NFL Player News

Chubb (knee) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.

Chubb was a limited participant all of last week after the Browns opened his 21-day practice window Oct. 2. Head coach Kevin Stefanski isn't giving hints about whether the running back might actually be activated this week, merely saying "anything is possible," when he was asked Wednesday about Chubb's availability for the game at Philadelphia this Sunday, per Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Kamara didn't participate in Wednesday's walkthrough practice due to hip and hand injuries, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.

Kamara was listed with hip and rib issues on Saints injury reports for the past two games but still was able to suit up Weeks 4 and 5. While he handled 26 touches in Week 4 against Atlanta, he fell back to 17 touches Monday in Kansas City. Considering the Saints didn't hold a full practice to begin Week 6 prep, Kamara will have two more chances to prove his health before the team potentially tags him with a designation for Sunday's contest against the Buccaneers.

Strong (hamstring) was a limited participant in practice Wednesday, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.

Strong missed two games due to the hamstring injury prior to returning for the Week 5 loss to Washington. He received just one carry and one target in his return while also returning kickoffs on special teams. Jerome Ford is set to continue leading Cleveland backfield this Sunday against the Eagles, though if he's not slowed by the hamstring injury, Strong could be in position to serve as the No. 2 option. D'Onta Foreman has served as the primary complement to Ford this season but is nursing an ankle injury this week, while Nick Chubb (knee) has resumed practicing but is uncertain to be ready to make his 2024 debut Sunday.

Pierce (hamstring) was a limited participant at practice Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Houston's lead back, Joe Mixon (ankle), didn't practice. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, head coach DeMeco Ryans expects Pierce to be back in action for Sunday's game against the Patriots after the third-year back missed each of the last four games. Assuming Pierce is available Week 6, a key role could be in the offing for him if Mixon remains sidelined. With Pierce and Mixon having missed multiple games, Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale have been sharing Houston's backfield duties.

Stevenson didn't practice Wednesday due to a foot issue, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.

Stevenson briefly left this past Sunday's loss to the Dolphins with what was referred to as a calf injury, which he downplayed afterward. Evidently, Stevenson is past that issue, but the running back is now tending to a foot concern ahead of this weekend's game against the Texans. Stevenson has two more chances to practice ahead of the contest, but unless he upgrades to full participation by Friday, he'll head into Sunday with an injury designation.

McClellan (illness) was not listed on the Falcons' injury reports Wednesday.

McClellan was sidelined for the Falcons' Week 5 win over the Buccaneers due to an illness, but it now appears he's moved past the issue. The rookie running back from Alabama has yet to make his NFL debut after recording 180 carries for 890 yards and eight touchdowns during his final collegiate season.

Estime (ankle) returned to practice Wednesday, opening a 21-day window for him to be activated from injured reserve, Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post reports.

The Broncos can place Estime back on the 53-man roster any time before Oct. 30, at which point he would revert to injured reserve for the rest of the season. He injured his ankle Week 1 and has now missed the minimum of four games, potentially opening the door for a third man to get involved in a backfield that's featured Javonte Williams as the lead runner and Jaleel McLaughlin in a supporting role. Both struggled earlier this season but have been more efficient with their touches in the past two games.

Moss (foot) didn't practice Wednesday, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

The Bengals are now labeling Moss' injury as a foot issue, after his departure late in the fourth quarter of last Sunday's 41-38 overtime loss to the Ravens was initially attributed to ankle concern. He returned to the game not long after and even took a carry, but he didn't look right and was then pulled for good, leaving Chase Brown to dominate backfield snaps at the end of the fourth quarter and into overtime. Brown should get a huge workload if Moss isn't ready to face the Giants on Sunday.

Etienne (shoulder) was a limited practice participant Wednesday.

Etienne was a limited participant all last week before taking 58 percent of snaps and nine touches in the first half of an eventual 37-34 win over the Colts. He aggravated his shoulder injury at some point along the way and then saw just three touches and a 17 percent snap share in the second half, with Tank Bigsby taking over as the lead runner en route to 128 total yards and two touchdowns. A limited practice to start Week 6 suggests Etienne should be able to play this Sunday against the Bears in London, but the combination of a lingering shoulder injury and Bigsby's emergence has dulled some of Etienne's fantasy appeal, even though few backs can match Etienne in terms of speed and explosiveness.

Ekeler practiced in a limited fashion Wednesday due to a heel injury.

Ekeler was productive in his return from a one-game absence this past Sunday against the Browns, turning eight touches into 97 yards from scrimmage while pacing Commanders running backs with a 49 percent snap share. Meanwhile, Brian Robinson ranked second in playing time among running backs due to a lingering knee injury, finishing with seven carries for 18 yards and two touchdowns. Robinson didn't practice Wednesday, but if he's able to increase his activity Thursday and/or Friday or if Ekeler remains slowed by the heel issue, Robinson could recapture a larger share of the snaps this Sunday in Baltimore.