NFL Player News

Gillislee (foot) is listed as active Sunday's game against the Patriots.

With top back LeSean McCoy out, Gillislee appears on track to head the Bills' Week 8 ground game, as long as his foot holds up. Meanwhile, Jonathan Williams and Reggie Bush are on hand to work in complementary roles Sunday.

Gillislee (foot) "plans to play" Sunday, according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport.

With LeSean McCoy likely out, Gillislee could be in line for a big workload should his "plans" come to fruition. In other words, while we assume Rapoport's phrasing bodes well for Gillislee's chances, a player's plans are no substitute for an official designation, which will come down an hour or so before the game's 1:00 pm ET start.

Patterson (concussion) is questionable for Monday's contest against the Bears, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Patterson was first announced to have a concussion on Thursday, though it's unclear exactly when he suffered it. He was held out of practice all week but the team is holding out hope that he can play Monday night. If he's unable to play look for Adam Thielen to possibly see some time as a kick returner and for Jarius Wright to see a few extra reps on offense.

McKinnon (ankle) will not play in Monday's Week 8 matchup with Chicago.

McKinnon was spotted with a walking boot Thursday and was held out of practice throughout the week. Monday's tilt will be the first game he's missed due to the unspecified left ankle injury that he suffered in last week's loss to the Eagles and he remains without a timetable for return. Look for Matt Asiata and Ronnie Hillman to see increased roles as the only two active running backs for Minnesota in Week 8.

Thompson was officially promoted to the Broncos' 53-man roster Saturday, Mike Klis of The Denver Post reports.

With C.J. Anderson being placed on the IR it makes sense for the Broncos to add some running back depth to their roster. Thompson will now back up Devontae Booker and Kapri Bibbs in the Broncos' backfield. The 24-year-old rushed for 48 yards and caught six receptions for 51 yards in 15 games with the Broncos last season.

Washington (ankle) does not have an injury designation for Sunday's game in Houston.

Washington will likely reclaim his power/short-yardage role from Zach Zenner, but with Theo Riddick (ankle) also cleared to return, the rookie can't hope for much more than the lesser half of a timeshare. While Washington's role did include goal-line carries prior to his injury, those high-value touches are difficult to come by in a pass-heavy Detroit offense. The team has 15 passing touchdowns and only three rushing scores.

Head coach Jay Gruden said Friday that Kelley will have a big opportunity in Sunday's game against the Bengals, CSN Mid-Atlantic reports.

Matt Jones (knee) was officially ruled out for Sunday's game in London, leaving Kelley, Chris Thompson and Mack Brown as the team's healthy running backs. According to ESPN's John Keim, head coach Jay Gruden said Thursday that Kelley would likely take on the lead role in the event of a Jones absence, with Thompson mostly sticking in the passing-down role he's thrived in. Kelley, an undrafted rookie, thus figures to get the first crack at early-down carries, which could also make him Sunday's starter. However, it's still possible Thompson will take on a larger role than usual -- particularly on the heels of last week's strong showing in Detroit. There's also some chance Brown could eat into Kelley's carries, though Thompson seems like the bigger threat.

Rawls (leg) was able to run again this week, but he remains a few weeks from being able to play, 710 ESPN Seattle's Liz Mathews reports.

Rawls has been sidelined since Week 2 due to a hairline fracture in his left fibula. Although he was able to meet the expectation of being able to run again this week, Rawls still needs to get back to playing shape and speed, which could keep him out a few more weeks. In the meantime, Christine Michael will continue to carry the bulk of Seattle's backfield workload.

Per the NFL's official transaction log, Anderson (knee) has been placed on IR by the Broncos.

While the move confirms that Anderson's regular season fantasy utility is over, ABC's Troy E. Renck relays that there is hope that the running back could return in time for the playoffs, should Denver qualify. In the meantime, Devontae Booker has been installed as the team's starter, with Kapri Bibbs next in line for carries and Juwan Thompson a candidate to be promoted for the Broncos' practice squad.

The Broncos are expected to decide in the next 24 hours whether or not to place Anderson (knee) on injured reserve, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

Anderson had his meniscus repaired Thursday, and although that procedure coincides with a multi-month recovery timetable, he'll be able to jog again in six weeks, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reports. Knowing that, there's a decent chance he could return later this season, but in order to gain a roster spot in the meantime, the Broncos may decide to place him on injured reserve. That would rule Anderson out for at least eight weeks, so Anderson faces an extended absence either way. While he's sidelined, rookie Devontae Booker figures to assume the bulk of Denver's tailback duties, with Kapri Bibbs slated for second-string work behind him.