NFL Player News

Boone (quadriceps) was designated by the Broncos to return from injured reserve.

Boone will now be eligible to start practicing with Denver again for the first time since mid-August. If the Broncos don't activate the running back to the active roster within the next three weeks, he will end up on the injured reserve for the rest of the season.

Gordon was limited at practice Wednesday due to a rib injury, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

At this stage, there's nothing to suggest that Gordon's availability for Sunday's game against the Ravens is in any peril. Assuming he's cleared to play this weekend, Gordon will continue to head a backfield timeshare with rookie Javonte Williams.

Jones was limited by an ankle injury at Wednesday's practice, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Head coach Matt LaFleur told Jason Wilde of The Athletic that the Packers would be holding a jog-through session Wednesday, but Jones still had a cap on his reps. As such, Jones' status bears watching as the week goes on to ensure he points himself in the right direction to suit up Sunday against the Steelers.

Cook (ankle) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice.

Cook's return for the first practice of the week, even in a limited capacity, suggests he has a shot to avoid a second straight absence. He was treated as a game-time decision last week, though he revealed Wednesday that he knew he wouldn't be able to play when he woke up the morning of Sunday's eventual win over Seattle. Cook looks to be feeling much better with a few added days of rest, as he also said he's hopeful to suit up against the Browns this weekend. If not, Alexander Mattison will fill in again as Minnesota's lead back.

Taylor was a limited participant in practice Wednesday due to a knee injury.

The ability to practice in any capacity suggests Taylor has a good chance to play Sunday against the Dolphins, though he may have gotten banged up in the Week 3 loss to Tennessee. With Marlon Mack reportedly requesting a trade, the Colts will continue to split backfield work between Taylor and Nyheim Hines, who has 16 carries and 16 targets through three games. Taylor has 42 carries and 11 targets but still hasn't scored a touchdown.

Swift (groin) was limited at Wednesday's practice.

For the fourth week in a row, Swift has had his practice reps capped in the first session due to the groin injury he picked up in early August. Still, there's an expectation from the Lions that he's ready to handle a larger workload, as head coach Dan Campbell intimated earlier this week. Campbell told Nick Baumgardner and Chris Burke of The Athletic on Monday that Swift "started getting the ball in his hands and started making some plays" in last Sunday's loss to the Ravens. Ultimately, Swift earned a season-high 21 touches and 107 yards from scrimmage while scoring his second touchdown of the campaign.

Mitchell (shoulder) will practice in a limited capacity Wednesday, Keiana Martin of the 49ers' official site reports.

As head coach Kyle Shanahan suggested Monday, Mitchell is getting back on the field Wednesday after sitting out Week 3 with the right shoulder injury. The 49ers will see how Mitchell responds to the increased practice reps as he attempts to put himself in a position to play this Sunday against the Seahawks. If he's able to return, he'll likely team with Trey Sermon to head the 49ers backfield with both Raheem Mostert (knee) and JaMycal Hasty (ankle) on injured reserve. There's also a chance Kyle Juszczyk remains more involved in the offense in the short term, especially if Mitchell doesn't get fully cleared for Week 4.

Cook (ankle) returned to practice Wednesday in full pads, Eric Smith of the Vikings' official site reports.

While head coach Mike Zimmer didn't sound optimistic about the running back's health earlier Wednesday, Cook was more upbeat when he spoke with the media, noting before practice that he's confident in the Vikings' training staff and hopes to return for Sunday's game against the Browns, per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The running back has now taken a big step toward that goal, though he'll likely be listed as a limited participant Wednesday rather than full. Cook didn't practice at all last week, and he ultimately was ruled out in a game-day decision ahead of the 30-17 win over Seattle. The Vikings have Alexander Mattison to fill in as the lead back again if Cook misses another week with his ankle sprain.

Barkley (knee) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, Zack Rosenblatt of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

The Giants continue to limit Barkley's practice reps even after back-to-back games with 15 or more touches and snap shares above 80 percent. Barkley is back in his familiar three-down role, but the Giants haven't had much luck running the ball, and their Week 4 opponent (New Orleans) has surrendered just 2.8 yards per carry and 60.3 rushing yards per game.

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said Wednesday that he doesn't yet know if Cook (ankle) will practice or play this week, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Zimmer didn't exactly sound optimistic, but he may have been avoiding the question rather than truly suggesting concern or uncertainty about Cook's status. The star running back was ruled out Week 3 in a game-day decision, and Alexander Mattison responded with 171 total yards in his third career start, helping the Vikings to a 30-17 win over Seattle. The team has a 1 p.m. ET kickoff versus the Browns this coming Sunday, with Mattison set up for another busy afternoon if Cook misses a second game. The Vikings will release their initial Week 4 injury report later Wednesday.