NFL Player News

Head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Conner (ribs) won't play Sunday against the Seahawks, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Kingsbury also ruled out fellow running back Darrel Williams (knee), and expressed uncertainty about Conner's and Williams' chances of being available for the Cardinals' Week 7 game against the Saints next Thursday. For at least Week 6, the absences of Conner and Williams likely paves the way Eno Benjamin to step into a lead role out of the backfield, while rookie sixth-round pick Keaontay Ingram and practice-squad call-up Corey Clement are expected to fill depth roles behind him.

Barkley (shoulder) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Ravens after practicing on a limited basis Wednesday through Friday.

The right shoulder injury Barkley suffered in the third quarter of last Sunday's win over the Packers in London knocked the running back out of the game for a spell in the third quarter, but he returned for the Giants' subsequent possession in the fourth quarter and delivered a 41-yard reception and a short touchdown plunge on the drive. Barkley's limitations in practice this week suggest that he might not be 100 percent recovered from the shoulder issue, but it's also possible the Giants may just have wanted to give him some extra maintenance. Regardless, Barkley is on track to play this weekend, and the shoulder issue isn't expected to dramatically affect him from a performance or workload standpoint.

Rams head coach Sean McVay said that Akers won't play Sunday against the Panthers after missing practice for the past two days for what was listed as a personal matter, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

McVay wouldn't go into specifics about Akers' situation and declined to speculate on when the 23-year-old running back might rejoin the team, merely noting that Akers is "working through some things." Akers' absence for at least the Rams' Week 6 contest should free up more work for Darrell Henderson, who had already cleared 50 percent of snaps in each of the Rams' first five games but has served mainly as a change-of-pace/pass-catching option the past three weeks. Henderson should be in store for more early down work sans Akers, though reserve back Malcolm Brown is still likely be involved on offense in some capacity.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said Friday that Edwards (knee) is "getting close to a return," Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

Harbaugh didn't elaborate much further on the matter, but the fact that the coach didn't directly address Edwards' status for Sunday's game in New York against the Giants suggests that the Ravens might be inclined to wait another week before activating the running back from the PUP list. Edwards, who resumed practicing Oct. 5, is working back from the torn ACL he suffered last September and may need a few more workouts to get back to full speed following the year-long layoff. If Edwards isn't activated for Week 6, Justice Hill would likely be on track to serve as the top understudy to J.K. Dobbins, assuming Hill can overcome his own hamstring injury that kept him out Week 5.

Harris said Friday that he had the steel plate removed from his left foot and feels that he's back to 100 percent health after battling a Lisfranc sprain in training camp, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

Harris suffered an aggravation of the foot problem Week 1 against the Bengals and was forced to exit that contest, but he hasn't missed any games since. Though he's suited up in every game this season, Harris has mustered just 3.2 yards on 69 carries and has gained only 64 yards on 13 receptions (4.9 yards per catch). While poor quarterback and offensive-line play have likely factored into Harris' struggles to some extent, playing though the foot injury may have also played a part in his diminished effectiveness. Harris' positive outlook about his health is good news, but it doesn't necessarily indicate he's due to take a big jump forward in performance the rest of the way while his team context remains poor.

Gibson rushed five times for 35 yards, brought in three of four targets for 18 yards and returned one kickoff for 27 yards in the Commanders' 12-7 win over the Bears on Thursday night.

As expected, Gibson played a clear backup role behind rookie Brian Robinson, and he actually was very efficient on a per-touch basis. Gibson also made his debut in the kickoff returner role, but moving forward, he may not get enough opportunities from scrimmage on a week-to-week basis to have any true fantasy reliability unless an injury strikes Robinson.

Herbert rushed seven times for 75 yards and did not draw a target during the Bears' 12-7 loss to the Commanders on Thursday night.

A significant chunk of Herbert's production came on a 64-yard run in the Bears' first offensive play of the second quarter, one in which he got the ball down to the Commanders' six-yard line. However, Chicago would walk away empty-handed from that drive when Herbert was stopped twice for no gain inside the five-yard line, including on fourth down a yard shy of the end zone. Nevertheless, the 24-year-old now has three rushing tallies of at least 75 yards in the last four games, yet he seems destined to once again play a clear complementary role to David Montgomery in a Week 7 road matchup versus the Patriots on Monday night, Oct. 24.

Montgomery rushed 15 times for 67 yards and brought in his only target for 13 yards in the Bears' 12-7 loss to the Commanders on Thursday night. He also recovered a fumble.

Montgomery was once again the clear lead back in the Bears' ground attack, although Khalil Herbert actually outgained him with 75 yards -- 64 of those coming on one run. Montgomery's contributions were much steadier, and the third-year back was appreciably more efficient than in his Week 5 return from an ankle injury (12 carries, 20 yards). He'll now have extra time to recover from a busy last four days, as Chicago won't return to action until a Week 7 Monday night road matchup against the Patriots on Oct. 24.

Robinson rushed 17 times for 60 yards and a touchdown in the Commanders' 12-7 win over the Bears on Thursday night.

The rookie had a tough time with efficiency against a surprisingly stout Bears front Thursday night, but he did put an exclamation point on his first pro start with a one-yard touchdown run with 7:21 remaining. The score was the first of Robinson's career following the delayed start to his rookie season due to leg injuries suffered in a late-August robbery attempt, but his workload Thursday night suggests there will be plenty more opportunity for him to visit the end zone moving forward. Robinson now will have extra time to rest up from having logged 26 touches in a span of four days, as the Commanders don't take the field again until they host the Packers a week from Sunday.

Dowdle (ankle) was unable to practice Thursday, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Dowdle missed a second consecutive practice Thursday due to an ankle injury, and leaving his status for Sunday night's divisional showdown against the Eagles up in the air. Expect rookie running back Malik Davis to make his NFL debut against Philadelphia if Dowdle can't suit up.