NFL Player News

Etienne (foot) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

Etienne practiced in a limited fashion for the second day in a row after he exited early in this past Sunday's 28-27 win over the Ravens due to a left foot sprain. Head coach Doug Pederson downplayed the injury shortly after the game, noting that Etienne could have returned had the Jaguars not chosen to exercise some extra caution with the running back, who missed the entire 2021 season after getting surgery on the same foot. Fortunately for Etienne, he doesn't seem to be dealing with anything significant, though he'll likely need to upgrade to full participation in practice Friday to avoid carrying an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Lions.

Dobbins (knee) practiced Thursday for the second day in a row, but the Ravens aren't expected to activate him from injured reserve ahead of Sunday's game against the Broncos, Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Baltimore officially designated Dobbins for return from IR on Wednesday, thereby opening a 21-day window in which he can be evaluated for a return to the 53-man roster. Because he's not currently a member of the roster, however, the Ravens don't have to disclose the extent of Dobbins' practice activity, though Shaffer's report would seem to suggest that the running back is being eased back into drills slowly after missing the past six weeks while recovering from an arthroscopic procedure on the same left knee in which he suffered an ACL tear last August. Assuming he experiences no setbacks with his knee while ramping back up, Dobbins could return to the lineup Week 14 or 15, but the Ravens look set to proceed with Gus Edwards, Kenyan Drake and Justice Hill as their active running backs for this Sunday's contest.

Coach Robert Saleh said Wednesday that "no one has seen the last of" Robinson, though Saleh wouldn't commit to Robinson playing Sunday against the Vikings after the running back was scratched in the Week 12 win over the Bears, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Undrafted rookie Zonovan Knight made his NFL debut with Robinson out of the picture last week, and Knight made the most of the opportunity with 103 scrimmage yards. The Jets may not have the option to use the same trio of Knight, Ty Johnson and Michael Carter from that 31-10 win over the Bears, as Carter's status against Minnesota is in doubt due to an ankle injury. If Carter sits out, Robinson would presumably re-enter the rotation. Robinson was surprised at the decision to scratch him, which likely resulted from his ineffectiveness since being acquired from Jacksonville via trade. As a member of the Jets, Robinson has averaged a modest 3.0 yards per carry while catching only two passes in three games played.

Carter (ankle) wasn't spotted at practice Thursday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Carter didn't practice Wednesday, so what he's able to do Friday will be key with regard to his chances of suiting up Sunday against the Vikings. If Carter ends up missing the contest, Zonovan Knight and Ty Johnson would be in line for expanded roles in Week 13, while James Robinson, who was a healthy inactive this past weekend, could also reenter the Jets' backfield mix.

Gibson (foot) was a non-participant at Thursday's practice, Matthew Paras of The Washington Times reports.

One day removed from opening Week 13 prep with a cap on his practice reps, Gibson was held out entirely Thursday, giving him just one more chance to mix into drills before the Commanders potentially make a ruling on his availability for Sunday's game at the Giants. During a Week 12 win against the Falcons, he experienced his lowest touch count (12) since Week 6 and was a distant second to rookie Brian Robinson (20) in his own backfield. If he's able to gut out his foot injury this weekend, Gibson again may play second fiddle to Robinson.

McKinnon (hamstring) won't practice Thursday, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

McKinnon, who is dealing with a hamstring issue, also missed practice Wednesday, so the running back's status for Sunday's game against the Bengals currently is uncertain. If McKinnon is unable to play this weekend, Ronald Jones is available to handle complementary snaps behind Isiah Pacheco, while newcomer Melvin Gordon is a candidate to be elevated from the Chiefs' practice squad in advance of Week 13 action.

Homer (illness) was a non-participant during practice Wednesday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Homer played 34 total snaps during Sunday's loss to the Raiders, though he appears to have come down with an illness since this contest. While the nature of this ailment is still unclear, the running back will have two more practices to improve his status before taking on the Rams this Sunday. When healthy, Homer will likely continue to split playing time with DeeJay Dallas behind No. 1 running back Kenneth Walker.

Bolden (calf) was listed as a limited participant during the Raiders' walkthrough Wednesday, Rachel Gossen of the team's official site reports.

Bolden was forced out early with a calf injury during Sunday's win over the Seahawks, and it's unclear if he was able to return to this contest. While the nature of this issue is still unknown, the 32-year-old running back will now have two more practices to improve his status before this Sunday's game against the Chargers. Bolden has recorded two rushes for 10 yards and five receptions (on five targets) for 32 yards while almost exclusively playing on special teams since Week 4, so he'll likely continue to play a limited offensive role when healthy.

The Broncos re-signed Ozigbo to the practice squad Wednesday, Aric DiLalla of the team's official site reports.

Ozigbo was signed off the practice squad ahead of Sunday's loss to the Panthers, but he was limited to one reception on his lone target while playing four offensive snaps. Denver also elevated the 26-year-old running back for Weeks 5 and 8, so he's still eligible for more game-day activation while on the team's practice squad this season. However, Ozigbo will likely see limited usage moving forward after the Broncos also designated running back Mike Boone (ankle) to return from IR on Wednesday.

Akers was held out of Wednesday's practice due to an illness, Gilbert Manzano of The Orange County Register reports.

In the wake of the Rams waiving Darrell Henderson last week, Akers ended up playing second fiddle to rookie Kyren Williams out of the team's backfield during this past Sunday's loss at Kansas City. While Akers' snap share (30 percent) paled in comparison to Williams' (70 percent), the former had more rushing yards (37 to 35) while the latter notched more touches (14 to 8) and yards from scrimmage (60 to 37). Akers is beginning Week 13 prep with an absence from his practice, so his status will be one to monitor in advance of Sunday's game against the Seahawks.