NFL Player News

Stevenson (concussion) didn't practice Wednesday, Zack Cox of NESN.com reports.

Nor did lead back Damien Harris, with both players still in the NFL's concussion protocol. According to Cox, Stevenson and Harris were spotted taking part in conditioning work on a separate field during Wednesday's session, but until they are cleared to practice, Brandon Bolden and J.J. Taylor are the team's only available options at running back.

Harris (concussion) didn't practice Wednesday, Zack Cox of NESN.com reports.

Along with Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson was sidelined for the Patriots' first Week 10 practice, as both players remain in the NFL's concussion protocol. According to Cox, the two running backs were spotted taking part in conditioning work on a separate field Wednesday, but until one or both are cleared to practice, Brandon Bolden and J.J. Taylor are the Patriots' only available options at the position.

Moss remains in the NFL's concussion protocol and won't practice Wednesday, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.

The running back still has two more opportunities to gain clearance to practice in advance of Sunday's game against the Jets, but Moss's absence from on-field work to begin the week suggests he's not a lock to play this weekend. If Moss sits out, Devin Singletary would likely have a clear path to a lead role out of the Buffalo backfield.

Coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday that he does not have any updates on the status of Felton (illness) for Week 10, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Stefanski said the same of Nick Chubb (illness), as both he and Felton tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. As a result, both running backs now reside on the reserve/COVID-19 list and will need to log two negative test results at least 24 hours apart before being cleared to return to action. Kareem Hunt (calf) has already been ruled out for Sunday's contest against the Patriots, so D'Ernest Johnson could once again be poised for a valuable role as the lead in Cleveland's backfield.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday that he didn't have updates on either Chubb or Demetric Felton, who were both placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Both backs tested positive for COVID-19 and their statuses for Sunday's game against the Patriots remains unclear at this point. With Kareem Hunt (calf) still on injured reserve, D'Ernest Johnson would be in line to start at running back this weekend for the Browns if Chubb isn't activated from the list.

Phillips (ankle) has a chance to retake the field this season, Aaron Wilson of Sportstalk 790 Houston reports.

Phillips is reportedly dealing with a high-ankle sprain. The Texans officially listed the running back with a leg injury when placing him on IR on Tuesday. Across three appearances with the Texans this season, Phillips has handled just six carries and drawn three targets.

Perine carried five times for 20 yards and caught two of three targets for 17 yards Sunday in the Bengals' 41-16 loss to the Browns.

After Joe Mixon handled all the running-back carries in the Week 8 loss to the Jets, Perine reentered the picture Week 9, though three of his totes came with fewer than five minutes remaining while the Browns sat on a 25-point lead. With that in mind, Perine's usage on the ground looks like it could take a hit or disappear entirely in more competitive contests, though the 26-year-old still may have an edge on Mixon for work on obvious passing downs. Perine was on the field for 11 of the Bengals' 13 third-down snaps against Cleveland, after playing eight of 10 in Week 8.

Evans (hamstring) played three of the Bengals' 70 offensive snaps and hauled in his lone target for an 11-yard gain in Sunday's 41-16 loss to the Browns.

While he battled a hamstring injury, Evans was limited strictly to special-teams duty Week 7 against the Ravens before the Bengals opted to keep him inactive Week 8 against the Jets. Evans was listed as questionable heading into Sunday's contest, but the coaching staff felt comfortable enough with his health to keep him active and give him a role on offense, albeit a minor one. The rookie sixth-round pick appeared to make a push for more passing-down work in mid-October, but his hamstring injury coupled with Samaje Perine's return from the reserve/COVID-19 list and Joe Mixon's improved health, has Evans trending down heading into the Bengals' Week 10 bye.

Benjamin is poised for a bigger role in the Cardinals backfield after Chase Edmonds was diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.

When Edmonds made an early departure Sunday in San Francisco, James Conner took on the lion's share of the running back reps, turning 21 carries into 96 yards and two touchdowns and gathering in all five of his targets for 77 yards and another score. Meanwhile, Benjamin stepped in as the No. 2 RB en route to nine carries for 39 yards and one TD. On the aforementioned score, he trucked a 49ers defender on his 21-yard scamper to the end zone. It should be noted the 2020 seventh-round pick only had four offensive snaps and two rushes in two career appearances prior to Week 9, but the Cardinals haven't been shy about keeping two backs involved each week, meaning Benjamin should have some type of role behind Conner during Edmonds' likely multi-week absence.

The Texans placed Phillips (leg) on injured reserve Tuesday.

Phillips had seen his role out of the Houston backfield increase over the past two weeks following the trade of Mark Ingram to the Saints. After he was active just once over the first seven weeks of the season, Phillips logged 19 snaps on offense between Weeks 8 and 9 and carried six times for 13 yards. He picked up the leg injury in Sunday's loss to the Dolphins, and the Texans determined it was serious enough to keep him sidelined for at least their next three games. Phillips won't be eligible to return to the 53-man roster until the Texans' Week 14 matchup with the Seahawks on Dec. 12.