NFL Player News

Hunt (groin) returned to practice Thursday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Hunt didn't practice Wednesday, but his return to the field a day later has him trending toward being available Sunday against the Bears. Over the last two weeks, Hunt followed absences from practice Wednesday with limited sessions Thursday and full practices Friday. There's a decent chance chance that pattern is repeated this week.

Taylor (thumb) remained sidelined during Thursday's practice, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

With Taylor having taken part in none of the Colts' three practice sessions this week, the running back is trending toward being ruled out for Saturday's game against the Steelers when Indianapolis releases its final Week 15 injury report later Thursday. If that's the case, Zack Moss would be in line to lead the Indianapolis backfield this weekend, likely in a three-down role.

Jacobs (quadricep) remains listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Chargers, but his status for the contest is considered "very much in doubt," Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Jacobs is taking a designation into the contest after he was listed as a non-participant on all three of the Raiders' Week 15 practice reports, though the team merely held a walk-through sessions due to the quick turnaround from Sunday's 3-0 loss to the Vikings. Late in that game, Jacobs appeared to sustain the quad injury, and he ultimately didn't check back into the contest after the Raiders initially deemed him questionable to return. Rapoport suggests that Jacobs won't be cleared to suit up Thursday if the Raiders believe he's at risk of making his injury worse by playing, so a decision on his status may hinge on how he looks during a pregame warmup. Official word on Jacobs' availability (or lack thereof) should arrive when the Raiders release their inactive list approximately 90 minutes prior to the 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff, but if Jacobs is forced to miss his first game of the season, the Raiders would likely lean heavily on a combination of Zamir White and Ameer Abdullah out of the backfield.

The Saints signed Robinson to their practice squad Wednesday.

Prior to the Packers cutting him from their practice squad last Tuesday, Robinson made one appearance for the team, handling one carry for two yards and hauling in his only target for minus-2 yards during a Week 13 win against the Chiefs. Upon joining a new squad, he'll be a part of a Saints backfield that's banged-up behind Alvin Kamara, with Jamaal Williams (groin) limited at Wednesday's practice and Kendre Miller (ankle) again sitting out. Robinson likely doesn't have enough time to acclimate himself to New Orleans' offense ahead of Sunday's game against the Giants, but he could factor into the backfield situation if he remains with the the Saints beyond that point.

Johnson (knee) was a limited participant at practice Wednesday.

Johnson was able to play through his knee injury in Jacksonville's Week 14 loss to Cleveland, so his presence on the practice field in any capacity three days later suggests that he avoided any setbacks. He'll look to increase his workload at one of the team's two remaining practice sessions ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Ravens.

Demercado (neck) practiced in a limited fashion Wednesday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Demercado left Arizona's last game Week 13 at Pittsburgh in the first quarter to be evaluated for a concussion in addition to a neck injury. He eventually was ruled out of the contest, but he cleared concussion protocol, leaving him to recover from the neck issue during the team's Week 14 bye. Following the respite, Demercado will look to increase his activity level as the week goes on in order to avoid a designation ahead of Sunday's matchup with the 49ers. Assuming he's able to return to action, Demercado and Michael Carter would be the candidates for backfield reps behind starter James Conner.

Dowdle (ankle) was listed as a limited participant on Wednesday's practice report, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Dowdle has had practice restrictions before each of the Cowboys' previous four games, but he ultimately has been able to suit up on all four occasions en route to 28 carries for 95 yards and one touchdown and five catches (on five targets) for 25 yards and another score while working behind starting back Tony Pollard. Assuming he gets through Week 15 prep unscathed, Dowdle should play a similar role Sunday at Buffalo.

Jacobs (quad) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Chargers.

The Raiders conducted walk-throughs Monday through Wednesday, with Jacobs estimated as a non-participant for each. While the running back's lack of on-field reps this week isn't a great sign of his chances of playing against the Chargers, interim head coach Antonio Pierce noted earlier Wednesday that "if Josh Jacobs is ready to go, this is the Josh Jacobs Show," according to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. Ideally, added context with regard to Jacobs' status will arrive prior to Thursday's 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff. If Jacobs is limited Thursday or ends up inactive for the contest, Zamir White and Ameer Abdullah would represent the Raiders' top options out of the backfield.

Perine (knee/rest) didn't practice Wednesday.

Perine was estimated as a full practice participant Tuesday, but was deemed a non-participant a day later. Given that his listed absence was attributed to a combination of knee/rest, chances are Perine will be back in practice in some fashion Thursday. A return to full participation would pave the way for the running back to approach Saturday's game against the Lions minus an injury designation.

Miller (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday, Matthew Paras of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Miller still hasn't played or practiced since Week 9, when he sprained his ankle in a 24-17 win over the Bears. The rookie running back has two more chances to get in some practice activity ahead of the Saints' game against the Giants on Sunday. With the amount of time he has missed, however, Miller may need more than a practice or two to get back up to full speed.