NFL Player News

Patterson practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday due to a thigh injury, Scott Bair of the Falcons' official site reports.

The Falcons finally provided clarity for the soft-tissue injury that Patterson has been dealing with since at least Aug. 14, labeling it as a thigh issue on their first practice report of Week 1 prep. Assuming the team clears him to play Sunday versus the Panthers, Patterson will be serving in the newly revealed "Joker" role, per the team's official depth chart. Working alongside receiver Drake London, tight end Kyle Pitts and running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier may not leave many touches for Patterson, but the presence of all of them may result in less defensive attention for the 11-year pro.

Ahmed (back) was a full practice participant Wednesday, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.

Ahmed missed about a week of practice with a back/neck injury suffered in the Dolphins' final preseason game. He could be anywhere between second and fourth on the depth chart for Sunday's opener against the Chargers, as there's no clear order behind starting running back Raheem Mostert with Jeff Wilson (abdomen) on injured reserve. Ahmed can at least be considered a slight favorite for the No. 2 role, considering that's where he's listed on the Dolphins' unofficial depth chart after repping ahead of De'Von Achane and Chris Brooks for most of training camp and the preseason.

Achane (shoulder) was a full practice participant Wednesday, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.

Achane is practicing without limitations 18 days after being carted off to the locker room during a preseason game. Though Achane seems to have received a clean bill of health, he may not be in store for a significant role Sunday against Los Angeles in his NFL debut. Raheem Mostert is expected to start and veteran backup Salvon Ahmed (back) also managed full practice participation Wednesday.

Broncos head coach Sean Payton said Wednesday that Williams will have a "big role" this Sunday against the Raiders, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.

A busy Week 1 as Denver's lead back looked like a remote possibility for Williams back in the spring, but he's made a surprisingly smooth recovery from surgery to address ACL and LCL tears to his right knee, which he suffered last October. Fears that Williams may open the season on the PUP list have now morphed into hopes that he can deliver big-time production in September, though offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi acknowledged two weeks ago that the Broncos might start Williams off with something less than what eventually will be his full workload. Denver signed Samaje Perine this offseason to handle whatever snaps Williams can't take on -- and perhaps the lion's share of the snaps in obvious passing situations -- but thoughts of Perine being a locked-in fantasy starter for the first few weeks of the season have seemingly evaporated. It'll be interesting to see the workload split between Williams and Perine this Sunday, even that breakdown isn't necessarily indicative of how they'll share snaps and touches throughout the season.

Williams (ankle) wasn't listed Wednesday on the Bengals' initial Week 1 injury report.

Williams missed a few weeks of practice and preseason action after spraining his ankle Aug. 1. He's now ready to play in Sunday's game in Cleveland, though even as part of a shaky Cincinnati backfield he'll probably be a healthy inactive or restricted to special teams rather than handling a significant role on offense. Chris Evans and Chase Brown both are more likely to get playing time off the bench behind Joe Mixon.

Moss (arm) was a limited practice participant Wednesday.

Moss wasn't sporting a non-contact jersey in his return to practice, though the running back won't necessarily play Sunday against the Jaguars after he had been off the field for the past five weeks while recovering from a broken arm. Deon Jackson and Evan Hull are the other running backs on Indianapolis' 53-man roster at the moment, though one of Jake Funk and Jason Huntley could be elevated from the practice squad to add depth if Moss can't play Week 1. Even if he's sidelined for the opener, Moss appears on track to play Week 2.

Miller (hamstring) was held out of practice Wednesday, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.

After he wasn't spotted during the open portion of the session, Miller officially didn't log any work to begin Week 1 prep. His absence from practice is somewhat concerning considering he also dealt with a knee sprain in mid-August, making it two injuries for the rookie third-round pick since the start of training camp. Miller will have two more opportunities to mix into drills this week before the Saints potentially make a decision on his availability for Sunday's game against the Titans. With Alvin Kamara serving a three-game suspension to begin the campaign, Jamaal Williams, Kirk Merritt and practice-squad members Tony Jones and Jordan Mims are New Orleans' healthy and available running backs at the moment.

Jackson could face competition for touches out of the backfield Sunday against the Jaguars from Zack Moss (arm), who was a limited practice participant Wednesday.

Prior reports had suggested that Moss was unlikely to be ready to make his season debut until Week 2 or 3, but he now seems to have at least some chance of being ready to play Sunday, per JJ Stankevitz of the Colts' official site. If so, Moss would likely work in some form of a committee with Jackson and possibly Evan Hull, giving Indianapolis the most unsettled backfield in the league. Jackson becomes a much more attractive Week 1 fantasy play if Moss ends up missing the game, though even in that scenario, Jackson is far from a bankable lineup option in most leagues.

Sanders (groin) wasn't listed on the Panthers' first Week 1 injury report released Wednesday.

Sanders tweaked his groin during an Aug. 9 practice, and despite getting back in full pads by Aug. 21, Carolina held him out for the entire preseason. On Tuesday, Sanders told David Newton of ESPN.com that his intention was to be available Week 1 in Atlanta, and his full participation in practice a day later confirms as much. Now that Sanders' health is no longer a question mark, he's slated to be the Panthers' lead back in 2023, with Chuba Hubbard and Raheem Blackshear on hand as depth options.

Miller (hamstring) wasn't seen on the field during the open portion of Wednesday's practice, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.

Miller hasn't been able to avoid the injury bug since the beginning of training camp, suffering a sprained knee in the first week of the preseason before missing last Wednesday's session due to a hamstring issue. Alvin Kamara is sitting out the first three games of the season due to suspension, so the Saints' current healthy options out of the backfield are Jamaal Williams and Kirk Merritt, with Tony Jones and Jordan Mims candidates to be elevated from the practice squad. Quarterback Taysom Hill could also factor into the mix for carries.