NFL Player News

Jones will have a role out of the Saints backfield Sunday at Green Bay with Jamaal Williams (hamstring) ruled out for the contest, Stacey Dales of NFL Network reports.

Jones stepped in Monday in Carolina when Williams departed in the second quarter with a hamstring injury, turning 12 carries into 34 yards and two touchdowns while failing to gather in either of his targets. While 2.8 YPC is uninspiring, Jones' 5-foot-11, 224-pound stature lends itself to short-yardage and goal-line work, which yielded the aforementioned scores from two yards out on both occasions. Jones will be vying for RB reps with rookie third-round pick Kendre Miller and potentially practice-squad members Kirk Merritt and/or Jordan Mims on Sunday, but the elevated workload likely is a short-term deal considering Alvin Kamara's three-game suspension ends after this weekend.

Montgomery (thigh) didn't practice Friday and is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against Atlanta, Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com reports.

Montgomery already said he expected to miss time and then went through the week without practicing. He thus seems highly unlikely to play, though the Lions will leave the door open with a 'doubtful' designation in case Montgomery's thigh bruise improves dramatically between Friday evening and Sunday morning. The Falcons and Lions are scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff in a game that figures to draw extra attention from the fantasy world thanks to the presence of rookie RBs Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson. Just don't be surprised if Craig Reynolds (for the Lions) and Tyler Allgeier (for the Falcons) also get a bunch of carries.

Williams (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game in Green Bay.

Williams as a September lineup option didn't work out how drafters imagined, with 52 total yards Week 1 followed by an early exit due to the hamstring injury Week 2. He'll now miss one game and possibly more, before returning to a Saints offense that will have Alvin Kamara back from suspension. Fantasy utility at some point this year is still a distinct possibility, though it may now rely on the possibility of Kamara missing time due to an injury rather than the guarantee of his three-game suspension. For Week 3, the Saints have Tony Jones and Kendre Miller on hand for RB snaps, in addition to the ever-present options of giving Taysom Hill more carries and/or Derek Carr more pass attempts.

Edwards could have less competition for backfield snaps and touches Sunday against the Colts, as fellow running back Justice Hill (foot) has been ruled out.

Per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, Hill suffered a toe injury in practice during Week 3 prep. Through two weeks, Hill has notched 19 carries to Edwards' 18. While Edwards is expected to handle the bulk of the rushing attempts Sunday, veterans Melvin Gordon and Kenyan Drake are likely to spell him in passing situations, assuming both are elevated from the practice squad.

Williams (hamstring) wasn't spotted during the media-access portion of Friday's practice, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Williams thus is poised to go down as a non-participant for a third consecutive session due to the hamstring issue that he picked up Monday at Carolina, and the Saints may even clarify his status ahead of Sunday's game in Green Bay upon the release of Friday's injury report. If Williams is unable to go this weekend, some combination of Tony Jones, rookie Kendre Miller and practice-squad members Kirk Merritt and Jordan Mims will handle running back reps for New Orleans, with Taysom Hill also on hand for carries.

Hill (foot) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Colts.

With Hill -- who didn't practice this week -- unavailable, look for Gus Edwards to lead the Ravens backfield Week 3, with practice-squad members Melvin Gordon and/or Kenyan Drake candidates to be elevated and handle complementary work versus Indianapolis. Hill's next chance to suit up for game action will arrive Week 4, when Baltimore faces Cleveland.

Jones (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Saints, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports.

On Thursday, Jones made his first appearance in practice since hurting his left hamstring Week 1 at Chicago, getting a limited tag on the Packers' second Week 3 injury report. He'll now enter the weekend with a chance to play Sunday, with his status to e determined about 90 minutes before a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff. If Jones is limited or out, AJ Dillon, Patrick Taylor and Emanuel Wilson are Green Bay's other options out of the backfield.

Coach Kevin O'Connell said Friday that Akers isn't expected to suit up Sunday against the Chargers, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Given that he was dealt from L.A. to Minnesota on Wednesday and passed a physical Thursday, Akers didn't have much time to get up to speed with his new squad, despite his previous experience working with O'Connell on the Rams in 2020 and 2021. Akers thus will set his sights on making his Vikings debut Sunday, Oct. 1 at Carolina. In the meantime, Alexander Mattison and Ty Chandler will lead Minnesota's backfield.

Swift got the first practice rep Friday when the Eagles were working on handoffs, followed by Kenneth Gainwell (ribs), Rashaad Penny and then Boston Scott (concussion), Josh Tolentino of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

It doesn't necessarily mean much, especially relative to Swift rumbling for 175 yards and a touchdown in the 34-28 win over Minnesota last Thursday. Gainwell missed that game, and Scott left it early, allowing Swift to dominate the backfield work after recording only two touches on 19 snaps the week before. Swift now is the favorite to lead Philadelphia's backfield Monday in Tampa Bay, though probably not to the same extent as last week with Gainwell looking on track to return and Scott closing in on making his way out of the concussion protocol.

Henry (toe) returned to practice Friday, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.

Henry was limited in Wednesday's practice before taking the day off Thursday. His return to practice Friday puts Henry on track to play Sunday against the Browns. The 29-year-old has rushed 40 times for 143 yards and one touchdown through two games while adding five catches for 71 yards on seven targets.