NFL Player News

Taylor is inactive for Sunday's game against the Chargers.

With Taylor out of the mix Sunday, Brandon Bolden and Rhamondre Stevenson will handle change-of-pace/complementary snaps in Week 8 behind New England's top back, Damien Harris.

Kelley is inactive for Sunday's game against the Patriots.

With Kelley inactive Sunday, Justin Jackson and Larry Rountree are on hand to work in complementary roles behind top back Austin Ekeler.

Ekeler (hip) is listed as active for Sunday's game against the Patriots.

There had been concern regarding Ekeler's Week 8 status after he missed practice both Thursday and Friday, but coach Brandon Staley's comments following Friday's session suggested that the Chargers were hopeful they'd have their top back available Sunday, a notion that was reinforced by subsequent reports. Now that he's confirmed as active versus New England, Ekeler is in line to continue to head the Chargers backfield in the absence of any setbacks, with Justin Jackson and Larry Rountree on hand to work in complementary roles.

Williams exited Sunday's game against the 49ers with a left knee injury, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Prior to the injury, Williams logged two carries for minus-three yards. In his absence, Khalil Herbert will continue to lead Chicago's Week 8 backfield.

Gainwell was seen taking snaps after Boston Scott, who is working with the starters in pregame warmups ahead of Sunday's game against the Lions, Josh Tolentino of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

With Miles Sanders (ankle) sidelined for at least three games after landing on injured reserve, more opportunities should open up for both Scott and Gainwell. Though Gainwell has routinely outpaced Scott in snaps and touches in every game this season, the distribution of the work between the two could be more even Sunday. While Scott looks to be trending toward getting the start, that shouldn't be taken as a sign that he'll be the clear No. 1 option out of the backfield. When Sanders was sidelined for the final three quarters of last week's loss to the Raiders, Gainwell played 58 percent of the snaps and logged five carries and six targets, while Scott played 44 percent of the snaps and handled seven carries and two targets. If the Eagles are able to sit on an early lead for most of the game against the winless Lions, a larger dose of Scott on the ground could be on tap, but a neutral or pass-heavy script would seemingly favor Gainwell.

Scott is working with the first-team offense in pregame warmups ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Lions, Josh Tolentino of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Kenneth Gainwell has worked as the No. 2 back behind Miles Sanders all season, but Scott got two more carries (seven to five) in the Week 7 loss to Las Vegas after Sanders sprained his ankle. Gainwell did have the advantage in snap share (51 percent to 33) and targets (8-2), so it's possible he's the more productive back Sunday afternoon even if he comes off the bench rather than making his first career start. There's also a third candidate for carries, with Jordan Howard promoted Saturday from the practice squad.

McCaffrey (hamstring) remains on target to return from injured reserve ahead of the Panthers' Week 9 game against the Patriots on Nov. 7, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

Considering McCaffrey hasn't practiced in even a limited fashion since Oct. 13, the Panthers will likely want to see how the running back looks throughout Week 9 prep before signing off on him playing against New England. Assuming he endures no further setbacks with his strained hamstring and is designated to return from IR on Wednesday or Thursday, McCaffrey should put himself in good position to reclaim lead duties Week 9. While McCaffrey has been sidelined each of the past four games, Chuba Hubbard has stepped in as the team's lead back and has averaged 61.7 rushing yards and 19.8 receiving yards per contest while finding the end zone only once. Hubbard will be in store for another start Sunday against the Falcons.

Perine is expected to split snaps and touches out of the backfield with starter Joe Mixon is Sunday's game against the Jets, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

After a one-game absence following a positive COVID-19 test, Perine impressed in the Week 7 upset of Baltimore while playing 48 percent of the offensive snaps. The Oklahoma product carried 11 times for 52 yards and a touchdown while turning his lone target into a 23-yard reception, potentially earning himself another sizable share of work behind Mixon in Week 8. Though the Bengals' 24-point margin of victory against the Ravens likely had a hand in Perine seeing extra reps, a similar game script could play out Sunday against the 1-6 Jets, as Cincinnati enters the matchup as one of the weekend's biggest favorites. Perine's case for seeing continued involvement is aided by the fact that his top challenger for the backup role, Chris Evans (hamstring), is inactive.

Mixon is expected to split reps at running back with Samaje Perine in Sunday's game against the Jets, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Any split of the snaps and touches out of the backfield is likely to tilt in Mixon's direction, but the absence of pass-catching specialist Chris Evans (hamstring) -- who is inactive -- at least removes one extra variable from the equation. With Evans out, Perine is the unquestioned top change-of-pace option behind Mixon, and the heavily favored Bengals could end up leaning on Perine more than anticipated if the contest isn't competitive by the second half. While the prospect of a blowout could prompt fantasy managers to temper expectations with Mixon's workload, the 25-year-old still has decent odds of coming away with a touchdown if the Bengals do in fact rest starters later in the contest.

Jefferson is expected to serve as the top backup to D'Andre Swift in Sunday's game against the Eagles with No. 2 running back Jamaal Williams (thigh) inactive for the contest, Justin Rogers of The Detroit News reports.

Beyond Swift and Williams, none of the Lions' other running backs have played an offensive snap this season, as Jefferson (nine) and Godwin Igwebuike (116) have seen all their reps on special teams to date. Jefferson shouldn't be expected to handle Williams' typical snap share -- which has ranged between 29 and 39 percent in all but one of the Lions' seven games -- but the seventh-round rookie out of Oregon State looks like he'll at least be the next man up when Swift requires a breather.