NFL Player News

Pollard was a non-participant in Wednesday's practice due to rest.

Pollard had been listed on Titans injury reports each of the last three weeks due to either a foot or ankle issue, but his absence from practice Wednesday was a result of planned maintenance rather than any sort of health concern. The 29-year-old will likely return to practice Thursday and should be ready to handle a lead role out of the backfield Sunday at Indianapolis.

Spears was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice due to a knee injury.

Spears previously appeared on Titans injury reports in Weeks 3 and 4 due to an ankle issue, but he's tending to a different lower-body concern heading into Sunday's matchup with the Colts. So long as he's able to upgrade to full participation by the end of the week, Spears should be ready to handle his usual complementary role behind starting running back Tony Pollard on Sunday.

Dowdle (toe) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Alan Saunders of SteelersNow.com reports.

The Steelers are optimistic that Dowdle will put an end to a three-game absence and suit up Sunday against the Buccaneers, but he may need to upgrade to full practice participation by Friday in order to avoid taking a designation into the weekend. If Dowdle is cleared to play Sunday, he'll be in store for a lesser role than what he had previously handled, as Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy indicated earlier in the week that Jaylen Warren has earned the right to remain in a bell-cow role out of the backfield.

Head coach Klint Kubiak said Wednesday that Jeanty is "starting to feel a lot better physically," and the Raiders have had no discussions of resting him, Sam Warren of The Athletic reports. "I'm excited about giving him even more reps in practice and more full-speed reps," Kubiak said.

After going down as a limited participant and non-participant in the Raiders' final two Week 5 practices due to ankle and foot injuries before being listed questionable ahead of Sunday's game against the Patriots, Jeanty was cleared to play after a nine-minute pregame workout and discussion with team trainers and coaches leading up to the contest, per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. However, Jeanty turned in an underwhelming performance in the Raiders' eventual 45-17 loss, carrying 10 times for 27 yards to go with three catches for 50 yards on six targets. Though Graziano relays that the Raiders have internally discussed giving Jeanty a week off to heal at some point during the season, Kubiak pushed back on that notion Wednesday. Kubiak's comments indicate that Jeanty emerged from Sunday's game healthy and is ready to increase his involvement in practice this week Raiders prepare for a matchup with the Bills.

Barkley (hamstring) wasn't spotted at the portion of Wednesday's practice open to the media, Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com reports.

Barkley was inactive for this past Sunday's loss to the Jaguars in London due to a hamstring injury suffered one week prior, but head coach Nick Sirianni told Zach Berman of The Athletic on Monday that he's "hopeful" the running back will gain clearance to play in Week 6 against the Panthers. Assuming Barkley goes down as a DNP on Wednesday, he's not beginning the week on the right foot, but he'll still have two more chances to mix into drills Thursday and Friday.

Henderson (ankle) isn't participating in Wednesday's practice, Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reports.

Henderson's absence hardly comes as a surprise after Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that the running back is likely to miss multiple weeks after sustaining a right high-ankle sprain during this past Sunday's win over the Raiders. Head coach Mike Vrabel has yet to provide an updated timeline for Henderson's return, but the 23-year-old is expected to be officially ruled out for this Sunday's game against the Jets following Friday's practice.

Montgomery (groin) isn't practicing Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Montgomery made an early exit from the Texans' Week 5 win at Tennessee due to a groin injury, which head coach DeMeco Ryans since has called a "week-to-week" concern for the running back, per Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle. As a result, Montgomery's lack of activity Wednesday isn't a surprise, and Houston ultimately could make a ruling on his availability for Sunday's game in Jacksonville when it posts its final practice report of the week Friday. Woody Marks is lined up to lead the backfield for as long as Montgomery is sidelined.

Titans head coach Robert Saleh said that Pollard (foot) won't practice Wednesday, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.

Per Easton Freeze of AtoZSports.com, Pollard's absence is likely just a rest day, as the Titans have frequently given the veteran running back maintenance to begin practice weeks this season while he contends with a foot/ankle issue. Assuming he gets back to full practice participation by Thursday or Friday, Pollard should be ready to handle his usual lead role out of the Tennessee backfield during Sunday's game at Indianapolis.

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said that Hall (quadriceps) won't practice Wednesday and remains week-to-week, Al Iannazzone of Newsday reports.

Hall hasn't practiced in any fashion since sustaining a right quad injury in the Jets' Week 3 loss to the Lions. With Glenn still classifying him as week-to-week, Hall looks to be trending toward missing a third consecutive game Sunday at New England. Hall's expected absence should once again clear the way for Braelon Allen to handle a lead role out of the backfield.

The Browns designated Sampson (knee) for return from injured reserve Wednesday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

The transaction clears the way for Sampson to practice Wednesday and opens a 21-day window for the Browns to evaluate him for a return to the 53-man roster. The second-year back has been sidelined since sustaining the left knee injury during the Browns' Week 1 loss to the Jaguars, but head coach Todd Monken suggested that Sampson could have a shot at playing Sunday versus the Ravens, per Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram. Sampson will likely need to turn in at least one full practice over the next three days for the Browns to feel comfortable activating him from injured reserve ahead of their Week 6 matchup.