NFL Player News

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

Ford's absence from practice comes as no surprise after head coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday that the running back is considered week-to-week. While Ford appears unlikely to play Sunday against the Bengals, the Browns are expected to get Nick Chubb (knee) back from the PUP list this weekend for what will be his season debut. Chubb's playing time could be capped to some degree if he plays Sunday, but his imminent return is a negative development for Ford, who had been serving as the Browns' top running back through the first six weeks of the season.

Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Wednesday that Sermon is dealing with a knee injury ahead of Sunday's game against the Dolphins, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

With top back Jonathan Taylor (ankle) having missed the last two games and Sermon now contending with an ankle issue, the Colts signed Salvon Ahmed to their practice squad Wednesday to bolster their depth out of the backfield. If neither Taylor nor Sermon is available to play Sunday against the Dolphins, Tyler Goodson would likely see an expanded profile out of the backfield.

The Panthers announced Wednesday that Brooks (knee) has had his 21-day window to return to practice opened. Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.

Head coach Dave Canales said Monday that Brooks was on track to return to practice, and Carolina made the move official two days later as the team kicked off Week 7 prep. The rookie second-round pick began the 2024 season on the reserve/non-football injury list while recovering from an ACL tear in his right knee, an injury he suffered during his final collegiate season at Texas. The Panthers will now have a three-week timeframe to evaluate Brooks in practice before he would need to be added to the 53-man roster, and given that he missed all of OTAs, training camp and the preseason while recovering from the injury, he could need the full window to get ramped back up. Once he's activated from the NFI list, Brooks will work to push for a role alongside Chuba Hubbard atop the Panthers' backfield, though his first task will be to usurp backup Miles Sanders.

The Colts signed Ahmed to their practice squad Wednesday.

Ahmed, who has yet to see action in 2024, has 38 career NFL appearances under his belt, all with Miami from 2020 through 2023. He'll provide the Colts' backfield with some healthy depth ahead of Sunday's game against the Dolphins while Jonathan Taylor (ankle) and Trey Sermon (knee) are currently nursing injuries.

Ogunbowale became the No. 3 option on the depth chart at running back for the Texans after Houston traded Cam Akers to Minnesota on Tuesday.

The Texans found themselves with a deep backfield following the returns of Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce from multi-game absences due to injury in Week 6, so it made sense for Houston to part ways with Akers. Ogunbowale, who was on the field more than Akers last week, is seen as more of a receiving threat and provides greater versatility as a No. 3 back due to his ability to contribute on special teams.

Shampklin carried once for minus-2 yards in Sunday's 32-13 win over the Raiders.

With teammate Jaylen Warren (knee) returning from a two-game absence, Shampklin played just four of the Steelers' 63 offensive snaps Sunday as the team's No. 3 back. In three games, the 24-year-old Harvard product has carried six times for 17 yards. He'll remain off the fantasy radar and could even find himself inactive for the Steelers' Week 7 game against the Jets if Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle) is able to put an end to his two-game absence.

Haskins carried the ball twice for five yards in the 23-17 win over the Broncos on Sunday.

There was some thought the 24-year-old could take over for the injured Gus Edwards (ankle) given Haskins had been active all five games, but rookie Kimani Vidal stepped in immediately and effectively ended that speculation with 51 total yards and a touchdown on six touches. Expect Haskins to remain on the active roster but used specifically on special teams.

The Vikings acquired Akers and a 2026 conditional seventh-round pick from the Texans on Tuesday in exchange for a 2026 conditional sixth-round pick, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Minnesota has now traded for Akers for the second season in a row, as the Vikings previously acquired him from the Rams last September. He made six appearances for the Vikings in 2023 before rupturing his right Achilles' tendon in November and requiring surgery, but Akers recovered quicker than anticipated from the major injury. After joining Houston on a one-year deal in the offseason, he made the Texans' Week 1 roster and suddenly found himself in a lead role out of the backfield by Week 2, when Joe Mixon exited a win over the Bears with an ankle injury. Dameon Pierce also missed time with a hamstring injury to free up snaps for Akers, who carried 31 times for 116 yards and a touchdown and added three receptions for 13 yards and another score between Weeks 3 and 5. However, with both Mixon and Pierce returning to action for the Week 6 win over the Patriots, Akers was limited to just two snaps. With its top two backs healthy and Dare Ogunbowale offering value on special teams and passing downs as a No. 3 option, Houston deemed Akers expendable and opted to move him to Minnesota, where he'll presumably compete with Ty Chandler and Myles Gaskin for a depth role behind lead back Aaron Jones (hip).

Kamara (hand) was listed as a limited participant on Tuesday's walk-through practice,

At this stage, the Saints haven't suggested that Kamara's status for Thursday's game against the Broncos is in peril, but even if he's available, he could still be subject to a lighter workload than normal on a short week. Kamara has played at least 70 percent of the snaps in each of the Saints' last four games, and he handled 18 touches (13 carries, five receptions) in this past Sunday's loss to the Buccaneers.

Kansas City activated Edwards-Helaire from the reserve/non-football illness list Tuesday, Charles Goldman of AtoZSports.com reports.

Edwards-Helaire had missed the team's first five games after landing on the NFI list following the preseason, but he resumed practicing with the team earlier this month and has now been deemed ready to play coming out of a Week 6 bye. With Isiah Pacheco (fibula) still on injured reserve, Edwards-Helaire could carve out a role in the backfield, though Kareem Hunt has fared well as Kansas City's lead back the past two games and should retain top slotting on the depth chart. Rather than presenting a threat to Hunt, Edwards-Helaire could more realistically challenge Samaje Perine for the change-of-pace/passing-down role.