beneficiary after turning 24 touches into 114 yards from scrimmage and two TDs this past Sunday against the Browns.

Patterson (ankle) was limited at Tuesday's practice, Scott Bair of the Falcons' official site reports.

Patterson emerged from the Falcons' Week 10 loss at Dallas with an ankle sprain, which may have contributed to one of his least productive performances of a breakout campaign. Overall, he had five touches and garnered 29 percent of the offensive snaps, both of which were season lows. It's still uncertain whether Patterson will have enough time to recover to play on a short week, but being listed as 'limited' on the first two Week 11 injury reports at least is a positive sign that he may suit up Thursday against the Patriots. If Patterson is unable to go, Mike Davis and Wayne Gallman will be Atlanta's options out of the backfield.

Groshek was signed to the Vikings' practice squad Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Groshek has yet to appear in a game during the 2021 season, though he did spend time with the Raiders during training camp. He won't serve an immediate role for Minnesota but will provide some extra depth to the backfield.

Mitchell suffered a finger fracture during Monday's game against the Rams and will undergo a procedure Tuesday, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. His status for Sunday's game against the Jaguars is unclear at this juncture.

Mitchell has taken control of the 49ers backfield in 2021 and is coming off a season-high 27 carries in Monday's win over the Rams. Unfortunately, it appears he didn't escape the contest unscathed and will be forced to get a pin inserted in the finger, per David Lombardi of The Athletic. Coach Kyle Shanahan remains optimistic Mitchell will be able to practice and protect the finger enough to play Sunday, but the rookie back's status likely won't be confirmed until later in the week. If he's forced to sit, some combination of Jeff Wilson, JaMycal Hasty (ankle), Trenton Cannon and Trey Sermon will handle the carries.

Harris (concussion) returned to practice Tuesday, Andrew Callahan of Boston Herald reports.

After sustaining a concussion in Week 9 at Carolina, Harris didn't practice last week and ultimately was ruled out ahead of this past Sunday's game versus the Browns. He also was listed as a non-participant on Monday's estimated injury report, so Tuesday's appearance marks the first indication of progress through the protocol for head injuries. Harris' activity level will be known later Tuesday, but he still must receive clearance from an independent neurologist to be able to suit up Thursday in Atlanta.

Patterson (ankle) was present during the media-access portion of Tuesday's practice, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.

Prior to the Falcons' Week 10 defeat in Dallas, Patterson never saw fewer than nine touches and played between 33 and 73 percent of the offensive snaps on a weekly basis. On Sunday, he managed just five and 28, respectively, and afterward it was revealed he picked up a sprained ankle in the contest. There is a cloud hanging over Patterson's availability for Thursday's game against the Patriots, but after being listed as limited on Monday's practice estimate he may be poised for on-field work just two days before the aforementioned outing.

Wilson rushed 10 times for 28 yards in Monday's 31-10 win over the Rams.

It was Wilson's second game since being activated off of the PUP list, but he was kept as a healthy scratch last week against the Cardinals. JaMycal Hasty (ankle) was unable to suit up against the Rams, so Wilson took over his backup role Monday. The 25-year-old appeared to be rusty with a mark of 2.8 yards per carry, and no running back saw a target due to a run-heavy gameplan. Wilson could potentially run with the backup role in San Francisco even after Hasty heals up given his experience in Kyle Shanahan's offense and his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.