NFL Player News

Harris has been added to the Ravens' practice squad.

Harris ended up getting 18 carries for the Seahawks in Week 14 after Thomas Rawls was injured, but the team did some backfield re-tooling afterward, with Harris subsequently let go and replaced by Bryce Brown and Christine Michael. Harris will now provide the Ravens with added depth behind rostered backs Javorius Allen, Terrance West and Terrence Magee.

Artis-Payne is expected to have a role in the Panthers' backfield Sunday versus the Giants in New York, Max Henson of the Panthers' official site reports.

Head coach Ron Rivera opened media availability Wednesday with the news that Jonathan Stewart won't play in Week 15 due to a sprained left foot, which he sustained during Sunday's win against the Falcons. With that out of the way, Rivera relayed that either Fozzy Whittaker or Mike Tolbert will start this Sunday, but Artis-Payne should also get in the act, calling it a "big opportunity" for the rookie. In four brief appearances this season, he's notched 12 carries for 31 yards among 23 total snaps.

Anderson (ankle) did not practice Wednesday.

That said, coach Gary Kubiak indicated that the expectation is that Anderson will be back in action this weekend against the Steelers. Anderson was actually in uniform for this past Sunday's game against the Raiders, but did not see the field after missing the entire week of practice in advance of the contest.

Ellington (toe) was a non-participant at Wednesday's practice, after which head coach Bruce Arians said that the running back's status this week remains "up in the air."

Arians' comment backs up the Cardinals' narrative with Ellington over the past few weeks, as he continues his recovery from turf toe. A return to practice would push the door ajar for a potential game-day appearance, but it's unclear when that will come to pass. In the meantime, David Johnson will continue to be trusted with the bulk of the RB reps.

Michael re-signed with the Seahawks on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Returning to the organization that fostered his first two seasons in the NFL, Michael could make an immediate impression in a backfield without the services of Marshawn Lynch (abdomen) and Thomas Rawls (ankle). Michael will have to contend with Bryce Brown for reps, but his experience in the Seahawks' system (4.9 YPC in 14 career games) could serve him well until Lynch is healthy enough to return.

Carey failed to see any offensive snaps in Sunday's loss to the Redskins.

Carey did return a kickoff 22 yards and was out there for five plays on special teams, but with the Bears only running 21 times in Sunday's contest, there wasn't any room for work behind the top two backs, Matt Forte and Jeremy Langford. Most of Carey's work for what remains of the season will likely come in games where the outcome has already been decided.

Thompson snatched four passes for 21 yards off of six targets and added eight yards on the ground on five carries.

Thompson has nine touches in each of his past two games, by far his biggest workloads of the season. Thompson's looks have come due to C.J. Anderson being sidelined with an ankle injury and he hasn't done too much with them, averaging seven yards per catch and 2.7 yards per carry. Anderson suited up as the emergency back on Sunday and appears to be on pace to re-emerge and take carries away from Thompson in the coming weeks.

Sims played on 27 snaps in Sunday's 24-17 loss to the Saints, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Bucs' backup tailback played only one fewer snap than starter Doug Martin, with his pass-catching prowess keeping him on the field for long stretches in the second half as Tampa tried to overcome a deficit that climbed as high as 14 points. Sims' highly productive afternoon included a career-high six catches, and could have been even more explosive if Jameis Winston hadn't slightly overthrown him late in the fourth quarter for a game-tying touchdown. Sims is receiving solid playing time regardless of game flow, but he receives extended opportunity whenever Tampa Bay plays from behind.

Martin was in on 28 snaps in Sunday's 24-17 loss to the Saints, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Bucs' starting tailback's playing time was relatively scarce in the second half, with Tampa behind by as much as two touchdowns at one point. The encouraging thing was that Martin continued to run very effectively when he did get the opportunity. With the offensively-challenged Rams on deck Thursday night, Martin should benefit from what should be a much more balanced offensive approach in Week 15.

Bolden is in line for an expanded workload after LaGarrette Blount was ruled out for the season due to a hip injury.

Upon Blount's removal in the second quarter Sunday in Houston, Bolden took the reins of the backfield, for the most part, notching a season-high 16 rushes for 51 yards. Meanwhile, James White received a goal-line carry and fulfilled pass-catching duties with four receptions (on six targets) for 38 yards. The Patriots are notorious for building a game plan to suit that week's opponent, but with Blount joining Dion Lewis (knee) on the rehab trail, Bolden should become a more featured option in the offense.