NFL Player News

Murray (toe) will not play Sunday against the Chargers, Scot Bair of CSN California reports.

Murray didn't practice all week, so it was seemingly just a matter of time before his turf toe injury officially ruled him out of Week 5. In his absence, promising rookies DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard have great opportunities to impress behind an excellent Oakland offensive line.

Murray (toe) was not spotted at Friday's practice, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Murray appears destined for an inactive status Sunday after not practicing all week due to turf toe. While that comes as bad news to his fantasy owners, his declining production probably should've already raised concern regarding his stock. If he's indeed sidelined Sunday, the duo of intruiging rookies DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard figures to handle Oakland's backfield duties versus the Chargers.

Washington (ankle) did not practice Friday, the Detroit Free Press reports.

Washington has not practiced since exiting last Sunday's game with foot and ankle injuries, so it seems unlikely that he'll be able to play against the Eagles this weekend. Although the matchup doesn't appear favorable, Washington's injury still comes at an inopportune time, as Ameer Abdullah's (foot) placement on injured reserve opens plenty of touches in the Lions' backfield going forward. If Washington is indeed unable to play Sunday, Theo Riddick and Zach Zenner would figure to see extended work, with Mike James a candidate to be promoted from Detroit's practice squad to help at running back.

Martin (hamstring) did not participate in Friday's practice, ESPN's Jenna Laine reports.

Martin was present for Friday's practice, but did not have pads nor a helmet, indicating he will remain sidelined. He'll have one more chance to practice this week with the Buccaneers playing Monday night, but Martin has not practiced since injuring his hamstring in Week 2. He'll likely have to get some practice work in Saturday to have any chance of playing in Week 5.

Sims (knee) did not suit up for Friday's practice, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

Sims has been sidelined all week with his knee injury, and he will remain there Friday. He'll have one more day to get on the practice field with the Buccaneers playing Monday night this week. Fellow running back Doug Martin (hamstring) also remains out of practice; if neither is able to go in Week 5, Jacquizz Rodgers would serve as the Buccaneers' primary running back.

When asked about Abdullah (foot) possibly playing again this season, head coach Jim Caldwell left the door open for a possible return, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.

Caldwell did not actually say any more than "we'll see" when asked Friday whether Abdullah could play again this season, but he did not rule him out altogether. Abdullah will not play until Week 11 at the earliest, but Caldwell added that he is making progress, so the Lions could ultimately add him back to the roster if things keep going as planned.

Rodgers is in line for an expanded role in Week 5 versus the Panthers, irrespective of whether Charles Sims is able to play with his knee injury, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

The veteran back has been more efficient than Sims on a per-carry basis to date, averaging 5.3 yards per tote over an admittedly limited sample of 13 touches. Rodgers has also shown a bit of a knack for "chunk" plays, ripping off a 24-yard scamper against the Cardinals in Week 2 and a 12-yard jaunt versus the Broncos in Week 4. He's also taken pretty quickly to the Bucs offensive system, given his past experience with head coach Dirk Koetter from their days together with the Falcons. The 26-year-old's excellent lateral quickness and low center of gravity have played a key part in him gaining first downs on 21.1 percent of his rushes in his career, as well in posting an average of 4.39 yards per carry on outside runs, which is notably better than Sims' 3.96 figure in the same category. With the Bucs ranking 24th in total rushing yards (330), 25th in rushing yards per game (82.5), and 28th in yards per carry (3.4), the team's head man appears ready to tweak the team's ground attack. "It is a true statement that we're not running the ball efficiently enough," Koetter said. "Maybe we have to go back and really look at fitting the roles into the players' specific strengths in the run game. But we definitely just can't keep doing the same stuff because that's not working."

Williams was released by Arizona on Thursday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site.

Williams was signed by the Cardinals just three days ago to help fill in for Chris Johnson (groin), but with tight end Darren Fells (shoulder) ruled out and the team needing to open a roster spot for another tight end, Williams got the axe. Williams could re-sign with the team if injuries strike Arizona running backs once again.

Zenner could earn additional snaps within the Lions' injury-plagued backfield during Sunday's contest against the Eagles, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

Already without Ameer Abdullah (foot) for most, if not all, of the season, the Lions may be down another RB in Week 5 due to Dwayne Washington's sprained ankle. Washington has missed practice both Wednesday and Thursday, but his activity level (or lack thereof) Friday will impact whether Zenner is in line for an uptick in touches. If Washington is unable to suit up Sunday, Zenner could be Detroit's between-the-tackles runner, with Theo Riddick serving as the pass-catching back.

Murray (turf toe) did not practice again Thursday, Jimmy Durkin of the Bay Area News Group reports.

Though back-to-back absences from practice cloud Murray's Week 5 availability, Durkin adds that the Raiders are holding out hope that Murray can play through his toe issue this weekend. "We'll hope that (Murray) can get back by Sunday," offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave noted Thursday. "I know he's working extremely hard at it and they're working with his shoes and things like that to help him in that regard."We'll just have to wait and see." If Murray can't play Sunday against the Chargers, the Raiders would turn DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard to handle the bulk of the team's Week 5 rushing load.