NFL Player News

Head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Wednesday that Conner (ribs) is day-to-day, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Conner exited this past Sunday's loss to the Eagles in the third quarter with a rib issue. Following the game, Kingsbury told Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com that Conner checked out fine, but the team will take a cautious approach with its top running back ahead of Sunday's game in Seattle. Speaking of the backfield, special teamer Jonathan Ward (hamstring) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, while Darrel Williams (knee) isn't slated to play Week 6. Eno Benjamin and rookie sixth-round pick Keaontay Ingram are the only healthy backs on the active roster at the moment.

Williams (knee) is listed as out for Thursday's game at Chicago, Zach Selby of the team's official site reports.

Williams was forced out of Sunday's loss versus Tennessee early with a knee injury, and it now appears he'll need to sit out at least one full game as he recovers. Antonio Gibson could see more snaps on special teams as a result.

Hill (hamstring) isn't practicing Wednesday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Hill sat out the Ravens' Week 5 win over Cincinnati due to a hamstring issue, and he's not yet ready to mix into drills as Baltimore begins Week 6 prep. He'll have only two more chances to increase his activity ahead of Sunday's contest against the Giants. With Gus Edwards (knee) still on the PUP list but back at practice, Kenyan Drake and Mike Davis are currently next on the depth chart behind J.K. Dobbins.

Taylor (ankle) isn't practicing Wednesday but was spotted doing some light jogging off to the side, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis reports.

Per James Boyd of The Athletic, Taylor, wasn't sporting a helmet or pads during his workout. As such, the running back is trending toward an official non-participation listing on the Colts' initial Week 6 injury report ahead of their matchup Sunday with the Jaguars.

Hines (concussion) practiced in a red non-contact jersey Wednesday, George Bremer of The Anderson Herald Bulletin reports.

Hines will need to clear the NFL's five-step concussion protocol in order to suit up Sunday against the Jaguars. His Week 6 availability is of more interest than usual, given the uncertain status of top back Jonathan Taylor (ankle). Taylor was inactive for the Week 5 win over the Broncos and wasn't spotted practicing Wednesday. Hines was officially listed as limited at the Colts' first practice of the week.

Taylor (ankle) wasn't spotted at practice Wednesday, George Bremer of The Anderson Herald Bulletin reports.

Meanwhile, Nyheim Hines (concussion) practiced in a non-contact jersey, which means that the Colts' backfield situation warrants close attention ahead of Sunday's game against the Jaguars. If either Taylor or Hines are sidelined this weekend, added snaps would be available for Deon Jackson and Phillip Lindsay, the latter of whom would need to be elevated from the practice squad.

Mack was signed to the 49ers' practice squad Wednesday.

Mack will return to 49ers after being released by the team Tuesday, joining their practice unit. The running back seems to have fallen out of favor in San Francisco's backfield and will now operate as an extreme depth option behind starter Jeff Wilson.

Giants head coach Brian Daboll said Barkley (shoulder) will be a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports reports.

Barkley was able to return to Sunday's win over the Packers after briefly exiting with a right shoulder issue, and Daboll said that the star running back will "hopefully" be OK moving forward. Considering that Barkley has been the linchpin of New York's offense this season, it wouldn't be surprising to see the team take a cautious approach with his usage in practice this week. At this stage, however, Barkley is trending toward suiting up this weekend against the Ravens.

Ward (hamstring) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Ward exited the Cardinals' Week 5 loss to the Eagles early with a hamstring injury and he will now miss a minimum of four weeks while on IR. The Cardinals added both Corey Clement and Ty'Son Williams to their practice squad, providing additional depth behind James Conner (ribs) and Eno Benjamin heading into Sunday's contest against the Seahawks.

Williams sprained his knee in the Cardinals' Week 5 loss to Philadelphia and isn't expected to play Sunday in Seattle, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

With Williams and James Conner (ribs) both exiting early in Week 5, Eno Benjamin saw his most extensive NFL action to date out of the backfield, playing 54 percent of the offensive snaps while accounting for 53 yards and a touchdown on 11 touches. The Cardinals signed both Corey Clement and Ty'Son Williams to their practice squad, adding additional depth to their banged-up backfield. Expect at least one to be promoted to the 53-man roster before Sunday, with Williams set to miss the contest and Conner's status for the Week 6 game still uncertain.