NFL Player News

Hunt (hip) practiced fully Thursday.

Hunt was listed as a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, but his return to a full session one day later paves the way for him to continue to lead the Chiefs backfield Sunday against the Raiders. In this past weekend's 28-18 win over the 49ers, Hunt carried 22 times for 78 yards and two touchdowns while hauling in both of his targets for five yards. With 49 carries over his last two contests, Hunt once again looks like a fantasy-friendly option Week 8 considering the volume he's seeing in Kansas City's offense.

Spears (hamstring) was a limited participant during Thursday's practice session, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Spears injured his hamstring during the Titans' Week 6 loss to the Colts. He was unable to practice all of last week which led to him being sidelined for Week 7 against the Bills, but the 2023 third-round pick managed to return to practice Wednesday. The fact that Spears has been able to participate in back-to-back practices to open the week is a positive trend, and Friday's injury report should provide a better idea of whether he'll be able to play Sunday against the Lions. If Spears cannot play, Julius Chestnut would serve as the Titans' backup running back Sunday while Tony Pollard serves in a lead role.

Blackshear (shoulder) was a full participant during Thursday's practice session.

Despite suffering a dislocated shoulder during the Panthers' Week 7 loss to the Commanders, Blackshear has been able to log consecutive full practices to start the week. He's listed as day-to-day with the injury, but it appears that he should be good to go for Sunday's game against the Broncos. Through the first seven games of the regular season, Blackshear has logged 589 kick-return yards and 94 punt-return yards.

Stevenson (foot/personal) practiced fully Thursday.

Stevenson didn't practice Wednesday, but his return to a full session Thursday paves the way for him to continue to lead New England's backfield Sunday against the Jets. In his return from a one-game absence in last weekend's 32-16 loss to the Jaguars, Stevenson carried seven times for 18 yards and added two catches on three targets for seven yards. Now that he's further removed from the foot issue that sidelined him, Stevenson could see his touches increase this weekend, with the Patriots likely to run more than they did Week 7 (15 times).

Etienne (hamstring) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

Etienne was listed as a limited participant in practice all of last week before sitting out the Jaguars' 32-16 win over the Patriots in London. Though head coach Doug Pederson termed Etienne as day-to-day Monday after previously considering the running back week-to-week, Etienne hasn't yet taken a step forward in terms of practice activity. A return to full participation in practice Friday would alleviate much of the concern about Etienne's status for Sunday's game against the Packers, but the extent of the running back's role would still be difficult to project if he plays. After Tank Bigsby stepped in as the lead runner Week 7 and piled up 118 yards and two scores on 26 totes to bring him up to 6.2 yards per carry on the season, he may have earned himself a larger share of the backfield touches moving forward, regardless of whether Etienne plays or not.

Taylor (ankle) practiced fully Thursday.

Taylor, who hasn't seen game action since suffering a right high-ankle sprain Week 4, returned to a limited practice Wednesday, with his full participation a day later presumably setting the stage for the Colts' top running back to be available for Sunday's game against the Texans. Assuming no issues with his increased activity level during Thursday's session, Taylor will be in a position to head into the weekend minus an injury designation.

Brooks (knee) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

Brooks sandwiched a pair of capped practices around a scheduled day off last Thursday, so his ability to put together back-to-back limited sessions to kick off this week is a good sign for the rookie second-round pick as he gets back into football shape. The Panthers may make a ruling on his status for a Week 8 matchup in Denver on Friday's injury report, but in order for him to be available for game action, the team will need to activate him from the reserve/non-football injury list.

Ali (ankle) is not participating in Thursday's practice, Jonas Shaffer of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

Ali, a rookie fifth-round pick, came off IR on Oct. 12 after missing Baltimore's first five games due to a neck injury, but he then sustained an ankle issue after suiting up Week 6 against the Commanders. He'll have one more opportunity Friday to get back on the practice field prior to Sunday's road game against the Browns.

Ford (hamstring) was a non-participant in Thursday's practice, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

Unless he's able to get back on the field in some capacity Friday, Ford will likely be ruled out for a second straight game heading into Sunday's matchup with the Ravens. Before exiting the Browns' Week 6 loss to the Eagles with the hamstring injury, Ford had been serving as Cleveland's lead option out of the backfield, but he'll likely have to settle for a secondary role behind the now-healthy Nick Chubb once he's ready to play again.

Stevenson (foot/personal) returned to practice Thursday, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.

Stevenson didn't practice Wednesday, but his return to the field a day later has the running back trending toward suiting up Sunday against the Jets. The Patriots' second Week 8 injury report will be released later Thursday and will reveal whether Stevenson was a limited or full participant.