NFL Player News

Johnson played one snap on offense and 17 snaps on special teams in Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Falcons.

Johnson, who was inactive the first two weeks, saw his first action on offense in Week 4. He also helped replace the injured Jerome Ford (ankle) on kickoff returns. With Ford hitting injured reserve Tuesday, the Browns listed Johnson as Ford's replacement on the team's unofficial depth chart for Week 5 against the Chargers.

Chestnut signed with the Titans' practice squad Tuesday, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.

Chestnut was on the team's 53-man roster, but he was waived from it Saturday. He now rejoins the team, but this time on the practice squad. He'll use the opportunity to earn a chance to get back on the active roster.

Taylor (ankle) was officially listed as a non-participant on Tuesday's estimated practice report, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

For the second day in a row, the Colts didn't hold a formal practice session, but Taylor's right ankle remained bothersome enough to confine him to the sideline for Tuesday's walk-through workout. Even though he hasn't taken any on-field reps and was spotted in a walking boot Tuesday, the 23-year-old still has a chance at being available for Thursday's game against the Broncos. According to Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus, the right ankle injury Taylor suffered in last Sunday's loss to the Titans is considered mild, which could result in his status for Week 5 being a game-time decision. Per Boyd, the running back also acknowledged Tuesday that he's still dealing with the case of turf toe that landed him on the injury report last week, though Taylor wouldn't say whether the toe issue is to the same foot as the ankle sprain. In any case, his injured toe is seemingly a lesser concern than his ankle sprain.

Offensive coordinator Justin Outten implied that Gordon (neck) will be the Broncos' featured back in Thursday's game against the Colts, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports. "With Melvin, he's going to carry the load, obviously. We'll have a mix of [Mike] Boone and then after that we got to figure out who can spell and who feels best in that position," Outten said Tuesday.

Outten's comments about Gordon are a notable departure from what Nathaniel Hackett had to say earlier in the day about the Denver backfield situation in the wake of Javonte Williams suffering a season-ending knee injury, with the head coach declining to name a new lead back, per Stevens. Hackett may have just wanted to keep his plans close to the vest, but Outten's statements offer fantasy managers some more clarity about the Broncos' intentions as Thursday's game approaches. Gordon has already fumbled four times in 2022 and is averaging a pedestrian 3.8 yards per carry, but his wealth of experience looks like it'll at least give him the initial edge over Boone to replace Williams as the top option at running back. Outten's omission of the newly signed Latavius Murray from the backfield conversation suggests that the 32-year-old is likely to have only a small role at best in Week 5 if he's active at all, though Murray could push for more work as he settles into his new surroundings.

Gordon (neck) was listed as a limited participant in Tuesday's walk-through practice.

The neck issue doesn't seem to be a serious threat to Gordon's availability for Thursday's game against the Colts, as the veteran back was a limited participant for much of last week due to the same injury before heading into Sunday's eventual loss to the Raiders without a designation. His fantasy outlook has improved in the wake of Javonte Williams (knee) suffering a season-ending injury, but Gordon won't necessarily have a clear-cut path to the No. 1 role out of the backfield, as head coach Nathaniel Hackett indicated Tuesday he hasn't committed to a starter for Week 5, per Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com. Though he has a longer track record of success in the NFL than Mike Boone and hasn't bounced around the league as much as new signee Latavius Murray, Gordon's fumbling habit likely explains Hackett's hesitancy to name him as the Broncos' new starting back. The 29-year-old has already put the ball on the carpet four times this season, with his most recent fumble getting returned for a touchdown in Sunday's loss. For what it's worth, Hackett told Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site that Gordon had a "great mental day" at Tuesday's practice, which offers some hope that he might be back in the staff's good graces as Thursday's game approaches.

Taylor was a non-participant during Tuesday's practice and was spotted with a walking boot on his injured right ankle, Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star reports.

Though Taylor will be listed as a non-participant on the practice report for the second day in a row after injuring his ankle in Sunday's loss to the Titans, the Colts aren't yet counting the running back out from playing against the Broncos on Thursday night. According to Zak Keefer of The Athletic, head coach Frank Reich noted earlier that Taylor is at no risk of further injury if he plays through the ankle sprain, although the 23-year-old will likely be operating at well below his full capabilities if he's able to gut it out. Additionally, Taylor could see fewer touches than usual if he's cleared to play, rendering him less of a must-start fantasy option in such a scenario. The Colts will see if he is able to show any meaningful improvement Wednesday before giving him an injury designation for Thursday's game.

Colts head coach Frank Reich said that Taylor's status for Thursday's game against the Broncos is "unknown at this point" as the running back deals with an ankle injury, though Reich admitted he wouldn't be "ready to go right now" if the game was scheduled for Tuesday, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Taylor was listed as a non-participant on the Colts' estimated Week 5 practice report released Monday, and Reich's comments suggest he likely won't be on the field in any capacity Tuesday while he manages a sprained right ankle. The Colts haven't revealed the severity of Taylor's sprain, but the fact that all tests on the ankle have thus far returned negative suggests that a long-term absence isn't in play. Even so, he looks like he might have a tough time gaining clearance to play on a short week, and if he's forced to miss the second game of his career Thursday, Nyheim Hines and Deon Jackson would be in store for expanded roles out of the backfield. Phillip Lindsay also resides on the practice squad and would be a candidate for elevation to the gameday roster to provide further depth.

The Browns placed Ford (ankle) on injured reserve Tuesday.

Ford suffered the left ankle injury during the team's Week 4 loss to the Falcons and will be sidelined for at least four additional games. The rookie fifth-round pick played exclusively on special teams through the first four games of the season, returning six kickoffs for 145 yards. In his absence, D'Ernest Johnson and Demetric Felton are the most likely candidates to take over as the Browns' primary kick returner.

The Broncos signed Murray off the Saints' practice squad Tuesday, Aric DiLalla of Denver's official site reports.

In a corresponding move, the Broncos placed Javonte Williams (knee) on injured reserve after the second-year back sustained season-ending ACL and LCL tears in Sunday's loss to the Raiders. The addition of Murray gives the Broncos another experienced option to complement Melvin Gordon and Mike Boone. Because the team face a quick turnaround in Week 5 with a matchup against the Colts on Thursday, Murray may hold only a limited role in his Denver debut, if he's active for the contest at all. The veteran back had been elevated from the Saints' practice squad for their Week 4 loss to the Vikings in London, carrying 11 times for 57 yards and a touchdown while turning his lone target into an eight-yard gain.

The Broncos placed Williams (knee) on injured reserve Tuesday, Aric DiLalla of the team's official site reports.

The transaction officially removes Williams from the Broncos' 53-man roster after he suffered a season-ending ACL and LCL tear in his right knee in Sunday's loss to the Raiders. Williams is set to undergo surgery in the coming days and will turn his focus toward gaining clearance for the start of training camp next summer. In a corresponding move, the Broncos signed veteran Latavius Murray off the Saints' practice squad Tuesday to add another option to a backfield that also includes Melvin Gordon and Mike Boone.