NFL Player News

Montgomery (thigh) was limited at Tuesday's walkthrough.

After hurting his thigh in Week 2 versus the Seahawks, Montgomery was unable to practice at all prior to being inactive this past Sunday against the Falcons. This week, he's been estimated as a limited participant on both of the Lions' initial injury reports, but coach Dan Campbell relayed Tuesday that he's "starting to feel pretty good about" Montgomery suiting up Thursday at Green Bay.

Rivers returned one kickoff for 16 yards during Monday's 19-16 loss to the Bengals.

Rivers saw only 20 snaps on special teams, as fellow running back Kyren Williams played every snap on offense for the Rams. Through two weeks with Williams as the lead back, Rivers has just four snaps on offense, a trend that will likely continue into next week's contest against the Colts.

Lions coach Dan Campbell said Tuesday that he's optimistic that Montgomery (thigh) will be able to play in Thursday's game versus the Packers.

Montgomery missed Week 3 due to a thigh bruise but was listed as a limited participant on Monday's estimated practice report. His return would likely mean less usage for rookie first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs, who saw 17 rushing attempts versus Atlanta after garnering just 14 through the first two weeks of the season.

Barkley is making progress in his recovery from a sprained right ankle, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Barkley was unable to suit up for the Giants' Week 3 loss at San Francisco last Thursday. Prior to that contest, he revealed to Taylor Rooks of NFL on Prime that he was tending to a "high-ankle sprain," which typically results in a multi-game absence. According to Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site, however, coach Brian Daboll called Barkley day-to-day Tuesday. Fortunately for the running back, the Giants don't play until Monday against the Seahawks, so there seems to be some chance he will miss only one game due to his ankle injury.

Mixon carried the ball 19 times for 65 yards and a touchdown while catching one of two targets for five yards in Monday's 19-16 win over the Rams.

Mixon hit pay dirt for the first time this season with a 14-yard touchdown scamper on Cincinnati's first offensive drive coming out of halftime. The 27-year-old experienced a slight increase in touches after handling 16 in the season opener and 17 in Week 2. Backup Trayveon Williams was the only other back to record a carry, and he was limited to that one rush all game. Mixon should continue to dominate the Bengals backfield in a Week 4 matchup with the Titans on Sunday.

Williams rushed 10 times for 38 yards and caught two of seven targets for 27 yards during Monday's 19-16 loss to the Bengals.

Despite the Bengals allowing 192 rushing yards per game over the first two games of the season, the Rams chose to shy away from the run. Williams logged just 10 attempts with a long run of nine yards. The young back also was unable to jell with Matthew Stafford as a receiver, as the offense as a whole sputtered out through the majority of the game. No other back on the Rams received a single touch on offense, however, a sign that coach Sean McVay trusts Williams to be a three-down workhorse for the time being. The Colts are up next Week 4 and have been fairly stingy against the run so far this year, with backs averaging just 3.5 YPC against them through three games.

White rushed 14 times for 38 yards and secured all three targets for 24 yards in the Buccaneers' 25-11 loss to the Eagles on Monday night. He also lost a fumble and was tackled for a safety.

White was stymied repeatedly on the ground by an Eagles defense that came in allowing the fewest rushing yards per game, and he was only able to partly make up for it with his work as a receiver. The second-year back has now averaged under 3.0 yards per carry in two of his first three games while running behind a makeshift offensive line, and White's outlook doesn't get much brighter Week 4 with the Saints defense on tap in what projects to be a difficult road matchup.

Gainwell (ribs) rushed 14 times for 43 yards and caught one of two targets for five yards in Monday's 25-11 win over the Buccaneers.

Gainwell's first carry in his return from a one-game absence came on fourth-and-1, and he got stuffed for minus-1 yard to end Philadelphia's opening drive in the red zone. He finished with 14 carries to D'Andre Swift's 16, but Swift was vastly more effective, churning out 130 rushing yards on the heels of last week's 175-yard performance on the ground. The gap in attempts was much wider while the game was still in doubt, as eight of Gainwell's carries came on the final drive. Swift's the leader in Philadelphia's backfield heading into a Week 4 home game against the Commanders, but Gainwell's the clear No. 2 option over Rashaad Penny, who didn't register a touch Monday, and Boston Scott (concussion), who was inactive.

Swift rushed 16 times for 130 yards and caught one of two targets for eight yards in Monday's 25-11 win over Tampa Bay.

Swift continued to handle the lead role, even with Kenneth Gainwell (ribs) back after missing one game. Gainwell rushed for just 43 yards on 14 carries in his return, while Swift boosted his rushing total to a whopping 305 yards over the past two games. Swift hurdled a defender on a 26-yard run in the third quarter, then showcased his burst again with a 29-yard run in the fourth. While Swift's modest 14 receiving yards through three games are concerning, he's been one of the league's most effective runners and should continue to lead Philadelphia's backfield Week 4 against Washington.

Spears carried the ball four times for six yards in Sunday's 27-3 loss to the Browns. He added four receptions for three yards.

Spears became the latest victim of the Browns' stifling defense early this season, as he narrowly managed more yards from scrimmage than touches in the game. There were some positives to take away from his role, however, as he was the back on the field for the entirety of a Titans drive just before halftime. The team continues to find ways to work Spears onto the field, though he is still clearly working behind Derrick Henry in the backfield.