NFL Player News

Coach Brian Schottenheimer said Monday that Blue is very close to being active on game days, Joe Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Blue has been a healthy inactive for each of Dallas' first four games, and as long as both Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders (ankle) are healthy and producing, it's hard to see the rookie making an impact in the box score. Blue is little more than an end-of-bench stash in deeper fantasy leagues and a hold in dynasty formats.

Coach Brian Schottenheimer said Monday that Sanders (ankle) is trending toward being able to play Sunday against the Jets, Joe Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Sanders left this past Sunday night's tie against the Packers in the second quarter and was unable to return. However, it sounds like he avoided a serious injury. Sanders has been operating as the change-of-pace option behind Javonte Williams in Dallas' backfield to begin the season.

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said Monday that Irving is among the list of players who sustained an injury during Sunday's 31-25 loss to the Eagles, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Bowles implied that Irving is one of multiple players awaiting MRI results Monday, per Greg Auman of Fox Sports, but he declined to offer specifics about what sort of injury the second-year pro is dealing with. Irving enjoyed his most productive outing of the season Sunday, rushing 15 times for 63 yards and hauling in all five of his targets for 102 yards and a touchdown. The Buccaneers will wait and see if Irving is available on the road against Seattle in Week 5, though if he were to miss any time, both Rachaad White and Sean Tucker would stand to inherit increased backfield roles.

Haskins played five offensive snaps and did not record an offensive stat in the 21-18 loss to the Giants on Sunday.

Haskins played five offensive snaps compared to Kimani Vidal's two, but the backfield clearly belonged to rookie Omarion Hampton who put together another fantastic performance on virtually the entire workload. Haskins projects to be the short-yardage back if the Chargers opt for that route, but otherwise clearly isn't a relevant backup in this offense.

Tucker returned three kickoffs for 54 yards in the Buccaneers' 31-25 loss to the Eagles on Sunday.

Tucker once again was left out of the offense entirely, but he still had three opportunities with the ball in his hands thanks to his role as primary kickoff returner. Tucker has just one carry through four games, but he's accumulated 285 yards on 12 kickoff returns, leaving him 125 yards and three runbacks short of his numbers in those categories across 17 regular-season games in 2024.

Akers played just three snaps, all on special teams, in Sunday's loss to Pittsburgh in Dublin.

Akers was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster the day before the game to serve as the No. 3 running back. Last week, he got five carries just days after he was signed as a free agent, which suggested he could perhaps challenge Zavier Scott for the backup running back role while Aaron Jones (hamstring) is sidelined. However, Scott played 29 snaps on offense and had two carries and six receptions (one for a touchdown) in Dublin, showing he's clearly ahead of Akers on the depth chart.

White rushed six times for 17 yards and brought in four of five targets for 29 yards in the Buccaneers' 31-25 loss to the Eagles on Sunday.

Game script dictated the Buccaneers take a pass-heavy approach for significant portions of the afternoon, but White still logged a typical complementary workload on the ground. The fact Tampa Bay was trailing throughout the contest also afforded him his fair share of work as a pass catcher, leading to season-high figures in receptions and receiving yards. The veteran back figures to profile in a similar fashion during a challenging Week 5 road matchup against the Seahawks on Sunday.

The Titans are expected to open Spears' (ankle) 21-day practice window this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Spears suffered a high-ankle sprain during the preseason and started the season on injured reserve, but he's eligible to return to practice this week. It sounds like Spears is closing in on 100 percent health. Tony Pollard has played a whopping 89 percent of the Titans' offensive snaps as a true every-down back through four games and has averaged 18.5 touches per contest, totaling 316 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. Spears should take some of that work once he returns, but Pollard likely will remain the lead back in Tennessee.

Johnson signed with the Cardinals' practice squad Monday.

Johnson failed to make the Ravens' initial 53-man roster in late August but has since found a new home with the Cardinals' practice squad. The South Florida product appeared in 14 games for the Jaguars in 2024, rushing 55 times for 143 yards and catching 12 of 19 targets for 96 yards. He could be elevated to Arizona's active roster at some point this season with James Conner (foot) done for the year.

The Cardinals signed Carter off their practice squad Monday.

With James Conner (foot) expected to miss the remainder of the year, Carter's signing adds much-needed backfield depth. The North Carolina product was elevated for the Week 4 loss to the Seahawks, rushing once for one yard over just four offensive snaps. He's expected to continue playing behind both Trey Benson and Emari Demercado in the Arizona's Week 5 matchup against the Titans.