NFL Player News

Brooks (knee) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice.

Brooks remains on the reserve/non-football injury list, but it's encouraging to see him practicing in full after having been listed as a limited participant in the majority of his sessions of the last two weeks. Head coach Dave Canales said Wednesday that he's still undecided about whether Brooks will play Sunday versus the Saints, according to Steve Reed of the Associated Press. Thus far, the Panthers have opted for extra caution with Brooks, who is recovering from a torn ACL suffered last November during his final collegiate season at Texas. With Chuba Hubbard thriving as Carolina's lead back, the Panthers have the luxury of easing along Brooks, who could be headed for more of a complementary role once he's activated.

Tracy (concussion) is not practicing Wednesday but was spotted working with trainers off to the side, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

Giants head coach Brian Daboll said Wednesday that Tracy is in the "early stages" of the NFL's concussion protocol, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. The rookie fifth-round pick could have a chance to gain clearance in time for Sunday's game against Washington, but in order to put himself on track for a tentative Week 9 return, Tracy will likely need to at least take part in non-contact practice activity Thursday. Devin Singletary will presumably serve as the Giants' lead back if Tracy is unable to clear the protocol before Sunday.

Head coach Antonio Pierce suggested Wednesday that he wants to give White more opportunities, even though Alexander Mattison will remain the starting running back, Levi Edwards of the Raiders' official site reports. "Zamir, we saw some positives from him last year," Pierce said. "He's just got to get out of his funk."

Mattison has averaged just 2.7 yards per carry in his four-game stint as the starter, which includes two games White missed with a groin injury. White hasn't been any better this year, averaging 3.0 YPC, and he's taken just 13 snaps and six touches in two games since returning from the groin injury. Though Pierce floated the possibility of White taking on a bigger role Sunday against the Bengals, it may not necessarily come to fruition.

Head coach Antonio Pierce said Wednesday that Mattison remains the team's starting running back, but Pierce also wants to get Zamir White more involved, Levi Edwards of the Raiders' official site reports.

Mattison started the last four games and took at least 57 percent of snaps and at least 17 touches in each contest, averaging 16.5 carries for 44.5 yards (2.7 YPC) and 3.8 catches for 28.8 yards (7.2 YPT) while scoring one touchdown. The volume has made him a reasonable fantasy starter, at least in PPR leagues, but his struggles on the ground seemingly open the door for White to take on a significant role again, possibly as soon as this Sunday at Cincinnati.

Jacobs is not participating in practice Wednesday due to an undisclosed issue, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Jacobs' absence may simply be related to load management, but the Packers' first Week 9 injury report will be released later Wednesday and will provide clarity on that front. Quarterback Jordan Love (groin) is also sitting out practice Wednesday and is uncertain to play Sunday against the Lions, making Jacobs' status even more important than usual for the Green Bay offense. Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks are both available as depth options behind Jacobs.

Pierce (groin) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Jets.

Pierce, whom the Texans listed as a non-participant on all three Week 9 injury reports, will thus target a potential return to action Nov. 10 against the Lions. In his absence, Dare Ogunbowale will likely step in as the top backup to lead back Joe Mixon.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said Wednesday that he "feels good" about Etienne's (hamstring) chances of playing Sunday against the Eagles, Mia O'Brien of 1010 XL 92.5 FM Jacksonville reports.

Etienne has missed two straight games but appears to be trending in the right direction ahead of the Jaguars' Week 9 contest. The running back hasn't managed anything more than limited participation in practice since injuring his hamstring Week 6, so he may have to take a step forward in terms of activity during the Jaguars' sessions Wednesday through Friday to boost his odds of being available this weekend. If Etienne is cleared to play Sunday, the extent of his role is somewhat muddled, as Tank Bigsby has thrived as the Jaguars' lead runner over the past two games and may have earned himself a larger share of the backfield duties moving forward.

The Jaguars designated Robinson (toe) for return from injured reserve Wednesday.

Robinson's toe injury dates back to early in training camp and resulted in the Jaguars placing him on IR prior to Week 1. The rookie fifth-round pick is now ready to resume practicing, with the transaction opening up a 21-day evaluation window before he would need to be moved to the 53-man roster. Once activated, Robinson will provide depth out of the backfield behind Travis Etienne (hamstring), Tank Bigsby and D'Ernest Johnson, but the 24-year-old may make his greatest impact in the return game.

Ogunbowale could serve as the top backup running back in Thursday's game against the Jets, as Dameon Pierce (groin) did not practice Tuesday.

Ogunbowale would move up the depth chart if Pierce is unable to heal in time for Thursday's game. He filled in earlier this season when both Pierce and starter Joe Mixon missed time, with his most usage coming Week 5 versus Buffalo, when he handled 21 touches. That kind of volume is not expected for Ogunbowale at any point in the near future with Mixon back to full health, but the short week could present more opportunities for Ogunbowale if Pierce sits out.

Vidal rushed six times for 16 yards in Sunday's 26-8 win over the Saints.

Vidal played just 11 of the Chargers 66 offensive snaps Sunday, while starter J.K. Dobbins handled the majority of snaps (54) at running back against the Saints. Vidal has totaled just 13 rushes for 37 yards in three games, operating as the Chargers No. 2 back with Gus Edwards (ankle) on injured reserve. Edwards could return in Week 10, though there has been no update on whether he'll be ready by then. With that said, Vidal holds little fantasy value at this stage, especially with Edwards potentially returning soon. The rookie would need an injury to Dobbins to gain fantasy relevance going forward. Vidal and the Chargers will visit the Browns in Week 9.