NFL Player News

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said Wednesday that he "feels good" about Etienne's (hamstring) chances of playing Sunday against the Eagles, Mia O'Brien of 1010 XL 92.5 FM Jacksonville reports.

Etienne has missed two straight games but appears to be trending in the right direction ahead of the Jaguars' Week 9 contest. The running back hasn't managed anything more than limited participation in practice since injuring his hamstring Week 6, so he may have to take a step forward in terms of activity during the Jaguars' sessions Wednesday through Friday to boost his odds of being available this weekend. If Etienne is cleared to play Sunday, the extent of his role is somewhat muddled, as Tank Bigsby has thrived as the Jaguars' lead runner over the past two games and may have earned himself a larger share of the backfield duties moving forward.

The Jaguars designated Robinson (toe) for return from injured reserve Wednesday.

Robinson's toe injury dates back to early in training camp and resulted in the Jaguars placing him on IR prior to Week 1. The rookie fifth-round pick is now ready to resume practicing, with the transaction opening up a 21-day evaluation window before he would need to be moved to the 53-man roster. Once activated, Robinson will provide depth out of the backfield behind Travis Etienne (hamstring), Tank Bigsby and D'Ernest Johnson, but the 24-year-old may make his greatest impact in the return game.

Ogunbowale could serve as the top backup running back in Thursday's game against the Jets, as Dameon Pierce (groin) did not practice Tuesday.

Ogunbowale would move up the depth chart if Pierce is unable to heal in time for Thursday's game. He filled in earlier this season when both Pierce and starter Joe Mixon missed time, with his most usage coming Week 5 versus Buffalo, when he handled 21 touches. That kind of volume is not expected for Ogunbowale at any point in the near future with Mixon back to full health, but the short week could present more opportunities for Ogunbowale if Pierce sits out.

Vidal rushed six times for 16 yards in Sunday's 26-8 win over the Saints.

Vidal played just 11 of the Chargers 66 offensive snaps Sunday, while starter J.K. Dobbins handled the majority of snaps (54) at running back against the Saints. Vidal has totaled just 13 rushes for 37 yards in three games, operating as the Chargers No. 2 back with Gus Edwards (ankle) on injured reserve. Edwards could return in Week 10, though there has been no update on whether he'll be ready by then. With that said, Vidal holds little fantasy value at this stage, especially with Edwards potentially returning soon. The rookie would need an injury to Dobbins to gain fantasy relevance going forward. Vidal and the Chargers will visit the Browns in Week 9.

Allgeier rushed 12 times for 33 yards in Sunday's 31-26 win over the Buccaneers.

Allgeier played 22 of the Falcons' 62 offensive snaps Sunday, well behind starter Bijan Robinson, who was on the field for 42 snaps. Despite the lopsided playing time in favor of Robinson, the 24-year-old Allgeier earned a near-even split in carries with Robinson, handling 12 carries to Robinson's 13 attempts on the ground. Allgeier was not involved in the passing game, while Robinson saw seven targets against the Buccaneers. Going forward, the former will continue to operate as the backup and hold minimal standalone value, though he would get a major boost if Robinson were to miss time down the stretch. The Falcons are set to host the Cowboys in Week 9.

Pierce (groin) was listed as a non-participant on Tuesday's estimated practice report, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

With Pierce being listed as a non-participant on both of the Texans' Week 9 injury report, he doesn't seem to be tracking toward playing Thursday against the Jets. The groin issue is a new one for the running back, as he battled hamstring issues prior to Week 8. If Pierce isn't able to suit up Thursday, Dare Ogunbowale would be in line for backup duties behind lead back Joe Mixon.

The Vikings released Gaskin on Tuesday.

Gaskin was signed from the Vikings' practice squad to the active roster Oct. 8, but he was a healthy scratch for each of Minnesota's last two regular-season games. He appeared in the first five games of the regular season, so while Gaskin could return to the Vikings' practice squad, he could explore his options and sign with a team in need of a running back with special teams experience.

The Steelers cut Perine from the practice squad Tuesday.

Perine caught on with the Steelers' practice squad Oct. 1 after being let go by the Packers on Sept. 10. The 2020 fourth-round pick will explore his options and look to sign with a team in need of running back depth. Perine appeared in five regular-season games for the Chiefs in 2023, accumulating 22 carries for 77 yards and three catches (on five targets) for 33 yards over that span.

Steele accrued two rushes for six yards and hauled in his only target for eight yards during Sunday's 27-20 victory over the Raiders.

Steele did record more touches than Samaje Perine (two) in the contest, but he also played just eight offensive snaps to Perine's 22 and Kareem Hunt's 42. Thus, it's unlikely Steele will find himself in a fantasy-relevant spot in the near future, especially with the return of Isiah Pacheco potentially on the horizon, given Pacheco's initial 6-to-8-week timetable when he went down in mid-September.

Perine hauled in both of his targets for 30 yards during Sunday's 27-20 win over Las Vegas.

On a positive note, Perine compiled a pair of catches in the first half of the contest. On a negative one, he didn't tally another in the second half and finished the day with just 30 total yards. He also recovered a fumble by tight end Travis Kelce, but Perine saw the field on just 31 percent of offensive snaps. That still ranked second on the team to Kareem Hunt (58 percent) and well ahead of Carson Steele (11 percent), but Perine's minimal involvement leaves him off the fantasy radar in most leagues, especially with Isiah Pacheco potentially returning within the next month based on his initial timetable.