NFL Player News

Taylor (ankle) has been at the Colts' team facilities rehabbing and attending meetings, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Taylor wants to be traded but isn't holding out, and recent comments from GM Chris Ballard suggest the Colts still hope the running back will change his mind and end up playing for the team at some point after Week 4. He's ineligible for the first four games while on the reserve/PUP list, with his slower-than-expected rehab from late-January ankle surgery playing a big role in the complicated situation. If Taylor is eventually medically cleared and removed from the PUP list, he'd have to report to the Colts for at least the final six games of 2023 to accrue a season and become a free agent next year. For now, the Colts head into Week 1 with Deon Jackson, Evan Hull and possibly Zack Moss (arm) as their running backs against the Jaguars.

Patterson (thigh) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Panthers, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.

Patterson was limited in practice this week and will go through pregame workouts Sunday before a final decision is made on his status for Week 1. He's been battling the injury since Aug. 14. Listed as a "JOKER" on the Falcons' posted depth chart, Patterson is expected to play all over the offense as a sub-package player in 2023.

Coach Frank Reich said Hubbard will "see action" behind Miles Sanders in Sunday's game against the Falcons, Steve Reed of the Associated Press reports.

Reich said the Panthers will approach Week 1 like Sanders is "full go," but Hubbard looks like the clear No. 2 back in Carolina, ahead of Raheem Blackshear. Hubbard still has very little fantasy value outside of deeper leagues with Sanders healthy.

Coach Todd Bowles said Friday that Vaughn is back with the Bucs and has worked things out after leaving the team for a day due to displeasure with a demotion, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

Vaughn still has his job but may only play special teams Sunday at Minnesota and could even be a healthy scratch. He was hoping to earn a role on offense in the final season of his rookie contract, but it sounds like Sean Tucker and Chase Edmonds -- in addition to starter Rachaad White -- are ahead of Vaughn on the backfield depth chart. While Edmonds isn't likely to play much apart from clear passing situations, Tucker is worth making note of for fantasy after recent comments from Bowles essentially confirmed the undrafted rookie had won the No. 2 spot in Tampa's backfield. It's unclear if Edmonds also will be involved and whether he or Vaughn (or neither) will be a healthy scratch for Sunday's opener in Minnesota.

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said Pollard is ready to be a No. 1 back and told reporters "there's nothing we will shy away from" when it comes to scheme, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas News reports.

Pollard made a smooth recovery from January ankle surgery and seems to have had a normal training camp, giving the Cowboys confidence they can get by with only Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn as backups Week 1 at the Giants. Pollard's new role will include some of the snaps Ezekiel Elliott took last year, including pass-blocking reps and at least a portion of the short-yardage carries, though the Cowboys might also use Dowdle or FB Hunter Luepke for some of that stuff to let the speedy Pollard focus more on what he does best. Regardless of the specifics of their respective roles, Pollard should get far more touches with Zeke gone and was typically taken in the second round of fantasy drafts in anticipation of a much larger role. The 26-year-old starts his season with a challenge, playing on the road Sunday night against a defensive line that starts Dexter Lawrence, Leonard Williams and A'Shawn Robinson (nearly 1,000 combined pounds).

Stevenson wasn't spotted during the media-access portion of Friday's practice, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Stevenson hasn't been listed on the Patriots' injury report this week, but his status is now worth monitoring ahead of Sunday's game against the Eagles. Added context regarding the running back's Week 1 standing should arrive once the team's Friday practice/injury report is posted.

Reynolds did not log a snap on offense during Thursday's 21-20 win over the Chiefs.

Reynolds secured the No. 3 role at running back in the wake of Justin Jackson's retirement this summer. While he started the year totally contained to special teams as David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs shouldered the load, Reynolds may have contingent fantasy value in a strong Detroit offense should anything happen to either of the top two running backs.

Gibbs rushed seven times for 42 yards while securing both of his targets for 18 yards during Thursday's 21-20 win over Kansas City.

While this wasn't the volume fantasy managers wanted for Gibbs, the Lions coaching staff did publicly state that the rookie might not see a full workload out of the gate. With that said, even with reduced expectations it was still a surprise to see him handle 14 less carries than David Montgomery, with Gibbs only seeing two looks in the passing game and no carries near the goal line. While he should see more work as the season unfolds, the electric playmaker may need to rely on extreme efficiency to put up big stats in the meantime. Up next is a matchup against Seattle in Week 2.

Montgomery rushed 21 times for 74 yards with one touchdown but was not targeted in the passing game during Thursday's 21-20 victory over the Chiefs.

Even though Montgomery's efficiency does not jump off the page, his usage does. In fact, offseason expectations for Montgomery to step into the role Jamaal Williams thrived within last year do not seem misplaced, and Montgomery could be in store for a big season in standard fantasy formats thanks to a prominent role near the goal line. However, it should be noted that first-round rookie Jahmyr Gibbs only saw nine touches after Lions coaches openly admitted that Gibbs wouldn't see a full workload out of the gate, and Montgomery probably won't see many passes come his way as long as his counterpart is in commission. Next up for the Lions' ground game is a Week 2 matchup against a Seahawks defense that looks more susceptible on the ground than through the air.

Edwards-Helaire rushed six times for 22 yards and secured his only target for seven yards in the Chiefs' 21-20 loss to the Lions on Thursday night.

Edwards-Helaire trailed backfield mate Isiah Pacheco by two carries, and neither back was able to find any appreciable running room against what appears to be an improved Lions run defense. The 24-year-old seems set to operate in a complementary role to Pacheco this season and perhaps share some pass-catching duties with Jerick McKinnon, but it will be interesting to see how the timeshare on early downs continues to evolve during a Week 2 road matchup against the Jaguars a week from Sunday.