NFL Player News

Gordon (ribs) remained sidelined at Sunday's practice, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

The running back missed Friday's practice as well, with coach Vic Fangio having noted that Gordon is considered day-to-day by the team. His absence frees up added practice reps behind Phillip Lindsay for both Royce Freeman and LeVante Bellamy.

Conner (undisclosed) isn't practicing Saturday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN NFL Nation reports.

It could just be a maintenance day for Conner, who hadn't missed a practice since Pittsburgh began padded sessions. Expect an update on the reason for his absence if the running back misses any additional time.

Kelley remains in a tight battle with Justin Jackson for the No. 2 running back spot behind Austin Ekeler, Gilbert Manzano of The Orange County Register reports.

It was a tremendous week of practice for Kelley, who began Monday on the third unit ,only to eventually see first-team action by Thursday. The nearly 6-foot running back brings a bit more power to his game -- which ultimately could make him a more optimal No. 2 behind the sturdy yet smaller Ekeler -- but Jackson has been impressive in brief stints at the NFL level as well, especially as a change-of-pace back.

Chubb has cleared concussion protocol and will practice Saturday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Less than a week after leaving practice early following a hard tackle from teammate Mack Wilson, Chubb will return to the practice field having cleared concussion protocol. The star running back figures to be in line for an excellent 2020 campaign behind a rebuilt offensive line and alongside head coach Kevin Stefanski, who made Dalvin Cook a top-tier fantasy asset during his tenure with the Vikings.

Barner departed Friday's practice after suffering a lower-body injury while fielding a punt, John Reid of The Florida Times-Union reports.

Barner limped to the locker room, indicating it's a lower-body injury, but there are no other details about the nature of his issues. The 31-year-old is battling for a roster spot in Baltimore after spending the last three years with four different teams, so his best path to a roster spot is by returning kicks and punts.

Patriots' running backs coach Ivan Fears has noted that that Taylor reminds him of Dion Lewis, Phil Perry of NBC Boston reports.

The most obvious reason for the comparison is that Taylor is 5-foot-6, 185 pounds, while Lewis -- who enjoyed some success with the Patriots a few seasons back -- checks in at 5-foot-8, 195 pounds. Like Lewis, Taylor is quick and has some pass-catching skills, so it's possible that the UDFA out of the University of Arizona could earn a spot on the team's regular-season roster or practice squad. It would take several breaks in his favor, however, for Taylor to make a fantasy impact as a rookie.

Gordon, who exited practice early Thursday due to a rib injury, is considered day-to-day, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

The running back didn't practice Friday but isn't expected to miss much time beyond that, according to coach Vic Fangio. In Gordon's absence, Royce Freeman and LeVante Bellamy figure to see added practice reps behind Phillip Lindsay.

Swift did not take part in practice Friday, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

Twentyman didn't have an immediate reason for Swift's absence from practice, but he and Bo Scarborough (undisclosed) were reportedly both out of commission. Assuming the absence isn't expected to be a long one, Swift, who has impressed as a receiver early in camp, should be a major factor in the Lions' backfield as a rookie.

Gordon (ribs) isn't practicing Friday, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reports.

Gordon was limited Thursday after "tweaking" his ribs early in the practice session. His absence Friday should free up more reps for Royce Freeman and LeVante Bellamy behind Phillip Lindsay.

Vaughn earned praise Thursday from coach Bruce Arians for both his toughness and superior vision as a runner, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports.

The rookie had a brief hiccup at the start of training camp with his placement on the reserve/COVID-19 list, but it appears he's starting to make up for lost time. Arians anointed Ronald Jones as the clear-cut lead back heading into camp, putting the onus on the rookie to progressively make a dent into the third-year pro's playing time with his own performance. As is usually the case for young running backs, one of the keys to snaps for Vaughn will be his consistency in pass protection, and to that end, it's worth noting Arians also remarked that the Vanderbilt product was quickly finding out how difficult "some NFL pass rushers are to block" in early practices. Smith separately reports Arians noted Friday that Vaughn is also a consideration for kickoff returns, especially with T.J. Logan (knee) slated to undergo surgery Saturday for a patellar tendon injury suffered in Thursday's practice.