NFL Player News

Hubbard rushed twice for 16 yards and caught all five of his targets for 34 yards in Monday night's 20-17 loss to the Saints.

Hubbard received only a couple of opportunities in the running game but again was efficient. Through two games, he's totaled 76 yards on just 11 carries behind starter Miles Sanders. That said, he made a bigger impact Monday as a pass catcher, placing second on the Panthers in catches. His production should keep him involved as the backup in Week 3 versus the Seahawks.

Barkley (ankle) was a non-participant at Tuesday's walk-through practice, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Though Barkley is appearing on the Giants' Week 3 injury report as a non-participant while he recovers from a sprained right ankle, head coach Brian Daboll said earlier Tuesday that he's not yet ruling the running back out from playing Thursday against the 49ers. Barkley appears to be trending toward a game-time decision, but more clarity may come when the Giants issue their final practice report of the week Wednesday. If Barkley ends up sitting out Thursday, Matt Breida would likely be the top candidate to start, though he could headline a backfield committee rather than handling a workhorse role.

Williams (hamstring) could miss Sunday's game against the Packers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Williams tweaked his hamstring in Monday's victory over the Panthers and head coach Dennis Allen suggested Tuesday the running back would miss "some time", although how much time remains unclear. Kendre Miller (hamstring), Tony Jones and the versatile Taysom Hill are all candidates to see more work in the backfield if Williams is indeed sidelined. Alvin Kamara (suspension) will also return in Week 4 and should immediately move into the top spot on the depth chart.

Head coach Dennis Allen expects Miller (hamstring) to be a "full go" at practice this week, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.

With Jamaal Williams (hamstring) unlikely to play Week 3, and Alvin Kamara (suspension) still one game away from returning, the Saints will be thin at running back when they head to Green Bay on Sunday. Miller could be in line for a significant workload should Allen's optimism ring true regarding his status. New Orleans relied on Tony Jones and packages surrounding the versatile Taysom Hill for a rushing threat in Monday's victory over the Panthers, however, and both figure to be in the mix in Week 3. More clarity on MIller's health will be provided by the team's first practice report of the week Wednesday.

Head coach Sean McVay confirmed Monday that the Rams are "headed" toward trading Akers, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.

Leading up to Akers being a healthy inactive for the Rams' Week 2 loss to the 49ers, multiple reports had already indicated that the fourth-year running back was headed for the trade block while Los Angeles prepared to install second-year player Kyren Williams as its new lead back. McVay backed up those reports Monday, noting that general manager Les Snead had already spoken with "a handful of teams" about acquiring Akers. Until a trade is executed, Akers will likely continue to remain inactive, but look for the Rams to work quickly to find a new home for the 24-year-old in order to maintain roster flexibility. Since tearing his Achilles' tendon in July 2021, Akers has largely struggled to return to peak form, aside from a three-game stretch late in the 2022 season in which he cleared 100 rushing yards in each contest.

Brown played one offensive snap in Sunday's loss to the Ravens and had one carry for two yards.

Brown also played seven snaps on special teams. He was active after sitting out the Week 1 loss to the Browns thanks to Chris Evans (hamstring) being sidelined, but Brown is also currently behind Trayveon Williams in the pecking order at running back.

Coach Brian Daboll said Tuesday that Barkley (ankle) "feels a lot better today," and the running back hasn't been ruled out for Thursday's game against the 49ers, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports.

Daboll said he expects Barkley to be a game-time decision and that the running back has made "considerable progress," per Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site. Still, it would be surprising if Barkley manages to suit up Thursday, considering that he just suffered a right ankle sprain Sunday. Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports that such injuries can require about three weeks of recovery. Tuesday's official injury report will provide a more concrete update on Barkley's status, but it looks like his availability for Thursday could come down to the wire.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said Tuesday that Ford will step in as the team's featured running back this weekend versus the Titans, though Cleveland will still look to add another back to the roster after Nick Chubb suffered a season-ending left knee injury in Monday's loss to the Steelers, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

While a precise diagnosis of Chubb's injury hasn't yet been provided, Stefanski confirmed that the star running back would require season-ending surgery. After Chubb exited two plays into the second quarter of Monday's contest, Ford stepped in capably in his first extended NFL action, carrying 16 times for 106 yards and adding three catches for 25 yards and a touchdown on four targets. A 69-yard run in which he reversed field after encountering a crowd at the line of scrimmage represented the bulk of his production on the ground, as he averaged a more unimpressive 2.5 yards per carry on his other totes. Even so, the long gain was demonstrative of the explosive burst Ford brings to the table, though he can't be expected to match Chubb's effectiveness as an overall runner. Ford has a path to a three-down role Sunday with Pierre Strong being the only other healthy running back on the roster, though the potential addition of a veteran free agent such as Kareem Hunt -- who spent the past four seasons in Cleveland as Chubb's top backup -- makes Ford's long-term outlook a little murkier.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed Tuesday that Chubb will undergo season-ending surgery on his left knee after the running back exited Monday's 26-22 loss to the Steelers with the injury, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Chubb carried 10 times for 64 yards before going down with the gruesome injury two plays into the second quarter, when his knee bent awkwardly on a hit by Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. The star running back was carted off the field, and as anticipated, initial tests on Chubb's knee revealed a season-ending injury. Until the results of Chubb's MRI are read, the Browns may not provide a precise diagnosis for the injury, but the 27-year-old notably dislocated and tore the MCL, PCL and LCL in the same knee in October 2015 during his sophomore season at Georgia. With Chubb lost for the season, Stefanski told Cabot that Jerome Ford will step in as the Browns' new feature back, though the coach suggested that Cleveland will still look to add another back to the 53-man roster.

Gray could pick up his first snaps on offense during Thursday's game in San Francisco with top running back Saquon Barkley dealing with a right ankle sprain that is expected to keep him sidelined at least through Week 3, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

The 2023 fifth-round pick out of Oklahoma has dressed for both of the Giants' first two games, but all 20 of his snaps have come on special teams while he's served as New York's punt returner in addition to holding a role on the coverage units. Matt Breida and Gary Brightwell have both taken snaps at running back ahead of Gray when Barkley has been off the field and are presumably first in line for work Thursday, but the rookie's shiftiness in the open field could at least prompt the Giants to give him a look in a change-of-pace role this week. As Stapleton notes, however, Gray is viewed as a liability in pass protection at this stage of his career, which may hinder his chances of seeing a more extended opportunity even if Barkley is out longer than anticipated.