NFL Player News

Mathews (groin) was limited at Wednesday's practice.

In the Eagles' last game before a Week 8 bye, Mathews suffered a groin injury, but it didn't stop him from racking up 97 rushing yards on the backs of a 63-yard touchdown run. Although he's limited to start the week, his availability for Sunday night's game at Dallas could receive clarification as the week goes on, especially if he logs a full practice at some point.

Herron's teammates LeSean McCoy and Karlos Williams are both healthy again coming out of the bye week.

Herron had a window of opportunity when both players were down a few games ago, but didn't really do much with his 11 carries, averaging just 3.4 yards per. At best, he's now the No. 3 back with Williams ready to return from his concussion.

Sims was in on 29 snaps versus the Falcons in Week 8, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

After consecutive games with double-digit carries, Sims only toted the rock six times against the Falcons. The Bucs have clearly settled into a backfield playing time rotation they are comfortable with, and that entails Sims only getting in occasional work in relief of lead dog Doug Martin. Tampa has eschewed the use of third running back Bobby Rainey on plays from scrimmage the majority, at least giving Sims a fairly stable floor in terms of playing time so far in 2015.

Martin was in on 41 offensive snaps in Week 8 versus the Falcons, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Martin continues to be the unquestioned workhorse back for Tampa, and is on pace for his best yardage total in a season since his rookie campaign in 2012. The fourth-year pro has now carried the ball over 20 times in three out of the last four games, and came up just one short of that benchmark in the fourth contest of that sample size. Martin's three 100-yard rushing games so far in 2015 also exceed his total in that category over the prior pair of seasons combined (two).

Oliver (turf toe) was placed on season-ending injured reserve Tuesday.

Oliver had been serving as the No. 3 running back, getting a few touches per game in relief of Melvin Gordon and Danny Woodhead. The Chargers will now turn to Donald Brown to fill the aforementioned role, though it's possible Oliver's snaps will just go to Gordon and/or Woodhead. Oliver has shown flashes of starting-caliber play the past two seasons, and he should be back in 2016 to compete for a role in the San Diego backfield. Of course, Woodhead and Gordon are also under contract for next year.

Running back Joseph Randle (back/personal) was released by the Cowboys on Tuesday, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Between injuries, personal issues and a possible looming suspension, Randle already seemed unlikely to play again in 2015. He had the first shot to replace DeMarco Murray in the Dallas backfield, but Randle ultimately managed just 76 carries for 315 yards (4.1 YPC) and four touchdowns in six games behind a top-notch offensive line. Darren McFadden handled most of the workload the past two games and will likely continue to do so in Week 9 against the Eagles, with Christine Michael and Rod Smith providing depth. Randle is unlikely to draw interest from another team this season.

Mathews (groin) participated in Tuesday's practice, Martin Frank of the Delaware News Journal reports.

Mathews injured his groin during the Eagles' last game in Week 7, but it appears he was able to heal up during the Eagles' Week 8 bye. Expect him to play a complimentary role behind DeMarco Murray when the Eagles return to action Sunday against the Cowboys.

Hunt was signed to the Texans' practice squad, the Houston Chronicle reports.

Hunt went undrafted in 2015 out of Purdue, for whom he had more than 4,600 all-purpose yards. He rushed for 949 yards and caught 48 passes for the Boilermakers last year.

Randle (personal/back) will not be available for Sunday's game against the Eagles, David Helman of the Cowboys' official site reports.

Randle is uncertain to return before the end of the season, with injuries, a personal issue and a possible suspension all hanging over his head. At the very least, he'll miss Sunday's divisional matchup, leaving Darren McFadden as the clear lead back against a tough Eagles defense.

Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said that Jones and Alfred Morris will both play a lot in the coming weeks, ESPN.com reports.

Jones and Morris have been splitting early-down work, with Chris Thompson (neck) handling passing downs. Jones took over for the injured Thompson in a Week 7 win over the Bucs, allowing the rookie to out-snap Morris 46-10. If Thompson misses another game, Jones will clearly be the preferred option from Washington's backfield, as the Redskins will likely fall behind in a road game against the Patriots. If Thompson returns, the backfield will be a three-way mess, just as it has been for most of the season.