NFL Player News

Cook (ankle) will practice on a limited basis Wednesday, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

Cook returned from a one-week absence to play 33 snaps (49 percent) in Sunday's 14-7 loss to Cleveland, but he managed just 44 yards on 11 touches and admitted Wednesday that his ankle still isn't 100 percent healthy, per Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. While Cook plans to continue playing and expects his ankle will improve with time, the Vikings may continue to give Alexander Mattison some extra snaps this Sunday against the Lions.

Elliott will miss Wednesday's practice due to discomfort in his knee, but he plans to return to the field Thursday and play in Sunday's game against the Giants, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Elliott certainly looked healthy in Sunday's win over Carolina, taking 20 carries for 143 yards and a touchdown. Tony Pollard also got double-digit touches, but that's been the norm recently even when Elliott has been healthy and productive. With their defense playing better and wideout Michael Gallup (calf) on injured reserve, the Cowboys have featured a balanced offense in which Elliott is averaging 16 carries per game and Pollard is taking 9.3. Pollard could end up seeing more work if Elliott has to play through pain in Week 5, though there doesn't seem to be much concern about a possible absence at this point.

Barkley (knee) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

The Giants continue to limit Barkley's workload in practice, but not in games. While he's averaging only 13 carries for 46.5 rushing yards per game, Barkley has played 84 percent of snaps or more in three straight contests, and he has 11 receptions and three touchdowns over the past two weeks. He'll face an upstart Dallas defense in Week 5 and should be good for his usual 15-to-25 touches.

Gordon won't practice Wednesday due to a lower leg contusion, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

Gordon headed into Week 4 action listed as questionable with a lower leg issue as well as a rib injury, but he still suited up for Sunday's loss to the Ravens. He logged 30 snaps in the contest, carrying nine times for 56 yards and catching two of his four targets for 11 yards. With no reported setbacks in the contest, Gordon's absence from practice Wednesday may have been more maintenance purposes more than anything.

Gibson was held out of Wednesday's practice due to a shin injury, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Gibson experienced some restrictions last week, when he missed practice Thursday before turning in a limited practice Friday. He eventually was active this past Sunday in Atlanta, turning 16 touches into 75 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on a 56 percent share of the offensive snaps. Meanwhile, J.D. McKissic received a season-high 12 touches for 59 total yards and the game-winning score while handling a 40-percent snap share. There's been no indication Gibson is in danger of sitting out this weekend against the Saints, but the situation bears monitoring over the next few days.

Head coach Matt Nagy said Wednesday that Montgomery will "miss some time" with a knee sprain, Larry Mayer of the Bears' official site reports.

Nagy didn't get into specifics regarding a recovery timeline for Montgomery, but Dan Graziano of ESPN.com reported Tuesday that the running back would likely miss four or five weeks. With Nagy confirming that Montgomery will be sidelined, the Bears have Damien Williams (thigh) and Khalil Herbert as backfield options on the active roster for Week 5 at Las Vegas. Chicago also has Artavis Pierce and Ryan Nall on the practice squad, while Tarik Cohen (knee) is on the PUP list through at least Week 6.

The Titans designated Evans (knee) for a return from injured reserve Wednesday.

Tennessee now has a 21-day window to evaluate Evans in practices before deciding whether to add him back to the 53-man roster or stash him on IR for the remainder of the season. Assuming he incurs no setbacks upon returning to practice, the 2020 third-round pick could challenge Jeremy McNichols for the top change-of-pace role behind undisputed top back Derrick Henry as soon as Sunday in Jacksonville.

McFarland (undisclosed) returned to practice Wednesday, but he remains on injured reserve.

The Steelers have a 21-day period to add McFarland to their active roster. If he isn't added, he will revert back to IR for the remainder of the season. When he returns, McFarland will compete for the primary backup role behind three-down workhorse Najee Harris.

Ahmed rushed three times for one yard and secured both of his targets for 12 yards in Sunday's 27-17 loss to the Colts.

Ahmed played a limited role for the Dolphins on a day when the team struggled to establish the run and keep up with the Colts. Surprisingly, Ahmed recorded one more carry than Miami's presumed No. 1 running back Myles Gaskin, while Malcolm Brown handled the biggest share with eight rushing attempts. The running game in Miami is becoming an enigma, but Ahmed isn't yet seeing enough volume on the ground or through the air to be considered a valuable fantasy option. An injury to Gaskin or Brown would provide his best chance to find relevance. A matchup against the Buccaneers' stout run defense awaits Miami in Week 5.

Brightwell failed to record a single rush or target in Sunday's 27-21 win over the Saints.

The 2021 sixth-round pick did not see the field on offense and is currently the team's third-string running back behind Saquon Barkley and Devontae Booker. With Barkley back to playing at an elite level, both Booker and Brightwell will find it difficult to see much playing time. However, if Barkley were to suffer another injury, the rookie could potentially find himself seeing meaningful touches. Until then, Brightwell remains well off the fantasy radar heading into a Week 5 matchup against the Cowboys.