NFL Player News

Martin (hamstring) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Martin's mobility was evident in the portion of practice open to the media, but his reps were nonetheless contained as he eases back into the fold. Whether he logs his first game action since Week 2 remains to be seen, but his ability to handle a full workload Thursday or Friday will perhaps be the best indicator of a potential return.

Henry (strained calf) did not practice Wednesday, Jim Wyatt of titansonline.com reports.

Henry, who is dealing with a calf injury that he suffered in pre-game warmups this past Sunday, remains iffy for this weekend's game against the Packers, though the rookie back hasn't been ruled out for the contest at this stage. If he ends up sitting this week, Antonio Andrews would once again be in line to serve as DeMarco Murray's top backup.

Carey (illness) was unable to practice Wednesday.

Prior to Jordan Howard's outburst in Week 8, Carey had been making inroads within the Bears' backfield, totaling 19 carries for 98 yards in the two games previous. In the aforementioned contest, Howard was ridden to the tune of 202 yards from scrimmage on 50 of the 61 offensive snaps, with the remainder split between Carey (six) and Jeremy Langford (five). The preceding will likely be the breakdown moving forward due to the vote of confidence given Howard from running backs coach Stan Drayton in the interim, per Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com. Carey's current bout with an illness also isn't doing him any favors in the quest for touches.

Rodgers, who didn't practice Wednesday, was seen without a walking boot, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Rodgers suffered a sprained foot in Week 8, and with only three days before the Buccaneers' next game last Thursday, he was ruled out in advance. The injury was yet another woe to a backfield that has lost Charles Sims (knee) to IR, and another RB (Antone Smith) joined him there following Tampa Bay's Week 9 tilt. While Rodgers exchanged his walking boot for a shoe Wednesday, Doug Martin returned to practice for the first time since injuring his hamstring in Week 2, meaning the ground game could soon be his domain and relegate the likes of Rodgers to a reserve role.

Martin (hamstring) returned to practice Wednesday, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

At the very least, Martin was able to take part in individual drills, showing off his mobility. In a backfield in which seven players have received snaps this season, his return is a welcome relief, but it's unclear if he'll receive clearance in advance of Sunday's game against the Bears. If he does so, a decent workload is likely, as he'll only have to contend with Peyton Barber, Mike James, and Russell Hansbrough for touches.

Hightower and Mark Ingram will likely continue to split carries, ESPN's Mike Triplett reports.

Hightower started Sunday's game in San Francisco and took 23 carries for 87 yards and a touchdown, with Ingram adding 171 scrimmage yards and another pair of scores. The sum production will likely be far less in Week 10 against the Broncos, but both running backs figure to have a key role.

Rodgers (foot) looks like a long shot to return for Sunday's game against the Bears, ESPN's Jenna Laine reports.

Absent from Thursday's loss to Atlanta, the pint-sized running back missed Monday's practice and was spotted in the locker room with a boot over his injured foot. Rodgers and Doug Martin (hamstring) both look shaky for a second straight week, potentially leaving the Tampa Bay backfield in the hands of Peyton Barber, Mike James and Russell Hansbrough. Antone Smith (knee) is out for the season, but the team could get Charles Sims (knee) back from injured reserve at some point after Week 12.

Gillislee carried eight times for 32 yards and a score during Monday's loss to the Seahawks while catching both of his targets for four yards.

The bigger news is that it looks like LeSean McCoy is getting back to near full health. Gillislee was still a factor Monday, but with the Bills headed toward their bye and McCoy likely to be in better shape by Week 11, the 5-7 carry range seems like it will be the norm for Gillislee down the stretch. On a bright note, the Bills like him around the goal line, and he's up to four rushing touchdowns on the season.

Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter said Monday that he expects Sims (knee) to return from injured reserve this season, WFLA.com's Dan Lucas reports.

Although Koetter didn't mention a timeline, Sims is technically eligible to return as soon as Week 13. He'll likely rejoin the team working in a split backfield, as Doug Martin (hamstring) and/or Jacquizz Rodgers (foot) should also by healthy within the next few weeks. According to ESPN's Jenna Laine, Sims has already been jogging for a while, and he has the best chance to be Tampa Bay's one player brought back from injured reserve.

Michael rushed five times for one yard and a touchdown in Monday night's win over the Bills.

Michael's five totes marked the first time he was handed under double-digit carries this season, and his mere one yard was unsurprisingly his worst total as well. Although Michael salvaged some value with his three-yard scoring run during the second quarter, which game him a seventh score on the whole of this season, his carries and yards have now declined for four straight games. Rookie C.J. Prosise cut into his workload with four touches Monday, and Thomas Rawls (fibula) could return in Week 11, so Michael's fantasy stock appears to be fading going into the second half of Seattle's schedule.