NFL Player News

With Damien Williams (ribs) ruled out, Allgeier has a chance to make his NFL debut Sunday at the Rams, Scott Bair of the Falcons' official site reports.

The rookie fifth-round pick was a healthy scratch for the season opener, and Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said special teams were part of the reason for Allgeier's inactive status, per Jeremy Brener of SI.com. "A lot of it comes down to special teams. Some weeks, maybe we'll have five running backs up." However, Allgeier likely won't need to wait for one of those situations, as he has an opportunity to make his first appearance as a pro Week 2 after Williams was ruled out. Avery Williams, who was converted to running back this offseason, operated as No. 3 RB against the Saints, but it's unclear if Atlanta trusts him for primary backup duties yet. If Allgeier is active, the team figures to at least give the rookie a few touches behind Cordarrelle Patterson, who dominated the workload in Week 1.

Williams (ribs) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Rams, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.

Williams rejoined the Falcons' Week 1 contest after injuring his ribs early on, but he's missed practice ever since and now will sit out for at least one game. Avery Williams replaced him as the complement to Cordarrelle Patterson in the season opener, and while Williams could be modestly involved again, the Falcons likely will find work for rookie fifth-round pick Tyler Allgeier, who was a healthy scratch Week 1.

Swift (ankle) returned to practice Friday, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports.

Even if he's limited, a return to practice after back-to-back absences should give Swift a chance to play Sunday against the Commanders. He looked healthy Week 1 against the Eagles, taking 18 touches for 175 yards and a TD while playing 67 percent of snaps on offense and getting carries/targets deep into the fourth quarter.

Horvath corralled a one-yard touchdown reception in Thursday's 27-24 loss to the Chiefs.

That's back-to-back weeks the rookie fullback has managed to score at the goal line, and on similar plays to boot. Don't expect this trend to continue as Horvath has played just 29 offensive snaps in two games.

Williams (ribs) wasn't present at the media portion of Friday's practice, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.

Williams missed a good portion of the Falcons' Week 1 loss to the Saints due to a rib injury, which he deemed sore Monday, per Rothstein. The veteran running back didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday and appears to have sat out again Friday, which doesn't bode well for his Week 2 status. If Williams is sidelined, rookie Tyler Allgeier, who was a healthy scratch for Week 1, and Avery Williams would be the primary beneficiaries behind starter Cordarrelle Patterson.

Kelley attempted four carries for 22 yards in Thursday's 27-24 loss to the Chiefs. He also caught one of his two targets for three yards.

Kelley played 19 offensive snaps compared to Sony Michel's nine, but the tandem ultimately saw the same amount of touches in a game in which the Chargers could never solidify a dominant lead. Expect Kelley to continue operating in a timeshare as the backup to Austin Ekeler.

Coach Dan Campbell said Friday that Swift (ankle) is questionable for Week 2, Justin Rogers of The Detroit News reports.

Campbell said Swift will do some work at practice Friday, per Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site, after he sat out Wednesday and Thursday. The starting running back managed to play through an ankle sprain Week 1 versus the Eagles and since has downplayed the severity of his injury, but the extent of Swift's activity Friday likely will reveal a fair amount about his chances of playing Week 2. Jamaal Williams, Craig Reynolds and Justin Jackson will stand to handle increased work if Swift ends up limited or sidelined Sunday.

Ekeler tallied 14 carries for 39 yards and also registered nine receptions (10 targets) for 55 yards in Thursday's 27-24 loss to Kansas City.

Ekeler logged four of his nine receptions on the Chargers' final drive as the team attempted a double-digit comeback. As was the case in their Week 1 win over the Raiders, the Chargers once again opted to diversify the backfield carries with Joshua Kelley and Sony Michel recording four rushes apiece. While Ekeler, who racked up 20 total touchdowns in 2021, has yet to find the end zone over his first two contests, he has at least maintained PPR utility, by recording 13 catches (on 14 targets) in that span. Looking ahead, it's worth monitoring the status of the Chargers' offensive line as both right tackle Trey Pipkins (ankle) and All-Pro center Corey Linsley (knee) were forced out of Thursday's game due to their respective injuries. The team, which also saw star quarterback Justin Herbert labor through the later stages of the fourth quarter with an apparent rib injury, will look to benefit from extra some time off before a Week 3 tilt against the Jaguars on Sept. 25.

Edwards-Helaire rushed eight times for 74 yards and brought in all four targets for 44 yards in the Chiefs' 27-24 win over the Chargers on Thursday night.

Edwards-Helaire made several impressive plays in the passing game and then ripped off a game-long 52-yard run while also drawing a 15-yard face mask penalty on the first play of the Chiefs' penultimate possession to help set up a critical field goal. The third-year back has just 15 carries through two games, but with those totes netting 116 yards and another 77 yards and a pair of scores through the air, Edwards-Helaire has still afforded fantasy managers meaningful production. He'll aim to keep churning out strong numbers in a Week 3 road clash with the Colts a week from Sunday.

Walker (hernia) was limited at Thursday's practice, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

During Week 1 prep, Walker was held out of practice entirely as he continued his recovery from a mid-August hernia procedure. This week, he kicked it off with a full session Wednesday, only to downgrade slightly one day later. The development may have been maintenance-related to ensure Walker gets to the weekend ready for his pro debut. Still, his activity level and eventual designation, or lack thereof, on Friday's injury report will provide insight into whether or not active status is possible Sunday at San Francisco. If Walker is available this weekend, the rookie second-round pick could be eased into action, especially with Rashaad Penny entrenched at the top of the depth chart.