NFL Player News

Williams (illness) wasn't reinstated from the reserve/COVID-19 list prior to Sunday's game against the Packers, Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

After he was revealed Thursday to have tested positive for COVID-19, Williams theoretically would have had a chance to play Sunday if fully vaccinated, but the running back unsurprisingly didn't clear all health and safety protocols ahead of the Week 6 contest. Khalil Herbert is expected to serve as the Bears' lead option on the ground against the Packers while Williams is sidelined and David Montgomery (knee) is on injured reserve. Meanwhile, Ryan Nall and Artavis Pierce are on hand as depth options and could serve as change-of-pace alternatives to Herbert.

Brown (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game versus Minnesota, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Brown was elevated from the practice squad Saturday but won't be suiting up for Week 6. Royce Freeman will be the sole running back on the active roster behind starter Chuba Hubbard against the Vikings after Christian McCaffrey (hamstring) recently moved to injured reserve.

Williams (hip) is listed as active Sunday versus the Bengals.

Williams tended to a hip injury for a second week in a row, but an illness kept him off the field entirely from Thursday's practice. Still, he'll be out there Week 6 behind starter D'Andre Swift (groin), which so far has amounted to 14 touches per game this season for Williams.

Williams (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Chargers.

Williams was inactive for Week 4 before suiting up last week against the Colts and totaling six touches for 21 yards, and he's now inactive again for Week 6. Latavius Murray should lead Baltimore's backfield versus Los Angeles while Devonta Freeman and Le'Veon Bell operate as the secondary options.

Gibson (shin) is active for Sunday's game against the Chiefs.

Gibson never practiced fully this week while he continues to battle a stress fracture in his shin, but Washington hasn't suggested his workload will be limited on account of the injury. While appearing on injury reports the past two weeks on account of the same issue, Gibson has averaged 17 touches between games against the Falcons and Saints.

Mixon (ankle) is listed as active for Sunday's game against the Lions, Marisa Contipelli of the Bengals' official site reports.

Mixon, who practiced in a limited fashion Friday, continues to manage an ankle issue, but he'll be available Sunday, with Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official site having previously noted that the team's top running back, who was limited to 10 carries in Week 5, is expected to get closer to his normal workload this time around. With Samaje Perine - who logged 11 carries last weekend - on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Chris Evans and Trayveon Williams are on hand to work in complementary roles behind Mixon versus the 0-5 Lions, who have allowed an average of 130.2 rushing yards per game to date.

Swift (groin) is listed as active Sunday against the Bengals.

Swift has been a regular on Lions injury reports this season, only to suit up every game day. He's been on the receiving end of at least 12 touches in each outing and averaged 88.4 yards from scrimmage per game while scoring three TDs in five contests to date. Jamaal Williams, Swift's backfield mate, also entered the weekend as questionable but is available Sunday, so he'll continue to eat into the Swift's workload (Williams is averaging 14 touches per game himself).

Swift (groin), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bengals, is expected to play, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The Lions have regularly been listing Swift as questionable for games after he sustained a groin injury in early August, but his availability for any week has never seemed to be in major peril. The second-year back's usage of late would seemingly hint that the Lions are becoming increasingly comfortable with his health; after playing between 55 and 68 percent of the offensive snaps through the first three weeks, he's logged 72 and 73 percent snap shares in Weeks 4 and 5, respectively.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said Chubb (calf) won't be placed on injured reserve, and the running back hasn't been ruled out from returning to action Week 7 against the Broncos on Thursday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

While battling a calf injury, Chubb failed to practice in any fashion this week before being ruled out ahead of Sunday's home game against the Cardinals. The lack of recent on-field activity will make it difficult for Chubb to gain clearance for a Thursday night Week 7 contest, but the Browns appear content to view the 25-year-old as day-to-day rather than week-to-week at this time. Kareem Hunt (wrist/knee) is contending with a pair of injuries of his own and is listed as questionable for Sunday's contest, but he's expected to suit up against the Cardinals and serve as Cleveland's lead back while Chubb is sidelined.

Felton is expected to get some touches behind lead back Kareem Hunt (wrist/knee) in Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

With Nick Chubb (calf) sitting out Week 6, Hunt -- who is listed as questionable but expected to play -- will elevate into the clear No. 1 role out of the backfield for the first time all season. Between them, Chubb and Hunt have dominated the touches out of the backfield, accounting for 33.4 per contest through the first five weeks. Per Pelissero, head coach Kevin Stefanski acknowledged that he'll be careful not to run Hunt into the ground, so he should be expected to absorb only a portion of Chubb's vacated workload. As such, Felton and fellow backup running back D'Ernest Johnson should both have roles in the Week 6 game plans, after the two were largely non-factors through the first five contests. Expect Johnson to operate as the top alternative on the ground, while Felton -- who has yet to log an NFL carry -- should fill more of a third-down or change-of-pace role. Felton has been targeted seven times across 22 offensive snaps this season, recording six receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown.