NFL Player News

Williams (knee) won't practice Thursday, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports.

At this stage, it looks like Williams will miss his second straight game this weekend. If that's the case, the Chiefs' Week 4 backfield against Detroit will be led by LeSean McCoy (ankle) -- assuming he plays after being limited at practice Wednesday -- with Darrel Williams and Darwin Thompson, in that order, next up for touches.

Gordon -- who reported to the Chargers' facility Thursday -- is slated to go through a physical conducted by the team's staff, Eric D. Williams of ESPN reports.

Per the report, Gordon is not expected to play Sunday against the Dolphins, while the Chargers are likely to request a two-game roster exemption from the NFL, which would allow the running back to get back into playing shape following his 64-day holdout. With that in mind, Austin Ekeler is in line for at least one more start this weekend, with Justin Jackson on hand to work in a complementary role.

Singletary (hamstring) was present for practice Thursday, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News reports.

It remains to be seen how the Bills will classify his level of participation, but the running back's presence on the field Thursday is a step in the right direction with regard to Singletary's chances of returning to action Sunday against the Patriots.

Following Barkley's visit with noted specialist Dr. Robert Anderson, it's been determined that the running back doesn't require surgery to address his ankle injury, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports.

Barkley, who is dealing with a high (right) ankle sprain, will thus turn to rest and rehab and is expected to be out of action for the next 4-to-6 weeks. In his absence, Wayne Gallman will serve as the Giants' starting running back, beginning Sunday against Washington.

Homer (quadriceps) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Homer's a new addition to the injury report, but working in a limited capacity is a solid sign for his availability Sunday versus the Cardinals. If Homer can shake his injury in time and Rashaad Penny (hamstring) can't, there's a chance he gets some tread on offense. However, that is a long shot considering he wasn't afforded an offensive snap in Week 3 despite Penny being inactive and Chris Carson fumbling the football.

Penny (hamstring) didn't practice Wednesday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Penny's return to practice has been a frequent topic of coach Pete Carroll's press conferences this week. On Sunday, Carroll mentioned Penny may participate as soon as Thursday. Then, Carroll bumped that up Wednesday. Because the latter didn't come to pass, Penny will attempt to uphold the initial timeline as he works his way back from a strained hamstring.

Ekeler's teammate, Melvin Gordon, plans to report to the Chargers on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Per the report, Gordon won't play Sunday against the Dolphins, so those who had been rolling with Ekeler will get one more week worth of starter's production from him, before he presumably reverts to a complementary role in Week 5.

Gordon, who has been away from the Chargers due to a contract dispute, plans to report to the team Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Per the report, Gordon won't play Sunday against the Dolphins, but the stage is set for him to return to action in Week 5 against the Broncos. With that, Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson are slated to hold down the team's backfield for one more game, before presumably reverting to complementary roles behind Gordon next week.

Freeman (shoulder) was limited at practice Wednesday, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

Freeman -- who's been splitting backfield work with Phillip Lindsay -- was forced out of this past Sunday's game against the Packers with a shoulder injury, but he was able to return to action, en route to logging 63 yards on 15 carries and 10 yards on four catches in the contest. Considering that, we suspect that the running back's Wednesday limitations were maintenance-related.

Williams (ribs) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice.

After sitting out the first three games of the season, Williams is ready to gear up for Sunday's game versus the Raiders. He offers little more than depth behind Marlon Mack, Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins, but Williams may contribute on special teams.