NFL Player News

Barkley has been diagnosed with an ankle sprain following an MRI on Monday and isn't expected to play Thursday against the 49ers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Schefter says the injury is slated to sideline the superstar running back for three weeks and describes the sprain as "ordinary." While this isn't great news, it does appear Barkley avoided a serious injury and should be able to return relatively soon. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that Barkley is considered week-to-week moving forward.

McFarland (knee) was placed on injured reserve Monday.

McFarland had already been ruled out for Monday's game against the Browns after not being able to practice all week. However, his shift to IR wasn't necessarily expected. The move will now leave the Steelers without their No. 3 running back and kick returner. Practice squad call-up Qadree Ollison and Gunner Olszewski are expected to handle those respective roles in Week 2.

Rivers caught his only target for four yards during Sunday's 30-23 loss to the 49ers.

With Cam Akers (coach's decision) a surprise inactive, Rivers was elevated to the primary backup role behind starter Kyren Williams. That role turned out to be basically non-existent, as Williams was used as a true three-down back for all but one of the Rams' drives. Rivers will likely serve as the primary backup to Williams again in a Week 3 tilt against the Bengals barring any sudden changes with Akers' situation.

New Orleans elevated Jones from its practice squad to the 53-man roster ahead of Monday's game at Carolina.

It appears Jones is probably going to suit up for a second consecutive game Monday. He saw just one carry in Week 1, and there's not much reason to believe he'll see significantly more work in Week 2 barring an injury to starter Jamaal Williams.

Coach Mike McDaniel said Monday that Ahmed's groin injury is "not [an] overly long situation," Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

McDaniel also ruled out a groin tear. It looks as though Ahmed has a chance of being back on the field for Week 3's matchup against the Broncos, though his availability ultimately will depend on how much work he's able to get done on the practice field. Prior to leaving Sunday's win over the Patriots in the second quarter, Ahmed was putting together a relatively productive showing (six touches, 41 total yards) behind Raheem Mostert.

Mitchell did not see the field in Sunday's 30-23 win over the Rams.

Mitchell's lack of playing time wasn't due to a role reduction, but rather a lack of need after starter Christian McCaffrey stayed on the field for every offensive snap Sunday. The only other San Francisco running back used was Jordan Mason, who logged 17 snaps in his usual role on special teams. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has been leaning on McCaffrey heavily early on, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Mitchell get involved as the season progresses in order to keep the starter fresh.

Johnson rushed once for eight yards and caught his lone target for nine yards during Sunday's 17-9 loss to the Chiefs.

The 27-year-old rushed for minus-four yards on his only offensive snap in the season opener, but he received two touches on six offensive snaps Sunday. No. 2 tailback Tank Bigsby saw more of the field but didn't touch the ball, as starter Travis Etienne was the only back to be a real factor. Johnson appears locked in as Jacksonville's tertiary option in the backfield.

Bigsby played 12 offensive snaps during Sunday's 17-9 loss to Kansas City.

The rookie third-round pick had seven carries for 13 yards and a touchdown in his NFL debut last week, but he was much less involved in the offense Sunday. Bigsby saw a similar snap count, but Jacksonville running backs recorded just 13 carries compared to 26 in the season opener. The 22-year-old still appears to be No. 2 on the depth chart, but he's unlikely to have much fantasy value week-to-week while Travis Etienne, who battled cramps versus the Chiefs, remains healthy.

Coach Dan Campbell said Monday that Montgomery (thigh) is day-to-day, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Montgomery said after Sunday's overtime loss to the Seahawks that he expects to need "a couple weeks" to fully recover from his bruised thigh, but Campbell offered a more optimistic timetable. It may be that Montgomery is day-to-day in terms of actual game-time availability, meaning he could be on the field Week 3 versus the Falcons, but that truly getting back to full health will require more time. If Montgomery needs to miss game action or is limited when on the field, rookie backfield mate Jahmyr Gibbs will have a path to increased touches.

Spiller carried the ball once for three yards in Sunday's 27-24 overtime loss to the Titans.

With Austin Ekeler (ankle) out, the Chargers relied heavily on Joshua Kelley (54 snaps) and mixed in Elijah Dotson (nine snaps), with Spiller tallying just four. At this point, it appears as if the 2022 fourth-round pick has been completely cast aside, especially considering he was a healthy scratch in Week 1.