NFL Player News

Mack said Friday he's the healthiest he has been all season, Zak Keefer of The Indianapolis Star reports.

In addition to the hamstring injury that held him out for most of August and September, the second-year running back has dealt with a sprained ankle, an unspecified foot injury and a concussion. While it's promising to see Mack absent from the Week 14 injury report, he'll still have his hands full Sunday against a stingy Houston defense that surrenders just 3.7 yards per carry and 91.3 rushing yards per game for the season. It doesn't help that the Colts are road underdogs.

Ekeler could continue to split backfield work with Justin Jackson during Sunday's game against the Bengals, Kyle Posey of USA Today reports. "[Ekeler's] wearing down a little bit. He's a core special teams guy for us and he's played a lot of running back for us," coach Anthony Lynn said. "So he's a little tired. You might see Justin play a little bit more, you might see [Detrez] Newsome play some this week."

With Melvin Gordon (knee) sidelined in the Week 13 win over the Steelers, Ekeler stepped into the starting role and led the team in touches (13 carries, five receptions), but produced just 43 total yards. Jackson, meanwhile, shined in a reserve capacity, carrying eight times for 63 yards and a touchdown while hauling in a 19-yard reception. The rookie out of Northwestern had also sparkled in garbage time against the Cardinals a week prior and may have staked his claim to a meaningful spot in the backfield rotation behind Ekeler with Gordon set to miss a second straight game. If Jackson maintains last week's workload and/or if Newsome is added to the mix as well, Ekeler's fantasy ceiling would be significantly lower than many anticipated when Gordon first went down with the injury.

Mixon (foot) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Chargers, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.

Mixon was a limited practice participant Wednesday and Thursday, but there never seemed to be much concern about his Week 14 availability. The Bengals are in a tough spot as heavy road underdogs this week, facing a Chargers defense that's tied for 13th in yards per carry (4.4) and 11th in rushing yards allowed (104 per game). Mixon and wideout Tyler Boyd are doing their best to keep an injury-depleted offense afloat.

Though Cook is back to full health after missing five games earlier this season due to a hamstring injury, coach Mike Zimmer was unwilling to commit to the running back reclaiming a workload on par with what he received in 2017, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. "We'll see. Every game is different," Zimmer said, in response to how extensively Cook would be used Sunday against the Seahawks. "Every game is different. This team plays a lot of extra guy in the box, so we'll just have to see."

Before his inaugural campaign came to an end after four games due to a torn ACL, Cook looked like one of the NFL's top backs while averaging 18.5 carries and four targets per contest. In his return from the major injury in Week 1 of the current season, Cook handled 22 touches (16 carries, six receptions), but he's logged no more than 17 in any of his other six appearances. The hamstring issue may have permanently put any plans to gradually expand Cook's workload on ice for the time being, even though he's suited up in the Vikings' last four games and has avoided any setbacks. Zimmer's comments don't inspire much confidence that Cook will dominate the backfield carries versus Seattle to an overwhelming extent, so expect Latavius Murray to remain a part of the game plan and earn a handful of totes, particularly in short-yardage scenarios.

Gordon (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against Cincinnati, Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com reports.

Gordon hasn't practiced since suffering an MCL sprain Nov. 25 and likely faces an uphill battle to make it back for a Thursday night game against the Chiefs in Week 15. As for the immediate future, Gordon's absence leaves Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson to split the backfield work against a Bengals defense ranked 24th in yards per carry (4.9) and dead last in rushing yards allowed (153.3 per game) this season.

The Raiders are listing Martin (knee) as questionable for Sunday's game against the Steelers, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Martin was a full participant in practices Wednesday and Thursday and took part in Friday's session in at least some fashion, so it seems likely that he'll be available to play this weekend. If Martin suits up as anticipated, there's a chance his workload could be more restricted than usual if the Raiders -- who are double-digit home underdogs -- are forced to abandon the run game. That would yield a more favorable game script for passing-down specialist Jalen Richard than Martin.

Gordon (knee) isn't practicing Friday, Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com reports.

After another week without any practice activity, Gordon should be officially ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bengals when the Chargers release their final Week 14 injury report later Friday. Gordon's expected absence leaves Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson to man the backfield.

Drake (shoulder) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Patriots, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe reports.

Drake remains limited to non-contact work in practice but should be fine to handle his usual workload this weekend in a backfield timeshare with Frank Gore. The third-year pro hasn't made much of a dent on the ground since October, but he hit paydirt on receptions the past two weeks, giving him eight total scores for the season.

Henry rushed 17 times for 238 yards and four touchdowns in the Titans' 30-9 win over the Jaguars on Thursday.

Henry's night for the ages came out of nowhere, as he'd failed to even hit 60 rushing yards in any game prior this season and had tallied just 70 combined yards over the prior pair of contests. Henry's impressive size/speed combo was on full display throughout the night, including on his record-tying 99-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The 2016 second-round pick added scoring scampers of three, 16 and 54 yards, allowing him to single-handedly dismantle a surprisingly vulnerable Jaguars defense while setting a new franchise record for single-game rushing yardage. Despite his otherworldly performance Thursday, the division of labor in the Titans backfield between Henry and Dion Lewis will likely remain difficult to trust on a weekly basis for what remains of the regular season. Henry will look to somehow put together a fitting encore in a Week 15 battle against the Giants on Dec. 16.

Cunningham (ankle) was a full participant in Thursday's practice, Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Cunningham sat out last week's loss to the Giants and was limited in Wednesday's practice, but he now appears to have fully recovered from his ankle injury. The kick returner is on track to suit up for the Week 14 tilt against the Rams.