NFL Player News

Williams (ribs) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

In relief of the inactive Adrian Peterson (neck) in Sunday's loss to the Rams, Williams earned the start and led all Cardinals running backs by playing 31 of the 64 offensive snaps, followed by D.J. Foster (28) and Elijhaa Penny (five). On the box score, Williams had the most success by far, totaling 16 carries for 97 yards, while Foster accrued 25 yards from scrimmage and Penny recorded a one-yard touchdown run. The Cardinals have implemented a wait-and-see approach with Peterson, but another absence would leave Williams with the most intriguing potential due to the sheer number of touches. Williams' practice reps leading up to the Week 14 matchup with the Titans may be restricted, however, as he continues to recover from the cracked ribs he first sustained in Week 12.

Martin (concussion) was a full practice participant Wednesday, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

While this doesn't mean Martin has made it out of the concussion protocol, it does put him on track to play in Sunday's game against the Lions. The extent of his role in that contest will be subject to scrutiny, as Peyton Barber gained 102 yards on 23 carries and 41 yards on four catches in Sunday's 26-20 loss to the Packers. Martin hasn't produced that many scrimmage yards or rushing yards in a single contest since Week 11 of 2015.

Abdullah (neck) was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice.

Abdullah missed practice last Wednesday and Thursday before returning as a limited participant Friday, but he ultimately was ruled out for Sunday's 44-20 loss in Baltimore, leaving Theo Riddick, Tion Green and Zach Zenner to share snaps in the backfield. It will be hard to have confidence in Abdullah returning to action Sunday in Tampa Bay unless he makes it back to full participation by the end of the week.

Mixon (concussion) isn't present for Wednesday's practice, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.

Given that he suffered a concussion just two days prior, Mixon never was expected to be ready for Wednesday's practice. With the Bengals on a short week and the rookie potentially bothered by a shoulder injury in addition to the concussion, he'll have a tough time making it back for Sunday's game against the Bears. Should Mixon miss the game, Giovani Bernard likely would assume the lead role in the backfield. Brian Hill is the only other healthy running back on the roster, as Jeremy Hill (ankle) and Cedric Peerman (shoulder) are on injured reserve. The Bengals will likely sign another back at some point this week.

Martin (concussion) returned to practice Wednesday, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The activity marked Martin's first of any kind since sustaining a concussion Nov. 26 in Atlanta. Whether he practices on a limited basis or leaps all the way to full participation remains to be seen, but only the latter will imply that he's reached the final stages of the NFL's protocol for head injuries. During Martin's absence in Sunday's loss to the Packers, Peyton Barber was the centerpiece of the Tampa Bay backfield, racking up 143 yards from scrimmage. Meanwhile, Charles Sims (51 yards) and Jacquizz Rodgers (25) had minimal roles.

Rawls ran for four yards on his lone carry during Seattle's 24-10 win over Philadelphia.

Rawls saw just three offensive snaps on Sunday, and his carry didn't come until Seattle was nursing a two-score lead late in the third quarter. Rawls was a revelation when be broke out onto the scene in 2015, but injuries derailed 2016 and he's been lost in the shuffle this year. He has just two out of nine games with more than 50 total yards and has yet to score this season. With Seattle seemingly turning to Mike Davis, keep Rawls off your roster.

Conner ran for 12 yards on three carries in Pittsburgh's 23-20 win over Cincinnati on Monday.

The Steelers continue to use Conner sparingly, and with good reason, as Le'Veon Bell is on pace to rush for over 1,400 yards so long as he remains healthy. Conner has rushed for 125 yards on 27 carries this season, for a solid 4.6 average, including a high of 26 yards earlier this season against Baltimore, who he'll face in Week 14.

Mixon (concussion) has been ruled out of the remainder of Monday night's game against the Steelers.

Mixon's night ends with seven rushes for 34 yards and one catch for eight yards. His absence leaves Giovani Bernard to shoulder the Bengals' backfield duties, as Brian Hill is their only other running back available. Mixon will need to clear concussion protocol in order to play in Week 14 against the Bears.

Mixon exited Monday night's game against the Steelers to be evaluated for head and shoulder injuries, leaving him questionable to return.

Mixon went down after taking a hit during the second quarter. If he's unable to return, Giovani Bernard would figure to see the vast majority of Cincinnati's backfield snaps, as recently signed rookie Brian Hill is the team's only other active tailback. Prior to exiting, Mixon rushed seven times for 34 yards and caught his lone target for eight yards.

Jones signed with the Colts on Monday, Zak Keefer of The Indianapolis Star reports.

The 2015 third-round pick has been with the Colts since the Redskins released him in early September, initially joining the practice squad and then making it up to the active roster. He was released Saturday but will rejoin the team just two days later, perhaps hoping to get a few more carries as the Colts play out the string of lost season. Jones has five carries for 14 yards in three appearances this year, and he'll still fall behind Marlon Mack (and possibly Josh Ferguson) if the Colts decide to cut back Frank Gore's workload.