NFL Player News

Gibson (shin) isn't practicing Wednesday, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

Gibson revealed last week that he's been playing through a hairline fracture in his shin, noting that the injury isn't especially painful. His workload hasn't been affectd thus far, though Gibson still cedes work on obvious passing downs to backfield mate J.D. McKissic. In terms of his rushing workload, Gibson has put up lines of 14 carries for 63 yards and a touchdown against Atlanta and 20 carries for 60 yards and two scores versus New Orleans in the two games since he was first listed as having the shin injury. He draws a nice matchup this week against a floundering Chiefs defense, though there is risk of McKissic getting more work if Patrick Mahomes and co. jump out to a big start.

Giants head coach Joe Judge said Barkley (ankle) won't participate in Wednesday's practice, Zack Rosenblatt of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

Judge has thus far been reluctant to definitively rule Barkley out for Sunday's game against the Rams, but that appears to be a foregone conclusion after the running back suffered a left low-ankle sprain in the Giants' Week 5 loss to the Cowboys. Sources familiar with Barkley's injury expect him to miss 2-to-3 weeks, so barring a miraculous recovery over the next two days, he'll likely be ruled out for the matchup with the Rams by the end of the week. Devontae Booker stepped in as the Giants' clear lead back when Barkley exited in the loss to the Cowboys, carrying 16 times for 42 yards and a touchdown while hauling in three of four targets for 16 yards and another score.

The 49ers aren't expecting Wilson (knee) to return from the PUP list until late November, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Back on Sept. 15, David Lombardi of The Athletic relayed that the 49ers were hoping Wilson would be back around mid-season, which falls in late October/early November. Barrows' latest report would seem to suggest that Wilson isn't progressing in his recovery from meniscus surgery quite as fast as the team initially anticipated, as a Week 11 game in Jacksonville on Nov. 21 now looks like the earliest potential date for the running back to make his 2021 debut. Wilson's continued absence should give rookie Elijah Mitchell at least a one-month window to build his job security as the 49ers' No. 1 back. Mitchell played 40 of a possible 59 offensive snaps (68 percent) in last week's loss to the Cardinals, while backups Trey Sermon (two snaps), Trenton Cannon (zero) and Jacques Patrick (zero) barely factored into the game plan.

Evans secured both of his targets for 15 yards and played seven of the Bengals' 67 offensive snaps Sunday in the team's 25-22 overtime loss to the Packers.

Even with Joe Mixon limited by an ankle injury Sunday, Evans wasn't much of a factor in the offensive game plan, as top backup Samaje Perine (40 snaps, 11 carries, four receptions) was instead the primary replacement when Mixon was off the field. Mixon could be ready to handle a more sizable workload Week 7 in Detroit, but Evans may end up seeing his role expand after Perine was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday upon testing positive for the virus. Perine will face an uphill battle to gain clearance to play in Detroit, in which case Evans would elevate to the No. 2 role behind Mixon.

Patrick was waived by the 49ers on Tuesday.

Patrick suited up for San Francisco in its three previous games. He only saw action in Week 4, when he recorded two carries for 12 yards. He will now wait for a new opportunity, as Elijah Mitchell, Trey Sermon and Trenton Cannon are expected to handle running back duties for the team in the immediate future.

Gore was brought up to the Chiefs' active roster Tuesday.

The 26-year-old was signed to the practice squad in September but has yet to make his professional debut. With Clyde Edwards-Helaire (knee) going on injured reserve, Gore will serve as the Chiefs' third option at running back for the time being.

Brightwell failed to record an offensive snap in Sunday's 44-20 loss to the Cowboys.

Brightwell's 16 special teams snaps represented his only action in Week 5. The rookie's lack of usage in the running game was surprising considering teammate Saquon Barkley exited the game in the first quarter with an ankle injury. Instead, it was Devontae Booker and Elijhaa Penny who carried the load after Barkley's departure. Booker, the team's No. 2 back, rushed 16 times while Penny, listed as a fullback, finished the game with just one carry. Brightwell could see a modest bump to his usage on offense with Barkley sidelined again, but it appears New York doesn't view the 23-year-old as a go-to option out of the backfield. The Giants take on the Rams in Week 6, and Brightwell should remain off the fantasy radar for that contest.

Mostert will undergo surgery Tuesday to address chipped cartilage in his left knee, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

Mostert announced Sept. 14 that he would require a season-ending knee procedure, but he had to wait around a month for doctors to find the correct donor components needed for the operation. Assuming the surgery goes as planned, Mostert is expected to be back to full health ahead of the 2022 season. The 29-year-old running back is set to become a free agent this spring.

Hines had four carries for 18 yards and no receptions on one target in Monday's loss to Baltimore.

Hines played 26 snaps (38 percent of offensive plays) which is about his average workload, but he had fewer touches than Marlon Mack. Hines was hindered by a sore shoulder in practice, but it doesn't sound like the injury was a factor in his workload. While he may get more work when the Colts are playing from behind, it's been worrisome he's had such little involvement the past two weeks (four touches last week) and Mack has become more involved.

Mack had five carries for 47 yards and one reception for seven yards on two targets in Monday's loss to Baltimore.

Mack played just 10 snaps on offense with both Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines healthy. Last week, head coach Frank Reich said he ideally would give Mack five carries a week, which seems odd given his spot on the depth chart and with him demanding a trade two weeks ago. Still, it looks like he may continue to see a steady, but small, role in the offense, usage which could be intended to showcase him for a team in need of backfield help.