NFL Player News

Breida (hamstring) didn't practice Thursday, Safid Deen of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Breida's Week 9 status gains more import with Myles Gaskin (knee) now on IR. With that in mind, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald relays that coach Brian Flores noted Thursday that Breida has a "chance" to suit up Sunday against the Cardinals. If he's unavailable this weekend, however, the Dolphins would turn to the the likes of Jordan Howard, Patrick Laird (ankle), Lynn Bowden and Salvon Ahmed to handle the team's rushing duties.

Drake (ankle) wasn't spotted at Thursday's practice and is expected to be listed as a non-participant on the Cardinals' injury report, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

Head coach Kliff Kingsbury isn't quite ready to rule Drake out for Sunday's contest against the Dolphins, but with back-to-back absences from practices coming out of a bye week, the running back is seeming trending toward missing his first game of the season. If Drake is indeed ruled out for Week 9, Chase Edmonds would have a clear path to a three-down role out of the backfield, as the Cardinals' other two options at the position (Jonathan Ward and Eno Benjamin) have combined to play just three offensive snaps all season.

Head coach Mike McCarthy said Elliott (hamstring) would be limited in Thursday's practice, but the Cowboys expect the running back to be available for Sunday's game against the Steelers, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.

The Cowboys are managing Elliott's reps for the second day in a row, but based on the comments from his coach, the hamstring issue doesn't seem to be anything serious. Instead, Elliott's poor team context is his biggest obstacle these days, as a banged-up offensive line and shaky quarterback play have contributed to him averaging less than four yards per carry and drawing just four total targets over the past two games. Even though Elliott is expected to be ready to handle a normal workload this weekend, a bounce-back performance may not be in the cards versus Pittsburgh's fifth-ranked run defense.

Coach Brian Flores said Thursday that Breida (hamstring) has a "chance" to suit up Sunday against the Cardinals, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

It's not the most convincing of endorsements, as Flores also noted in the interview that "hamstrings are tough." This would have been a prime week for Breida to win back a big part of the role he was expected to have at the start of the season, as Myles Gaskin (knee) was officially placed on IR Thursday morning. If Breida cannot suit up in Week 9, look for a backfield committee to potentially be led by the likes of Jordan Howard, Patrick Laird (ankle), Lynn Bowden and Salvon Ahmed.

Gaskin (knee) will be placed on IR and miss a minimum of three games, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Gaskin's original timetable for a return from a sprained MCL was roughly three games, so it makes sense for the team to put the back on IR and clear up a roster spot. It makes for a tough position group to gauge, as Matt Breida (hamstring) and Patrick Laird (ankle) are both dealing with injuries of their own. The Dolphins may soon find themselves using Jordan Howard again, who had been a healthy scratch for three consecutive games. They also acquired DeAndre Washington via trade, but as a new acquisition, he'll presumably have to quarantine and test for COVID-19 before being allowed to suit up.

Williams has cleared the COVID-19 protocols and is on the Lions' 53-man roster, Justin Rogers of The Detroit News reports.

Williams signed with the team last Friday and is now officially a member of the active roster. The Lions cut Bo Scarbrough to clear up a roster spot. Williams enjoyed a moment of glory with the Colts last season when he produced back-to-back, 100-yard rushing performances, but he quickly fell back to earth and ended up playing just two offensive snaps over the final four games. He'll serve as depth in this backfield that's already divvying up touches to rookie D'Andre Swift, Adrian Peterson and Kerryon Johnson.

Drake (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday.

Despite having the benefit of a bye week, Drake's status still is in question as the Cardinals prepare to host the Dolphins on Sunday. His injury has been termed a slight tear of a ligament in his ankle, and he was handed a recovery timetable of "a few weeks," according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Drake has a pair of practices remaining this week to prove his health to Arizona's training staff, after which he'll receive a designation for Sunday's game. If he requires time off, Drake will hand over the lead role to Chase Edmonds, who has averaged 6.1 yards per carry and hauled in 26 of 32 targets in seven games this season.

Kamara (foot) was listed as limited on Wednesday's injury report.

Kamara was absent from the portion of the session open to the media, but he must have got in some work after doors closed to earn the "limited" tag. The issue is considered a bone bruise in his foot, which Kamara clarified isn't serious. Speaking to John Sigler of USA Today, Kamara said, "You ever stub your toe on the corner of a bedpost or something? That's kind of what I'm dealing with." Kamara also noted he intends to participate in Thursday's practice, so there doesn't seem to be too much worry regarding his ability to play Sunday at Tampa Bay.

Homer (knee) didn't participate in Wednesday's practice, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

According to Boyle, coach Pete Carroll said earlier Wednesday that Homer will be ready to play Sunday against the Bills, and the running back's absence from practice doesn't necessarily contradict that statement. Homer didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday last week while recovering from a knee contusion, but he was active -- albeit in a limited role -- during the Seahawks' win over the 49ers. His health seems to be trending in the right direction this week, so Homer should be able to handle more reps Sunday. If Chris Carson (foot) is ready to go, however, Homer's usage would be limited to clear passing situations.

Coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday that Homer (knee) "will be able to go this week," Curtis Crabtree of Sports Radio 950 KJR Seattle reports.

Homer managed to play through his bruised knee in Sunday's win over the 49ers, but he only handled seven offensive snaps while taking a back seat to rookie fourth-round pick DeeJay Dallas. Assuming Homer is closer to full health for a Week 9 matchup with the Bills, he could have the chance to handle increased touches. Carroll has already ruled Carlos Hyde (hamstring) out for the contest, while the status of top back Chris Carson (foot) is murky.