NFL Player News

Taylor (ankle) was a limited practice participant Wednesday.

Given that Taylor hadn't practiced or played since suffering a right high-ankle sprain Week 4, his return to the field Wednesday suggests that he has a chance to return to action Sunday against the Texans. The running back now has two more chances upgrade to full participation before the Colts' final Week 8 injury report is posted. If Taylor remains out for a fourth straight game this weekend, however, Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson would continue to see added work in the team's backfield.

Jones (hamstring) practiced fully Wednesday and doesn't have a designation for Thursday's game at the Rams, Craig Peters of the Vikings' official site reports.

Jones was estimated as a limited participant on Monday's practice report before logging a limited walkthrough Tuesday, so his ability to handle every rep Wednesday indicates the hamstring injury he sustained Week 5 against the Jets in London is behind him. He thus should be poised for his normal workload out of Minnesota's backfield Thursday, which so far has amounted to 17.5 touches per game in six appearances this season.

Brooks (knee) was listed as a limited participant in Wednesday's practice.

Brooks turned in two limited practices last week before sitting out this past Sunday's blowout loss to the Commanders. If the rookie second-round can upgrade to full participation in practice Thursday and/or Friday, he'll have a good chance to return from the non-football injury list to make his NFL debut Sunday versus the Broncos. The Panthers could, however, opt to continue taking a cautious approach with Brooks and hold him out for another game, as his 21-day window to be added to the 53-man roster won't close until the first week of November.

Chicago designated Homer (finger) for return to practice from its injured reserve list Wednesday, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The transaction starts the clock on a 21-day period during which the Bears can officially activate Homer before they'd be required to leave him on injured reserve for the rest of the year. The team's official practice reports during the week will give some insight into his potential availability for Sunday's game at Washington.

Abdullah didn't carry the ball or draw a target while playing 13 of 79 snaps on offense in Sunday's 20-15 loss to the Rams.

After filling a change-of-pace role out of the backfield behind Alexander Mattison the previous two weeks, Abdullah saw his playing time take a significant dip Week 7 while Zamir White (groin) made his return from a two-game absence. Expect Abdullah's opportunities on offense to remain limited while both Mattison and White are healthy.

Williams brought back a kickoff for 21 yards and played all 23 of his snaps on special teams in Sunday's 34-14 loss to the Seahawks.

Though he's listed as a running back, Williams hasn't logged any touches out of the backfield since the 2022 season and is on the Falcons' roster solely due to his role as a kickoff and punt returner. Until Sunday, Jase McClellan had been inactive as the Falcons' No. 4 running back, but the rookie sixth-round pick suited up against the Seahawks and ended up getting five carries in garbage time, rather than Williams, when Atlanta rested top backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier late in the game.

Mitchell (knee) is in line to return to practice this week, Ryan Mink of the Ravens' official site reports.

Mitchell, who suffered an ACL tear last December, is on the PUP list, but once he's back at practice, the running back's 21-day window for reinstatement to the 53-man roster will open. Per Mink, Mitchell will likely need a multi-week ramp-up period before returning to game action, but once the 22-year-old is deemed ready, he'll provide the Ravens with backfield depth behind Derrick Henry and Justice Hill.

Head coach Shane Steichen said that Taylor (ankle) will practice Wednesday, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Taylor hasn't practiced or played since sustaining a right high-ankle sprain Week 4, so his looming return to the field Wednesday offers hope that the star running back could return to action Sunday against the Texans. The team's upcoming injury report will reveal the extent of Taylor's participation in Wednesday's session, but if he's available this weekend, he would be in line to reclaim the lead role in a Colts backfield that has been led by Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson over the past three games.

Coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday that Hines (knee) is out for Week 8 versus Baltimore, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.

Hines participated fully in practice ahead of Week 7 but ultimately didn't suit up for that contest either, so it's possible injury alone can't fully explain why he isn't active yet. After the long-awaited return of starter Nick Chubb, the Browns now already have four running backs on their active roster, so even if Hines works his way back into the mix soon, he won't be on the fantasy radar for most formats.

Ford (hamstring) isn't in line to practice Wednesday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Ford, who missed this past Sunday's loss to the Bengals, will have two more opportunities to practice ahead of this weekend's game against the Ravens. If he's available for the contest, Ford would presumably be in line to step into a complementary role in Cleveland's backfield, with Nick Chubb having returned from the PUP list to make his season debut Week 7.