NFL Player News

Grimes (lower leg) was a limited participant at Thursday's practice.

Grimes suffered a cracked fibula Week 3 against New England and hasn't practiced since. It looks like his return is coming, but this week against the Lions may be asking too much from Grimes.

Head coach Jay Gruden said Thursday that Kelley will be the Redskins' No. 1 back Sunday against the Bengals if Matt Jones (knee) is unavailable, John Keim of ESPN.com reports. "It would be Robert [Kelley] in the lead role, more likely," Gruden said. "Chris [Thompson] has such an important role as far as third downs and his specialty role that we need him in that role and he's not a very big guy."

Kelley's measurables (6-foot, 228 pounds) closely mimic that of Jones (6-foot-2, 232 pounds), making him a better candidate to handle the rigors of a lead back. Per Gruden, Thompson's explosiveness is best utilized in a change-of-pace role, as evidenced by Sunday's 113 yards from scrimmage in Week 7 against Detroit. Meanwhile, after a preseason in which he averaged 5.2 YPC, Kelley has actually one-upped himself with limited snaps over the past five games, ripping off runs at 6.1 YPC.

Head coach Jay Gruden said Thursday that the Redskins will take a "wait-and-see" approach with Jones (knee), who has missed back-to-back practices, The Washington Post reports.

Dropping the rock had been the primary concern with Jones of late, but a knee injury is now conspiring to keep him out of the backfield mix entirely Sunday against the Bengals. Granted, he performed some footwork drills without a brace on either knee with the training staff at Thursday's session, so he shouldn't be counted out yet for active status in Week 8. One practice remains for Jones to make his presence felt, but in the event of a DNP, Gruden has stated that Rob Kelley is more likely to take over Jones' role, with Chris Thompson serving in a complementary role, according to John Keim of ESPN.com.

Patterson was unable to practice Thursday due to a concussion.

Previously unreported, Patterson has entered the NFL's protocol for head injuries. With its numerous hurdles to receive clearance for game action -- the last of which is a fruitful meeting with an independent neurologist -- his availability for Week 8 is certainly up in the air. Fortunately for the wideout, he has more time than normal to recover due to a Monday night contest with the Bears.

Anderson -- who is dealing with a right meniscus injury -- will undergo an arthroscopic procedure Thursday to address the issue, the Denver Post reports.

While Anderson landing on IR remains a possibility, at this time there is not yet a concrete timetable for his recovery. Added clarity on that front is slated to arrive after the procedure has been completed. "It's my understanding we should know something tonight, after they get through with what's going on," coach Gary Kubiak noted Thursday. In Anderson's indefinite (and possibly lengthy) absence, Devontae Booker is in line to step in as the Broncos' lead back.

Washington (ankle) was again a full practice participant Thursday.

While Washington turned in a full session Wednesday, fellow running back Theo Riddick (ankle) was limited to begin Week 8 prep. However, Riddick matched Washington's activity level Thursday, putting them on similar footing heading into Sunday's game in Houston. If Riddick takes on his normal 12-to-17 touches per game, Washington could be scrounging for scraps against the Texans' eighth ranked defense.

Gillislee (foot) remained limited at practice Thursday.

More on Gillislee's status Friday, but back-to-back limited practice sessions suggest that he has a solid chance of suiting up Sunday against the Patriots. That gives him a leg up, at least for now, on fellow RB LeSean McCoy (hamstring), who has yet to practice this week.

Anderson is slated to undergo surgery Thursday to repair what Mike Klis of 9news.com describes as "a significant meniscus tear in his right knee."

With Anderson's recovery from the procedure thought to be in the eight-to-12 week range, the Broncos are expected to place the running back on IR. In such a scenario, there might be a degree of hope that Anderson could possibly return for the postseason, should the Broncos qualify, but moving forward, Devontae Booker is slated to head the Denver backfield, with Kapri Bibbs currently in line to serve as his top backup.

McKinnon was wearing a walking boot on his left foot Thursday, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

The Vikings pulled McKinnon from Sunday's game in Philadelphia due to an ankle injury, but in the aftermath of the loss, head coach Mike Zimmer told Ben Goessling of ESPN.com that the running back "should be fine." While using a walking boot would seem to be at odds with such a comment, McKinnon will be afforded an extra day of recovery with a Monday night clash at Chicago on tap. A hindered (or worse) McKinnon would be most beneficial to Matt Asiata.

Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post relays that Anderson is undergoing more tests on his right knee, with "nothing finalized." That said, per the report, there appears to be a "strong possibility that the running back "misses extended time."

Meanwhile, ESPN.com suggests that the running back's MRI on Wednesday revealed that he did not tear his ACL, while NFL Network's Ian Rapoport indicates that Anderson is expected to be done for the year. Either way, look for something official to arrive via the Broncos later Thursday. If Anderson does indeed miss extended time, Devontae Booker is next in line for carries in the Denver backfield.