NFL Player News

Perine had three carries for seven yards and one catch for 15 yards Week 4 against the Jaguars, but he's next in line for playing time should Joe Mixon's low-ankle sprain sideline him Week 5.

Most of Perine's playing time (13 offensive snaps) came on the Bengals' final drive Thursday night. Even if Mixon plays this week, Perine probably will carry more than his usual load.

Herbert could be in line to start if David Montgomery (knee) and Damien Williams (thigh) are unable to suit up, Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

At this time, Montgomery seems like a long shot to play, and Williams has a thigh bruise, which seems unlikely to keep him out, but more clarity will emerge as the Bears conduct this week's practices. Herbert was selected in the sixth round of this year's draft and was impressive when used with the second-string offense in the preseason, though it's difficult to gauge his potential production should he be thrust into the starting lineup.

Herbert could be in line to start if David Montgomery (knee) and Damien Williams (thigh) are unable to suit up, Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

At this time, Montgomery seems like a long shot to play, but Williams has a thigh bruise, which seems unlikely to keep him out, but more clarity will emerge as the Bears conduct this week's practices. Herbert was selected in the sixth round of this year's draft and was impressive when used with the second-string offense in the preseason, though it's difficult to gauge his potential production should he be thrust into the starting lineup.

Mitchell (shoulder) is expected to practice without a blue non-contact jersey this week, Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee reports.

After sitting out Week 3 due to a shoulder stinger, Mitchell was able to return to the practice field last week in a non-contact jersey, logging three limited sessions in the process. It wasn't enough to gain clearance for game action this past Sunday versus the Seahawks, which allowed Trey Sermon to dominate the backfield work for a second straight contest and record 19 carries for 89 yards on a 51 percent snap share. On Wednesday, it appears Mitchell will take one of the final steps in his recovery, but he may need a few sessions to get back to full participation. Once he does, though, he's a decent bet to regain the No. 1 RB spot on the depth chart.

Jacobs (ankle) is listed as active Monday against the Chargers in L.A.

After sitting out the past two games due to ankle and toe injuries, Jacobs is back in action following limited showings at every Week 4 practice. His workload remains to be seen, though. There's a chance he shares early down work with Peyton Barber and yields most change-of-pace duties to Kenyan Drake, but Jacobs nonetheless is available to the Raiders offense again.

Patrick received two carries for 12 yards in Sunday's 28-21 loss to Seattle.

Patrick made his second appearance with the 49ers, but this time around he got on the field for an offensive drive (six snaps). Trey Sermon still dominated the backfield playing time (51 percent of offensive snaps), but the big-framed back took over the backup duties after not receiving an offensive snap last week. Elijah Mitchell's (shoulder) status still is up in the air for Sunday's tilt against the Cardinals, so it'll be interesting to see if Patrick's touches increase at all if he's asked to back up Sermon again.

Mack had 10 carries for 22 yards and one reception on two targets for one yard in Sunday's win at Miami. "In my mind, the starting point is Jonathan [Taylor] with 20 carries, Nyheim with five and Marlon [Mack] with five,'' Frank Reich told Fox 59 TV Indianapolis after the game. "But there's give-and-take depending on how the game goes.''

Mack had received just five carries Week 2 and no touches the other two weeks. He got more carries in a game where the Colts were rushing the ball well (Taylor had 103 yards), which makes sense. However, it's a little odd Mack had increased usage, and Reich gave him a vote of confidence just days after Mack and the Colts mutually agreed to seek a trade. Unless he's traded to a team with a need at running back, Mack is still likely to have a minimal role off the bench unless Taylor or Nyheim Hines gets hurt.

Hines had two carries for six yards and two receptions for five yards on two targets in Sunday's win over Miami. "In my mind, the starting point is Jonathan [Taylor] with 20 carries, Nyheim with five and Marlon [Mack] with five,'' head coach Frank Reich told Fox 59 TV Indianapolis after the game. "But there's give-and-take depending on how the game goes.''

Hines played a season-low 22 snaps on offense and went out on just 11 routes. He got less playing time because the Colts were running the ball effectively with Taylor (103 yards on 16 carries) and playing with a lead. Hines will be more active when Indy needs to throw the ball more.

Head coach Zac Taylor said Monday that the Bengals are viewing Mixon's low-grade ankle sprain as more of a day-to-day concern than a week-to-week one, Jay Morrison of The Athletic reports.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported earlier Monday that Mixon was considered week-to-week after exiting Thursday's win over the Jaguars, but Taylor talked about the running back's injury in more optimistic terms when he met with the media. Taylor added that Mixon's sprained ankle has no relation to the foot injury that sidelined the 25-year-old for the final 10 games of the 2020 campaign, so Mixon looks like he may have a shot to suit up this Sunday against the Packers. Before reaching a decision on Mixon's status, the Bengals will see what he's able to do in practices Wednesday through Friday.

Head coach Matt Rhule said McCaffrey (hamstring) will attempt to practice Wednesday as the Panthers look to "see where he is football-wise," Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Rhule noted that it's too early to know if McCaffrey will be ready to return from a one-game absence to play Sunday versus the Eagles, but the fact that the running back will attempt to get on the field in some capacity to begin Week 5 prep would seem to suggest that he's recovering well from the hamstring strain he sustained Sept. 23 against the Texans. While McCaffrey was sidelined this past weekend against the Cowboys, rookie Chuba Hubbard served as Carolina's lead back, playing a position-high 33 of the Panthers' 70 offensive snaps (47 percent) and carrying 13 times for 57 yards to go with two receptions for 14 yards on two targets. Given that prior reports suggested McCaffrey likely would miss multiple games due to the injury, the expectation remains that Hubbard will be in line for another start Sunday unless McCaffrey proves healthier than anticipated in practices over the next few days.