NFL Player News

Bolden (knee) did not practice Wednesday.

Bolden was shaken up in Week 4, so his missed practice Wednesday suggests that the reserve running back's status for Sunday's game against the Browns could be in danger.

Carey (hamstring) was limited in Wednesday's practice, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Carey made an appearance in drills for the first time since injuring his hamstring in Week 2. With two practices remaining, he has opportunities to ramp up his reps in advance of Sunday's game at Indianapolis. If the Bears deem Carey active, the breakdown of snaps between Jordan Howard and Carey would likely be that of workhorse and pass-catching back, respectively.

Washington (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday.

Knocked out of Week 4 due to a sprained ankle, Washington could be in danger of joining Ameer Abdullah (foot) on the sideline this weekend. Of course, a return to drills Thursday or Friday would partially lift the veil regarding his potential to play Sunday against the Eagles. Nevertheless, the Lions could be forced to lean on Theo Riddick and Zach Zenner out of the backfield in the short term.

Mathews (ankle) practiced in full Wednesday.

In the Eagles' last game on Sep. 25, Mathews was forced out due to a stiff ankle, finishing with minus-five yards on his two carries. He's subsequently used the team's bye week to retain his health and is thus on pace to start Sunday at Detroit, assuming no setback with the injury.

Mathews is still dealing with a "little soreness" in his ankle but is expected to play in Sunday's game against the Lions, Martin Frank of the Delaware News Journal reports.

Mathews will have to make it through practice over the next couple days before he is officially cleared to play in Week 5, but it appears he will be able to get back on the field following the Eagles' Week 4 bye. Mathews is expected to resume his role as the team's primary running back as long as he is able to suit up.

Hightower rushed for 11 yards on four carries in Sunday's win over San Diego.

Hightower's role has remained consistent, a modest three to five touches per game. What's worth noting is the play of those around him. Mark Ingram remains the top back, but fullback John Kuhn had a season-high five touches on Sunday and rookie halfback Daniel Lasco got his first looks of the season - five carries for 19 yards. With only so many balls to go around, it'll be worth watching whether Lasco and Kuhn continue to get touches and whether they come at the expense of Ingram or Hightower.

Draughn rushed for five yards on two carries and caught one pass for three yards in Sunday's loss to the Cowboys.

The output was a season low for Draughn. His touches have gone from nine to nine to six to three in the first quarter of the season. He hasn't scored since Week 1 and has difficulty getting past one of the top power backs in the game Carlos Hyde. That challenge is being exacerbated by a mobile quarterback, Blaine Gabbert, that has more rushes than Draughn, 29 to 23.

Gillislee rushed for 30 yards on six carries and added a 13-yard catch in Sunday's win over the Patriots.

Gillislee's role in the Buffalo offense is picking up under new offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn, with nine total touches in the past two games after just two total in Weeks 1 and 2. More use in the No. 2 role is an exciting development, but he still has too much competition for production with LeSean McCoy and mobile quarterback Tyrod Taylor. He's not worth a pickup yet, but his usage under a self-proclaimed run-enthusiast of a head coach bears monitoring.

Johnson (groin), who was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, is having surgery to repair a sports hernia, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Even when surgery is required, sports hernias aren't necessarily season-ending injuries, with players often able to return after approximately two months. Interestingly enough, safety Tyvon Branch is having the same procedure, and he was also placed on injured reserve Tuesday. The Cardinals will evaluate both players' progress, with one of the two likely to eventually return from injured reserve after a minimum stay of eight weeks. Johnson may be the more familiar name to most NFL fans, but Branch has arguably been more important to the team this season. With the elder Johnson out of the picture, David Johnson will have a bit less competition for carries, though his teammate's presence wasn't having much impact on the second-year runner in any case. Andre Ellington, Kerwynn Williams and Stepfan Taylor will provide depth.

Rainey rushed the ball four times for 22 yards and hauled in seven receptions for 43 yards in Monday night's loss to the Vikings.

Rainey was quiet the first three weeks of the season, but with Shane Vereen (triceps) landing on IR and Rashad Jennings (thumb) inactive for Monday's game, an immediate hole opened in the Giants' backfield. Rainey showcased his skill set as both a runner and a pass-catching option. With Jennings' status still up in the air for Week 5, the 28-year-old Rainey could have another strong week as he competes for reps with Orleans Darkwa.