NFL Player News

The Titans signed Kelley to the practice squad Tuesday, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.

Kelley spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Chargers, and he finished the 2023 regular season with 107 carries for 405 yards and two touchdowns while adding eight catches (on 12 targets) for 32 yards. He spent most of the offseason as a free agent before signing with the Giants during training camp, but the 2020 fourth-round pick was unable to make the 53-man roster. Kelley could be elevated to the Titans' active roster as early as Week 7 against the Bills due to Tyjae Spears being listed as week-to-week with a hamstring injury he suffered against the Colts on Sunday. If Kelley is indeed elevated from the practice squad to the active roster, he would serve as the Titans' No. 3 running back behind Tony Pollard and Julius Chestnut.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott said Tuesday that he's optimistic Cook (toe) will be available to play Sunday against the Titans, Matt Parrino of The Syracuse Post-Standard reports.

Though Cook was listed as questionable heading into Monday's game against the Jets, reports leading up to the contest suggested he was on track to play. However, Cook didn't make enough progress in his recovery from a toe injury and ended up on the inactive list for the first time all season, with the Bills turning to rookie Ray Davis and veteran Ty Johnson to fill the backfield in a 23-20 win. Davis (20 carries for 97 yards, three receptions for 55 yards) was impressive in his first extended NFL action to date, and his big performance could prompt the Bills to take a cautious approach with Cook during practice this week. McDermott indicated that a decision on Cook's status may not be made until closer to game day, per Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News.

The Browns cut Brightwell from the practice squad Tuesday.

Brightwell's departure from the practice squad opens up a spot for wide receiver James Proche. Brightwell was signed to the Browns' active roster Sept. 21 to provide backfield depth behind Jerome Ford and D'Onta Foreman. However, Brightwell was limited to a special teams role in Week 3 and 4, and he was let go from the 53-man roster Oct. 1. The 2021 sixth-round pick will explore his options and attempt to catch on with a team in need of backfield depth and special teams experience.

McLaughlin rushed three times for eight yards in Sunday's 23-16 loss to the Chargers. He added two receptions on two targets for 17 yards.

McLaughlin continued to operate as Denver's No. 2 running back in the contest, playing 14 of the Broncos' 55 offensive snaps. Meanwhile, starter Javonte Williams played a healthy 37 snaps but saw just three more carries than McLaughlin. The Denver backfield has failed to become a strong unit so far in 2024, as play has been inconsistent and unimpressive through five games. With rookie Audric Estime rejoining the team after a four-week stint on injured reserve, the running back situation could become more muddied as the coaching staff tries to get the ground game going. The 24-year-old McLaughlin remains difficult to trust for fantasy purposes with his limited role in Denver's offense. The Broncos will visit the Saints in Week 7.

Estime rushed twice for 13 yards in Sunday's 23-16 loss to the Chargers.

Estime made his return to the field Sunday after being activated from injured reserve for the ankle injury he suffered in Week 1, however, the rookie running back played just two of the Broncos' 55 offensive snaps in the contest. It's likely Denver's coaching staff wants to ease Estime back into a more substantial workload, but he'll still face an uphill battle for playing time behind both Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin moving forward. The 21-year-old Notre Dame product could challenge for an expanded role in a backfield that has failed to impress consistently thus far. Estime will look to be more involved when the Broncos visit the Saints in Week 7.

Allen rushed three times for eight yards and didn't catch either of his two targets in Monday's 23-20 loss to the Bills.

After shaking up their coaching staff, the Jets recommitted to Breece Hall as their clear No. 1 running back, and he finished with 169 scrimmage yards on 23 touches. Allen still notably got a look near the goal line and converted it for a go-ahead four-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter, only to have the score called back on a holding call away from the play. The rookie running back will look to make the most of his limited opportunities behind Hall in Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Benson turned five carries into 26 yards during Sunday's 34-13 loss at Green Bay.

Despite trailing by double-digit points for most of the last three quarters, the Cardinals didn't abandon the run entirely, with all of James Conner (seven), Kyler Murray (seven), Emari Demercado (four) and Benson handling at least four rushes. Benson's yardage tally actually led the team, and for the first time since Week 4, his touches occurred before garbage time. No injuries befell Conner or Demercado, so the sudden usage before the waning moments was a bit of a surprise. Benson is averaging just 3.6 yards on his 30 carries this season, a rate that would require significant usage for the rookie third-round pick to gain wide fantasy relevance.

Johnson rushed four times for 34 yards and was not targeted as a passer in Monday's 23-20 win over the Jets.

Johnson was one of two candidates to replace starter James Cook's (toe) touches Monday, but it turned out to be fellow backup Ray Davis (152 combined yards on 23 touches) who benefited from a fantasy standpoint. The 26-year-old Johnson was worth a waiver add Week 6, but given the touch distribution -- plus the potential for Cook to return -- the backup running back is a low-end fantasy option Week 7. The Bills are set to host the Titans on Sunday.

Davis rushed 20 times for 97 yards and caught all three of his targets for 55 yards in Monday's 23-20 win over the Jets.

Davis emerged as the Bills' top running back sans starter James Cook (toe) in Monday's narrow victory. The 24-year-old Davis wound up out-touching fellow backup Ty Johnson by 19 combined looks in absence of Buffalo's starter. Davis would make sense as the hot waiver add for fantasy managers, but Cook's toe injury requires monitoring for activation prior to a home matchup against the Titans in Week 7.

Hall rushed 18 times for 113 yards and caught five of six targets for 56 yards in Monday's 23-20 loss to the Bills.

Hall broke out for a season-high 169 yards from scrimmage. He produced numerous chunk gains on the ground, including a 42-yard run, but the star running back was kept out of the end zone for a third consecutive game after opening the season on a three-game touchdown streak. Hall got 23 touches to Braelon Allen's three, so the former has reestablished his status as the team's bell-cow running back under new playcaller Todd Downing heading into a Week 7 trip to Pittsburgh.