NFL Player News

Cunningham (ankle) practiced fully Thursday, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Diagnosed with a left high-ankle sprain after Week 1, Cunningham has required just a week and a half to achieve a full practice. The Bears still have one question mark in the backfield, though, as Jordan Howard's right shoulder continues to ail him. If Howard's snap count is kept in check Sunday versus the Steelers, Cunningham may receive reps beyond kick-return duties, but Tarik Cohen and even Taquan Mizzell are better candidates to pick up carries and targets.

Coach Bill O'Brien indicated Wednesday that Foreman will receive offensive snaps ahead of Alfred Blue (ankle) when both players are healthy, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Blue's status as a veteran allowed him to open the preseason as the Texans' top backup at running back behind starter Lamar Miller, but his hold on that role was always expected to be a tenuous one after the team drafted Foreman in the third round back in April. The high-ankle sprain Blue suffered late in the preseason kept him sidelined for the Texans' first two games of the regular season, allowing Foreman to pick up snaps behind Miller even earlier than the organization might have expected. Though Foreman's numbers (13 carries for 44 yards) aren't outstanding, his 3.4 yards per carry mark isn't far behind Miller's 3.6, owing to the struggles of the Texans' offensive line early on. The Texans have seemingly been impressed by Foreman's tough running between the tackles, so he'll continue to be called upon when Miller requires a breather, leaving Blue to see most of his snaps on special teams.

West (calf) was not present for practice Thursday, Edward Lee of the Baltimore Sun reports.

The issue that Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun described earlier this week as a soft-tissue injury has thus kept West out of back-to-back practices. If he is out or limited Sunday against the Jaguars, Javorius Allen would be the top candidate to replace West as the team's starting RB in Week 3, while Alex Collins could also be in line to see an expanded role, potentially including work around the red zone, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com.

Cunningham (ankle) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, Adam Hoge of WGN Radio 720 AM reports.

The session marks Cunningham's first since suffering a left high-ankle sprain in the regular-season opener. Because such injuries are typically accompanied by multi-week absences, he may have been testing the waters Wednesday. If Cunningham proves healthy enough to suit up Sunday against the Steelers, he may be hard pressed to wrest pass-catching duties from rookie Tarik Cohen, though first- and second-down work could be available due to the shoulder injury plaguing starting back Jordan Howard.

Williams didn't practice Wednesday due to a rib injury.

The injury might initially seem to explain why Williams only logged three offensive snaps in Sunday's 19-17 win over the Chargers, but he actually played 13 snaps on special teams. With Jay Ajayi (knee) operating as an every-down workhorse, there simply isn't much room for Williams or Kenyan Drake to contribute. Ajayi also missed Wednesday's practice, but there's been no suggestion his injury is serious.

Mack (shoulder) was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice.

The injury didn't necessarily contribute to Mack's reduced workload in Sunday's loss to Arizona, as most of his Week 1 touches came in the second half of a blowout. Even if Mack is relatively healthy, Sunday's matchup against the Browns should be a competitive game, which would be more favorable to the likes of Frank Gore and Robert Turbin. However, the Colts may want to give Mack an extended look at some point, considering they're already shaping up as a long shot to compete for a playoff spot.

Washington didn't practice Wednesday due to an ankle injury, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

Washington appeared to be shaken up on the last of his three carries in Monday's 24-10 win over the Giants. He gets a bit more work than the typical No. 3 running back and could even get some carries at the goal line, but there isn't much potential for double-digit touches unless Ameer Abdullah suffers a major injury. Zach Zenner will fill in as the No. 3 back if Washington isn't ready for Sunday's game against Atlanta.

Kelley (ribs) was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice.

Given that Kelley missed the second half of Sunday's 28-21 win over the Rams, his ability to practice in any capacity is a major positive. He escaped without a broken rib and is instead dealing with a cartilage injury, though coach Jay Gruden did say Monday that there's some chance the pain will be too great for Kelley to play. Gruden also gave his lead back credit for toughness, saying that he expects Kelley will at least give it in Week 3 against Oakland. While it's possible the medical staff has other plans, Kelley is on the right track after practicing Wednesday. Should Kelley end up missing the game, Samaje Perine will fill in as the early-down thumper, with Week 2 standout Chris Thompson likely also handling an expanded role.

Kelley (ribs) will participate in practice Wednesday, Nora Princiotti of The Washington Times reports.

Redskins coach Jay Gruden initially feared Kelley suffered a broken rib when the running back departed early from Sunday's 27-20 win over the Rams. It turns out Kelley escaped with a rib cartilage injury, which at least gives him a shot to avoid any further missed time. He vastly outplayed Samaje Perine in Sunday's win over the Rams, piling up 78 yards on only 12 carries, while the rookie needed 21 totes to reach 67 yards. The drastic difference in efficiency confirms Kelley's status as Washington's lead runner, assuming he's available for the Week 3 game against Oakland. Kelley's ability to practice Wednesday puts him on the right path, even if he ends up being listed as a limited participant on the official injury report.

West (soft-tissue injury) didn't practice Wednesday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

West was limited to only 15 snaps and 10 touches in Sunday's 24-10 win over the Browns while dealing with the unspecified "soft-tissue injury." Javorius Allen operated as the lead back in West's absence, with Alex Collins helping to kill the clock in the second half. Even if West ends up playing Sunday against the Jaguars, Allen's role appears a bit more conducive to fantasy production, featuring a decent portion of the early-down work as well as the vast majority of passing-down snaps.