Week 8 brought a crowded running back injury picture, and a few names are still hanging in the balance as the weekend approaches. Chicago’s Kyle Monangai and New York’s Breece Hall are among the biggest question marks, while several other backs have already cleared the board and one notable name, RJ Harvey, won’t be available.
There was good news on Friday for a long list of runners. Bucky Irving, Aaron Jones, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jeremiyah Love, Saquon Barkley, Tony Pollard, Tyler Allgeier and Braelon Allen were all removed from injury reports, clearing the way for Week 8.
Harvey, though, couldn’t get through his knee issue and was unable to play.
Monangai’s situation has trended the wrong way all week. The Bears back has been dealing with turf toe, and after missing the first two practices of the week, he still hasn’t practiced since the injury happened.
He wasn’t placed on injured reserve, which kept hope alive that he might return after three games, but that now looks unlikely. At this point, a questionable designation would be the best-case outcome, and an absence on Saturday feels more probable.
Hall’s week hasn’t offered much more encouragement. He took a step last week by logging two limited practices, his first since suffering the quad injury, but that still ended with a questionable tag and then a ruling of out.
This week brought a little more work, with one additional limited session compared with last week, but he still hasn’t gotten in a full practice. He’s once again questionable, and the expectation is that he’ll need a full session before he can return.
Right now, Week 8 looks like another sit.
There’s more optimism around Jadarian Price, who was designated to return from injured reserve this week. He’s already logged one limited practice and one full practice, and another full session on Saturday would give him a real shot to be activated and play. The Seahawks’ final injury report on Saturday will be the key checkpoint, though if Price is activated, that may not become official until Monday.
Zach Charbonnet’s path has gotten murkier. He came off the PUP list last week after what appeared to be a full recovery from his torn ACL, but he still didn’t make his 2026 debut.
That debut may have to wait again, because after practicing fully on Thursday, he was limited on Friday. That could simply be workload management, but it also snapped the run of full practices he had built since last week.
It leaves at least some concern about a setback, even if nothing has been confirmed yet. Saturday’s Seahawks report should tell us more.
TreVeyon Henderson popped up late with an illness on Thursday and then missed the final two practices of the week before landing a questionable tag. Illnesses usually don’t linger, so there isn’t much alarm around his status at the moment.
The Patriots will release their inactives at about 2:55 p.m. ET on Sunday, which should settle it.
Kenny Gainwell also entered the week on the report with a hip issue. He sat out Wednesday, returned in a limited capacity Thursday, and then finished with a full practice on Friday while still carrying the questionable label. That final full session points toward him being ready to go.
In Other News...
Patriots Just Got Another Week 8 Distraction From The NFL
Mike Vrabel has found himself in the middle of another league-side storyline just as the Patriots try to keep their focus on football. The NFL has been tightening its stance on coaches behavior toward officials, and Vrabel was among those caught up in the leagues push to curb sideline criticism during games, a reminder that the margins around the Patriots are not always confined to the field.
What makes this latest wrinkle especially annoying from New Englands perspective is the way it surfaced. The fine was not supposed to become a public talking point, but the details got out anyway, and Vrabel was reportedly unhappy about that part of it. For a team already trying to manage the noise around a crucial stretch, it is one more distraction the Patriots would rather not have hanging around. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Cornerback Woes Could Reopen Door For A Familiar Return
The Patriots cornerback depth has been tested by injuries this season, with Carlton Davis III among the players sidelined by a neck issue and the secondary forced to absorb the ripple effects. In that kind of situation, teams often start looking for familiar options who already know the system, and Alex Austin has emerged as one of those names after a recent stint away from New England.
Austin, who spent time with the Patriots before being let go by Dallas, has already made it clear he would welcome a return, which gives this possibility a little more traction than a typical free-agent rumor. For now, nothing has been finalized, but with the Patriots still shuffling bodies in the back end, a reunion would make sense if the front office decides it needs another layer of insurance at cornerback. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Suddenly Have A TreVeyon Henderson Decision Fans Didn't Expect
TreVeyon Hendersons place in the Patriots backfield has become a little murkier than anyone expected, with his role reportedly shrinking enough to spark outside chatter about what comes next. For a player the team viewed as part of its long-term plans, the sudden dip in usage has raised eyebrows, especially with New England still sorting out how it wants to distribute work in the run game.
The speculation has only grown because Henderson is still on a rookie deal, which makes him more than just a short-term depth piece in the eyes of the front office. Even with his reduced role and injury status in the mix, the Patriots have not exactly signaled they are eager to move on, so any real conversation would likely hinge on whether another team is willing to make a strong enough offer to get their attention. [Read more 🡒]