NFL Player News

Williams (groin) remained limited in Thursday's practice, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.

With Kendre Miller (hamstring) back on injured reserve, Williams has resumed RB2 duties behind Alvin Kamara, though Taysom Hill is the likelier of he and Williams to see more carries. After registering 19 carries across Weeks 1 and 2 this season, Williams has failed to top three carries in a single game since.

Conner (finger) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.

Conner is averaging 18.4 touches for 92.3 yards from scrimmage per game while scoring four rushing TDs in nine appearances this season. He has yielded some reps at times to reserve RBs Emari Demercado and Trey Benson, but their usage has been up and down while Conner has maintained his workload throughout the campaign. Having said that, Conner had a cap on his practice reps Wednesday and Thursday due to a finger injury, meaning his status will continue to be monitored as the week goes on.

Spears (hamstring) was a full participant in Thursday's practice, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Spears has been sidelined for each of the Titans' last three games with a hamstring injury, but his ability to take every rep Thursday suddenly makes him the healthiest running back of the top three options on the team's depth chart. Starter Tony Pollard (foot) downgraded from limited participation Wednesday to no activity Thursday, while third-string back Julius Chestnut (foot) was added to the injury report Thursday as a limited participant. The status of Pollard heading into Sunday's game against the Chargers is of greater import to Spears, who could find himself in a three-down role this weekend if Pollard is forced to miss his first game of the season. When he was available for the Titans' first six games, Spears had filled a complementary role behind Pollard and averaged 5.5 carries and 2.0 targets per contest during that stretch.

Mitchell (knee) was activated from the reserve/PUP list ahead of Thursday's game against the Bengals, Ryan Mink of the Ravens' official site reports.

Mitchell remains listed as questionable after he was a full practice participant this week, but he's poised to make his season debut versus Cincinnati nonetheless. Official confirmation of his Week 10 status will arrive once the Ravens' inactive list is posted ahead of Thursday's 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff. Before tearing the ACL in his left knee last December, Mitchell had been in the midst of a promising rookie season in which he carried 47 times for 396 yards (8.4 YPC) and two touchdowns to go with nine receptions for 93 yards on 11 targets over eight games. Now that he's healthy, Mitchell will fill a change-of-pace role behind lead back Derrick Henry.

Robinson (hamstring) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday.

Robinson remains with a cap on his practice reps for a second week in a row due to a hamstring injury. On the first occasion this past Sunday against the Giants, he was inactive, so it remains to be seen if another absence is in the offing. In any case, Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols and practice-squad member Chris Rodriguez are on hand in the event Robinson sits out again this weekend.

Pierce (groin) remained sidelined at practice Thursday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

After also missing Wednesday's session, Pierce now has one more chance to practice ahead of Sunday night's game against the Lions. In the event that Pierce remains sidelined for a second straight game this weekend, Dare Ogunbowale and J.J. Taylor would be in line to continue to work in complementary roles behind lead back Joe Mixon.

Herbert is expected to play Thursday night against the Ravens, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Per Fowler, Herbert, who joined the Bengals on Tuesday via a trade with the Bears, worked aggressively over the past few days to get up to speed with his new team's offense, paving the way for him to step right into the lineup in Week 10. With Zack Moss (neck) on IR and a candidate to miss the rest of season, Herbert is slated to step into a complementary role in a backfield led by Chase Brown. It remains to be seen how heavy a workload he'll see in his anticipated debut with Cincinnati, but in his new locale Herbert could end up seeing enough volume as the season progresses to resurface on the fantasy radar.

Hubbard agreed to a four-year, $33.2 million contract extension with the Panthers on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Hubbard is able to earn an additional $4 million in incentives, and he'll receive $15 million fully guaranteed as part of the new deal, which keeps him in the fold through the 2028 season. A 2021 fourth-round pick, Hubbard produced 1,135 yards from scrimmage over 17 games last season, emerging as Carolina's top back after free-agent signee Miles Sanders struggled and eventually lost the starting gig. Carolina then invested a second-round pick into Jonathon Brooks (knee) in the 2024 NFL Draft, but with Brooks having not yet made his debut, Hubbard has maintained his spot atop the depth chart and has continued to thrive in his fourth season, averaging 5.0 yards per carry and recording 26 receptions through Carolina's first nine contests. Brooks could be available this Sunday against the Giants, and while the Panthers are still high on the rookie's long-term outlook, Hubbard's extension likely ensures that the fourth-year back will have a prominent role for the foreseeable future.

Mason (shoulder) was a full practice participant Wednesday.

Mason initially sprained his left shoulder Week 6 at Seattle, but he paced the backfield Week 7 against the Chiefs before aggravating the issue Week 8 versus the Cowboys. With a bye week to heal up, he's back to full health, but he's also going to be joined in the backfield by Christian McCaffrey (Achilles), perhaps as soon as Sunday's game in Tampa Bay. If that comes to pass, Mason will take a back seat to McCaffrey at running back for the 49ers.

Irving (toe) practiced on a limited basis Wednesday.

Last Thursday, head coach Todd Bowles revealed that Irving was dealing with a toe injury that may linger for the rest of the season, but the running back was able to suit up for Monday's overtime loss to Kansas City and turned his 10 touches into 34 yards from scrimmage. Meanwhile, backfield mate Rachaad White had six touches for 35 total yards and one rushing score, and Sean Tucker gained 17 yards on four touches. A similar breakdown for the trio likely will be the weekly reality as long as Irving continues to be able to play on game days.