NFL Player News

The Panthers announced Tuesday that Etienne (ankle) is designated to return from injured reserve.

The Panthers have opened Etienne's 21-day practice window. The 22-year-old will add much-needed depth to the backfield behind Chubba Hubbard and AJ Dillon, while Jonathan Brooks (abdomen) remains on injured reserve.

The Commanders signed Neal to the practice squad Tuesday, NFL reporter Jordan Schultz reports.

Neal is heading to his third team of the 2026 regular season after being let go by the Vikings in early October. The 2025 sixth-round pick played in 10 games last season, recording 206 yards and two touchdowns on 57 attempts, while catching 17 of 19 targets for 104 yards.

The Dolphins released Hunter from the practice squad Tuesday.

Hunter signed to Miami's practice squad in early September and remained a depth piece through five regular-season games in 2026. The 23-year-old last played for the Rams in 2025 where he appeared in five games, recording 22 snaps on special teams.

Conner (foot) is "getting close" to practicing, but the Cardinals aren't expected to open his 21-day evaluation window this week, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM reports.

Conner's 2025 season was cut short due to a right foot injury that he addressed with surgery, but he was cleared to take part in practices at the start of training camp. However, he didn't end up mixing into team drills at any point in August before the Cardinals placed him on injured reserve with a designation to return to begin the season. Though Conner has seemingly made progress in his recovery from the start of the season, the Cardinals are unlikely to rush him back into action with three other running backs (Jeremiyah Love, Tyler Allgeier and Bam Knight) already on the 53-man roster. Gambardoro suggests that the Cardinals may be viewing Conner as more of an insurance policy in the backfield, and it's not out of the question for the veteran to get moved ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline if the team doesn't have a need for him once he's fully healthy.

Kiner is expected to move into the No. 2 spot on the depth chart behind lead back Rhamondre Stevenson in Sunday's game against the Jets with TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) expected to be sidelined for multiple weeks, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

After Henderson exited in the second quarter of Sunday's 45-17 win over the Raiders with what was later revealed to be a high-ankle sprain, Kiner stepped in as the top complement to Stevenson and finished the game with six carries for 52 yards, a seven-yard reception and a lost fumble across 15 offensive snaps. Five of Kiner's seven touches came in the final 10 minutes when the Patriots had the game well in hand, so if the Week 6 matchup with the Jets proves to be more competitive, Stevenson could end up taking on a heavier share of the snaps out of the backfield. In anticipation of Henderson missing time, the Patriots could also look to sign or elevate Lan Larison off the practice squad to provide another option in the backfield who could vie with Kiner for playing time behind Stevenson.

Marks is expected to handle a lead role out of the backfield during Sunday's game against the Jaguars in London after Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans announced Monday that fellow running back David Montgomery (groin) is viewed as week-to-week, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Montgomery logged just nine snaps in the Texans' 26-3 win over the Titans in Week 5 before departing with the injury, which cleared the way for Marks to see his heftiest workload of the season. The second-year player out of USC ended up taking the field for 56 of 66 snaps, finishing with 62 yards on 15 carries to go with four catches for 23 yards on four targets. With Montgomery on track to miss at least the London game and potentially additional contests beyond that, Marks should have a decent chance at replicating his Week 5 touch count. Beyond Marks, Dare Ogunbowale is the only other healthy running back on the 53-man roster, while Jawhar Jordan and Deuce Vaughn loom as potential candidates to be elevated from the practice squad to add depth to the position group amid Montgomery's expected absence.

Henderson is expected to miss multiple weeks after he was diagnosed with a right high-ankle sprain following an MRI on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Henderson sustained the injury in the second quarter of Sunday's 45-17 win over the Raiders and was unable to return. Schefter notes that Henderson won't need surgery to address the ankle sprain, so the running back may be able to avoid a stint on injured reserve and the automatic four-game absence that comes with it. Even so, Henderson still looks poised to be sidelined for at least a couple of contests, which will clear the way for Rhamondre Stevenson to take on a heightened role out of the backfield. Corey Kiner will also be in line for increased snaps as the top change-of-pace option behind Stevenson while Henderson is out of the mix.

Corum rushed five times for 19 yards and a touchdown and brought in three of four targets for 53 yards in the Rams' 37-34 overtime loss to the Bills on Monday night.

Corum was 11 carries behind Kyren Williams, but the former managed to record his first rushing touchdown of the season on a one-yard run early in the second half. Corum also posted a season high in receiving yards with a big boost from a team-high 34-yard catch, making it a serviceable fantasy night overall. Corum is likely to continue in a complementary role during a Week 6 divisional home matchup against the Cardinals on Sunday.

Williams rushed 16 times for 49 yards and a touchdown and brought in six of eight targets for 27 yards in the Rams' 37-34 overtime loss to the Bills on Monday night.

Williams operated as the clear lead back while outpacing Blake Corum by 11 carries, three receptions and four targets, but the former found running room at a premium against a Bills defense that's been surprisingly stout up front. Williams was able to add his fourth rushing touchdown on a dramatic one-yard run with five seconds remaining in regulation to help force overtime, and he's now recorded at least six catches in three consecutive games. Williams should remain in a clear lead role when the Rams host the Cardinals in an NFC West matchup Sunday.

Cook rushed 10 times for 121 yards and a touchdown and brought in his only target for seven yards in the Bills' 37-34 overtime win over the Rams on Monday night. He also committed two fumbles, losing one.

Cook put together another highly efficient night that saw him gain significant chunks of yards on multiple carries, and which featured his fifth rushing touchdown of the season on a 17-yard run in the latter portion of the second quarter. However, Cook dodged what would have been a major blemish on his night -- a lost fumble at the Rams' 20-yard line in overtime -- when Josh Allen subsequently mounted a successful game-winning drive following a blocked field goal by Buffalo's special teams. Cook will take 532 rushing yards and an average of 5.6 yards per carry into a Week 6 road matchup against the Raiders on Sunday.