NFL Player News

Artis-Payne rushed for five yards on his lone carry during Sunday's 26-20 loss to Cleveland.

The carry was just Artis-Payne's second touch of the season. He's totaled just six yards. With C.J. Anderson now out of town, the fourth-year back has a chance to be more involved in the offense, but -- even as RB No. 2 -- he figures to get RB3-level carries given the running prowess of Cam Newton. That, along with a Monday matchup against the Saints' top-three run defense, makes him a bad play this week.

Ekeler (neck/concussion) didn't participate in Tuesday's practice.

After suffering a bruised nerve in his neck on an onside kick recovery attempt late in Sunday's 26-21 win over the Bengals, Ekeler entered the concussion protocol after developing symptoms of a head injury during Monday's team walkthrough. Per Sam Fortier of The Athletic, the two injuries make it unlikely Ekeler will rally in time for Thursday's game in Kansas City, potentially leaving the Chargers perilously thin in the backfield. On a more fortunate note, workhorse Melvin Gordon (knee) returned to practice Tuesday in a limited fashion and is angling to return from a two-game absence, but if he can't gain clearance to play, seventh-round rookie Justin Jackson and undrafted free agent Detrez Newsome would be the lone available backs for Los Angeles.

The Raiders parted ways with Anderson on Tuesday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

Anderson didn't have long to gain a foothold in the Raiders backfield, lasting just a week in Oakland before the two sides went their separate ways. The veteran running back has now departed from two different teams this season, taking the field for just 55 offensive snaps over nine games for Carolina prior to being released by the Panthers earlier. Given that he racked up a career-high 1,007 rushing yards in 2017, there may still be some teams out there interested in adding Anderson as depth.

Gordon (knee) was a limited participant in Tuesday's practice.

Compared to earlier Tuesday when coach Anthony Lynn told Steve Wyche of NFL Network that he wasn't optimistic Gordon would be ready to go Thursday against the Chiefs, he seems to have budding enthusiasm for the running back's chances of playing. In addition to logging his first practice participation of any kind since suffering the MCL sprain in the Week 12 win over the Cardinals, Gordon relayed that he felt much better and believes he can push at least for a gametime decision Thursday, per Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. A limited or full showing at Wednesday's practice would represent another positive step for Gordon's Week 15 status, but rookie Justin Jackson would be on tap to handle a leading role for the Chargers if the team's top back isn't cleared to play.

Clement (knee) was placed on injured reserve Tuesday.

The Eagles haven't publicly commented on the results of the MRI that Clement required Monday, but the running back's move to IR implies that he was likely looking at a multi-week recovery timeline. With Clement officially shut down for the final three regular-season contests and a potential postseason run, Darren Sproles checks in as the top change-of-pace option behind starter Josh Adams, while Wendell Smallwood also slides up a spot on the depth chart.

Clement is expected to be sidelined for at least Sunday's game against the Rams after sustaining a right knee injury in the Week 14 overtime loss to the Cowboys, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Clement played just seven snaps (four on offense) before exiting with the injury, for which he required an MRI on Monday. The results of Clement's exams aren't known, but the team's decision to sign fellow running back Boston Scott off the Saints' practice squad implies some level of concern about the former's Week 15 availability. If Clement is in fact sidelined versus the Rams, Darren Sproles and/or Wendell Smallwood could take on enhanced roles behind starter Josh Adams.

Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Conner (ankle) hasn't been ruled out for the Week 15 game against the Patriots but will need to demonstrate progress in practices Wednesday through Friday to gain clearance to play, Chris Adamski of TribLive.com reports.

Conner, who is believed to be dealing with something between a mid-to-high-ankle sprain, was sidelined for the first time all season over the past weekend in the Steelers' 24-21 loss to the Raiders. While the lead back was inactive, rookie Jaylen Samuels stepped in as the primary option out of the backfield, playing 80 percent of the offensive snaps and finishing with 28 yards on 11 carries and 64 yards on seven receptions. While Tomlin noted that Conner is coming off an encouraging week of recovery, he's uncertain to be ready to return to practice in any capacity within the next few days. Until there's a firmer indication that Conner is actually on track to play against New England, fantasy managers who scooped up Samuels should continue to hold him in all formats.

Newsome is likely to serve as the top backup to Justin Jackson in Thursday's game against the Chiefs after coach Anthony Lynn told Steve Wyche of NFL Network that he's "not optimistic" Melvin Gordon (knee) and Austin Ekeler (neck/concussion) will be available for the contest.

Both injured backs were listed as non-participants on Monday's estimated practice report and seem unlikely to increase their activity enough over the next two days to gain clearance for the Week 15 matchup. Even though Gordon missed his second straight game over the weekend against the Bengals and Ekeler exited late in the contest, Newsome didn't see any work on offense, as all 12 of the undrafted rookie's snaps came on special teams. Given that Newsome has seen only 11 offensive snaps in total in his seven games with the Chargers, it's difficult to envision him capturing a major role in the game plan, as Lynn seems more likely to lean on Jackson as a three-down workhorse. It's also conceivable that Los Angeles will add another running back to its roster prior to Thursday, which could further hurt Newsome's chances of making an impact on offense.

Coach Anthony Lynn said he's "not optimistic" that Ekeler (neck/concussion) will be available for Thursday's game against the Chiefs, Steve Wyche of NFL Network reports.

Lynn offered a similar assessment for the outlook of Melvin Gordon (knee), so it's expected the Chargers will be without their top two running backs in a matchup that could effectively decide the AFC West. Ekeler exited late in Sunday's win over the Bengals with a neck stinger -- an issue that has bothered him at various points in recent weeks -- and also entered the NFL's protocol for head injuries Monday after experiencing concussion-like symptoms during a team walk-through session, per Joe Reedy of the Associated Press. With Ekeler not trending toward gaining clearance for Thursday and Gordon seemingly on track to miss a third straight contest, seventh-round pick Justin Jackson is expected to head the Chargers' backfield in Week 15, making the Northwestern product worthy of rostering in most leagues in the short term. Undrafted rookie Detrez Newsome is also on hand to offer depth, but with just 11 career offensive snaps to his name, it's tough to imagine him having a sizable role in the game plan.

The Chargers aren't optimistic that Gordon (knee) will be available for Thursday's game against the Chiefs, coach Anthony Lynn told Steve Wyche of NFL Network.

Though reports over the weekend painted a rosier picture for Gordon's Week 15 status, the running back's inability to take part in Monday's light walk-through session seemingly puts him on track to miss a third straight contest. The Chargers are also expected to be without the services of Austin Ekeler (neck/concussion), leaving seventh-round pick Justin Jackson and undrafted rookie Detrez Newsome as the lone healthy backfield options. Considering Newsome has played just 11 offensive snaps this season, Jackson will likely be in line to dominate the backfield work Thursday, making the Northwestern product a worthy pickup in just about every format. Gordon, meanwhile, will look to improve his odds of playing this week by upping his activity Tuesday or Wednesday, though that doesn't appear likely.