NFL Player News

Gordon (illness) will not travel with the team to New England and has been ruled out ahead of Sunday's game, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

The move seems to be billed as a precautionary measure although all indications suggest Gordon is not suffering from a COVID-related illness. It's unclear whether the 27-year-old's legal matters are also factoring into the decision, but in any case Phillip Lindsay, who just returned from a multi-week absence from a toe injury, will be the primary option for most of the running back reps, with Royce Freeman occasionally chipping in as a pass catcher out of the backfield.

Mattison will be the Vikings' No. 1 running back Sunday against the Falcons with Dalvin Cook (groin) sidelined for the contest, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

The Vikings made the expected move and formally ruled out Cook, who suffered an adductor strain Week 5 in Seattle. Prior to his departure in the third quarter, he had 22 touches, and he also averaged 20.5 touches through the first four games of the campaign. By the end of this past Sunday's 27-26 loss, Mattison himself racked up 23 touches for 136 yards from scrimmage, so he seems poised to handle a significant workload this weekend. As a result, he seems like a great bet to produce versus an Atlanta defense that has given up 139 total yards per game to running backs in 2020. Mattison's opportunity may be short-lived with a Week 7 bye on tap.

David Newton of ESPN.com suggests McCaffrey (ankle) may not return until Week 8 against the Falcons on Thursday, Oct. 29.

The Panthers opted not to activate McCaffrey from injured reserve this week, despite the running back reaching the three-week minimum. Because of his prognosis of 4-to-6 weeks to recover from his high right ankle sprain, he also could sit out Week 7 at New Orleans, especially with a game four days later. In any case, Carolina can open his 21-day window to return at any point moving forward, and the team likely wants to see how he holds up in practice before making a decision to add him back to the active roster. While McCaffrey continues his rehab, Mike Davis will handle backfield duties for the Panthers.

McNichols (ribs) doesn't carry an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Texans after practicing fully Friday, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com reports.

With Darrynton Evans (hamstring) on IR, McNichols is now slated to serve in a change-of-pace role behind top back Derrick Henry. It's a playing context that gives McNichols a modest degree of fantasy utility in deeper formats or for managers scrambling for a bye-week plug-in.

Moss (toe) practiced fully for the second straight day Friday, Chris Brown of the Bills' official site reports.

Even though the rookie has missed the past three games, he's looking good to return to action for Monday's game against the Chiefs, a hypothesis perhaps further supported by the fact the Bills didn't push harder for Le'Veon Bell this week. We'll see if Moss gets a questionable designation or an injury-free tag when the team's final injury report comes out Saturday afternoon.

Wilson (calf) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game versus the Rams, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Wilson didn't open the week on the practice report, only showing up Thursday as a non-participant due to a calf injury. Due to the 49ers not kicking off until 8:20 p.m. ET on Sunday, considering Wilson in lineups is a difficult prospect if his status comes down to the wire. If Wilson is unable to suit up, Raheem Mostert, Jerick McKinnon and JaMycal Hasty will compose San Francisco's backfield.

Wilkins (calf) didn't practice Friday and is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bengals.

Wilkins missed the last two practices after getting in a limited session to start the week Wednesday, suggesting he could be leaning toward an absence Sunday. If Wilkins can't go, receiving back Nyheim Hines should see more change-of-pace rushing work behind Jonathan Taylor.

Gordon (illness) is listed as questionable for Sunday's scheduled game against the Patriots, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

Per Troy Renck of Denver 7 News, coach Vic Fangio isn't sure if Gordon will be active Sunday. The running back -- who was cited for driving under the influence late Tuesday -- is dealing with an illness that's not COVID-related. Renck adds that Gordon is undergoing medical treatment, and his status will be determined Saturday. If he's unavailable Sunday, Phillip Lindsay will be in line to head Denver's Week 6 backfield, with Royce Freeman also on hand.

Cook (groin) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against Atlanta, Chad Graff of The Athletic reports.

The obvious becomes official, leaving Alexander Mattison as the lead man in the Minnesota backfield, with Mike Boone and Ameer Abdullah being the depth options. A Week 7 bye could allow Cook to avoid any additional absences, with him perhaps returning as soon as Week 8 against the Packers (Nov. 1). He hasn't been able to practice since suffering an adductor strain in the second quarter of a Week 5 loss to the Seahawks.

Gordon (illness) was sent home Friday as a precaution, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

Per Klis, the running back was feeling ill, but his issue is not COVID-related, and Gordon has tested negative for the virus. Gordon's status for Sunday's scheduled game against the Patriots was already worth monitoring after the running back was cited for driving under the influence late Tuesday. Additionally, New England's practice was canceled Friday due to a positive COVID-19 test, so there are several variables in play here with regard to Gordon and his team as the weekend approaches.