NFL Player News

Coach Arthur Smith said the Falcons will wait until Saturday to make a decision on Patterson (knee) returning for Sunday's game against the Chargers, Tori McElhaney of the team's official site reports.

Patterson returned to practice Wednesday and was designated to return from injured reserve. He's apparently avoided setbacks with the knee issue that required a minor procedure in early October, but the Falcons aren't yet ready to commit (as of Friday) to placing him back on the active roster. If that does end up happening, Patterson will take aim at a struggling Chargers defense that's given up a league-worst 5.7 yards per carry this season.

Harris (illness) wasn't spotted at practice Friday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Harris also missed practice Wednesday and Thursday, which clouds his status for Sunday's game against the Colts. Friday's final injury report will reveal whether the running back has a chance to play this weekend, but if he's out or limited, Rhamondre Stevenson would be in line to see added touches, with Pierre Strong (hamstring) and Kevin Harris on hand in reserve.

Hubbard (ankle) is ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bengals.

Hubbard did not practice Friday after having been limited Wednesday and Thursday, setting him up for a second straight missed contest. That positions D'Onta Foreman, who is coming off back-to-back games with 100-plus rushing yards, to lead Carolina's backfield again Sunday versus the Bengals. Hubbard's next chance to play will come on Thursday Night Football against the Falcons in Week 10.

Taylor (ankle) is not present for the start of Friday's practice, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Taylor appears to be missing his third straight practice of the week, which doesn't bode well for his availability heading into a Sunday matchup on the road against New England. If Friday's official injury report rules Taylor out for Week 9, or even if he manages to suit up while limited, Deon Jackson and Zack Moss could stand to lead Indianapolis' backfield. Phillip Lindsay and Jordan Wilkins also would be candidates to come up from the practice squad.

Gainwell rushed four times for 22 yards and a touchdown and brought in all three targets for 16 yards in the Eagles' 29-17 win over the Texans on Thursday night.

Gainwell was able to complement backfield mate Miles Sanders' strong night on the ground (17-93-1) with his third rushing touchdown of the season on a four-yard run in the latter portion of the second quarter. Gainwell remains firmly behind Sanders in the backfield pecking order, but his season-high reception and receiving yardage totals combined with the score made it the second-year back's best fantasy performance of the season overall.

Pierce rushed 27 times for 139 yards and wasn't targeted in the passing game during the Texans' 29-17 loss to the Eagles on Thursday night.

The rookie was unsurprisingly heavily involved on a night when the Texans' air attack was missing Brandin Cooks (wrist/personal) and Nico Collins (groin), and he was able to take advantage of a giving Eagles run defense. Pierce's long run went for 36 yards, with that scamper part of an 88-yard first half. As has often been the case this season, the fourth-round pick remained consistently involved irrespective of game script, and he'll aim for his third 100-yard effort of the season in a Week 10 road matchup against the vulnerable Giants run defense a week from Sunday.

Sanders rushed 17 times for 93 yards and a touchdown but did not draw a target in the Eagles' 29-17 win over the Texans on Thursday night.

The speedy back was consistently effective throughout the night, with his game-long run a relatively modest 25 yards. Sanders also recorded his sixth touchdown of the season on a two-yard run late in the first quarter, while his yardage total checked in as his highest since Week 4. Sanders continues to demonstrate excellent efficiency on the ground overall, affording him plenty of momentum going into a Week 10 home divisional matchup against the Commanders on Monday night, Nov. 14.

Conner (ribs) was limited at Thursday's practice, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Like he did Wednesday, Conner again had a cap on his reps one day later as he continues his recovery from the rib injury that so far has forced three consecutive absences. Until he logs a full session or the Cardinals otherwise remove his designation, his status seemingly is in limbo. Coach Kliff Kingsbury did call Conner day-to-day earlier this week, so the running back may be drawing close to a return to action. Friday's practice report could signal that Conner is good to go for Sunday's game against the Seahawks.

Sermon (coach's decision) was ruled inactive ahead of Thursday's game against the Texans.

Sermon will be ruled a healthy scratch for the sixth time since joining the Eagles in early September. The second-year back was waived as part of the 49ers' final roster cuts in August, and he's logged two carries for 19 yards on eight offensive snaps so far in 2022. Sermon is unlikely to see much action while slotting in behind Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott this season.

Akers (personal) practiced fully Thursday, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.

The saga surrounding Akers appears to be drawing to a close after he returned to the team and managed to handle every practice rep Thursday. Wednesday's chat between Akers, his agent David Mulugheta and Rams coach Sean McVay seems to have bridged the gap between the two sides after the running back missed the last two games due to "personal reasons" and was the subject of trade rumors before Tuesday's deadline. Now that Akers has rejoined his teammates on the field, it remains to be seen what kind of role he can expect Sunday at Tampa Bay, assuming he's active. At the moment, Akers, Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown are the backfield options on L.A.'s active roster, while Ronnie Rivers is a prime candidate to be elevated from the practice squad this weekend.