Ingram is expected to see a heavy workload Sunday night, as both Pierre Thomas (shoulder) and Khiry Robinson (forearm) are expected to miss the Week 8 contest against the Packers, reports the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

While Ingram was unlikely to benefit much from Thomas' absence, as it was expected that Travaris Cadet would inherit Thomas' pass-catching duties, the absence of Robinson is another story. Edwin Baker is on the practice squad and could be activated if the Saints choose to make a roster move before the game, but at this point it appears that Ingram will see the vast majority of the carries out of the Saints' backfield - with Cadet the primary receiver - against Green Bay's 31st-ranked rush defense.

Ingram suffered a shoulder injury and was taken to the locker room in the third quarter of Sunday's game against the Lions, according to NOLA.com.

Thomas finished with six carries for 13 rushing yards and four catches on four targets for 17 receiving yards before suffering the injury. Khiry Robinson lost a fumble in the second quarter, which allowed Thomas to get a few more carries, though Mark Ingram still led the team with 10. It's unclear how serious the injury is, which clouds his availability for Week 8 against the Packers, who are allowing the most rushing yards per game this season.

Ingram (hand) had 10 carries for 16 rushing yards and two catches on three targets for 13 receiving yards Sunday against the Lions.

Ingram had not played since suffering the hand injury in Week 2 against the Browns, but resumed his role as the lead back following the team's Week 6 bye. It was a tough matchup to return to, as the Lions came into the game allowing the second-fewest rushing yards per game this season. That all changes next weekend, as the Saints will face off against a Packers defense ranked dead last in rushing yards allowed per game.

Ingram (hand) is listed as active Sunday at Detroit, Albert Breer of NFL Network reports.

As he embarks upon his first game action since Week 2, Ingram will share the backfield with Pierre Thomas (illness) and Khiry Robinson, the latter of which fared well in his stead. During Ingram's three absences, Robinson racked up 47 carries for 245 yards, good for 5.2 YPC, but his lack of prowess in the passing attack lends credence to Ingram taking on a larger role sooner rather than later.

Ingram (hand) is probable for Sunday's game against Detroit.

Ingram is ready to return to the Saints backfield, and he's arguably the team's top option after starting the year strong with 143 yards and three touchdowns on just 24 carries (6.0 YPC). Fellow power back Khiry Robinson ran strong in Ingram's absence, however, and it might be difficult for Ingram to push him out the door. Still, Ingram should be able to establish a more reliable presence in the offense since he has more of a pass-catching background than Robinson.

Ingram (hand) was a full participant in practice Thursday, the Saints' official site reports.

That's back-to-back days of full practice for Ingram, with no reported problems. He seems poised to return Sunday against Detroit, though the Saints will have some decisions to make with regards to how they divvy up the snaps between Ingram, Khiry Robinson and Pierre Thomas.

Ingram (hand) practiced in full, the Saints' official site reports.

Ingram has achieved the initial step in his quest to play Sunday at Detroit, which would mark his first appearance since Week 2. If he indeed suits up, he would enter a timeshare out of the backfield with Khiry Robinson and Pierre Thomas. In such a scenario, Ingram may be hard-pressed to match his production -- 24 carries for 143 yards (6.0 YPC) and three touchdowns -- from the first two games of the season.

Ingram (hand) said he plans to be back for the Saints' Week 7 game in Detroit following the team's Week 6 bye, reports ESPN.com. "My plan is to be back for the Detroit game," Ingram said Friday. "Obviously, I'm going to go through practice and make sure everything feels good and everything's feeling good. But my plan is to be out there vs. Detroit next week."

Ingram was off to the best start of his four-year career, running for a total of 143 yards with three touchdowns and 6.0 yards per carry in his first two games. While he is expected to get the majority of the carries upon his return, even Ingram admits that he is prepared to be part of a timeshare with fellow running backs Khiry Robinson and Pierre Thomas. Said Ingram of the timeshare, "That's the system. We use a running back-by-committee approach. That's how it's been since I got here, and I don't really see it changing." As such, fantasy owners expecting Ingram to be a savior of sorts would be wise to temper expectations. Even though Ingram was off to a fantastic start to the season, he's likely not going to see 20 touches per game so long as he's stuck in a timeshare in New Orleans.

A league source posits that Ingram (hand) could be ready to return from a broken hand after the Saints Week 6 bye, reports ESPN.com. A Week 7 return for Ingram would be right on schedule with the original timetable for his return.

Ingram was off to a hot start to open the season, averaging six yards per carry and scoring three touchdowns. With Ingram out, Khiry Robinson has been doing most of the heavy lifting out of the backfield, with Pierre Thomas still serving as the primary receiving option among Saints' running backs. A healthy Ingram, however, would likely return Robinson to a more complementary role, with Ingram receiving the majority of the carries, though all three running backs should be expected to be involved.

Ingram (hand) is on pace to return for Week 7 in Detroit, CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reports.

The Saints have a Week 6 bye, meaning Ingram may only miss one more game after Sunday's contest against the Cowboys. Khiry Robinson and Pierre Thomas are still in line to lead the New Orleans backfield until Ingram returns.

Ingram underwent a surgical procedure this week to repair a fracture in his hand, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Coach Sean Payton relayed Wednesday that because the bone in Ingram's hand was fractured and displaced, there was no way that the running back could play through the injury. While a precise timetable wasn't presented for Ingram's return to action, Payton indicated that the running back's status would be in the "week-to-week" category. As long as Ingram is out, Khiry Robinson and Pierre Thomas are in line for added work out of the New Orleans backfield.

Ingram is expected to miss about a month due to a hand injury he suffered during Sunday's game, ESPN reports.

Ingram once again led the Saints in rushing Sunday against the Browns, when he totaled 83 yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries. However, in a surprise development, Ingram will now be sidelined because of a hand injury he picked up along the way Sunday. As a result, Ingram's encouraging early season production of 143 rushing yards and three touchdowns will be put on hold. While his time off will include New Orleans' Week 6 bye week, both Pierre Thomas and Khiry Robinson figure to carry the bulk of the Saints' backfield touches moving forward.

Ingram had 11 carries for 83 rushing yards and a touchdown, as well as three catches on four targets for 21 receiving yards Sunday against the Browns.

The Saints were hardly impressive overall, but Ingram was able to put together another good game. Despite getting only 24 carries through two games, he has 143 rushing yards and three touchdowns, all of which lead the team. Khiry Robinson grabbed eight carries Sunday, but only turned them into 31 yards, with Pierre Thomas running three times for 16. While the Saints will continue to split the work-load, Ingram appears to be in the driver's seat for a majority of the touches, including the goal-line work (his TD was a one-yarder), which makes him far more valuable than the other options.

Ingram took only 20 of the Saints' 75 offensive snaps in Sunday's loss in Atlanta, reports Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Meanwhile, Pierre Thomas was on the field for 34 snaps, and Travaris Cadet and Khiry Robinson each took 12, respectively.

Since head coach Sean Payton took over in 2006, the Saints have deployed a committee approach to their backfield distribution, and Triplett expects a similar snap distribution all year. Despite making the most of his snaps with 13 carries for 60 yards and two touchdowns, this could be bad news for Ingram, as it is unlikely he will continue to score two touchdowns per game given the Saints' penchant for the pass. While he should still see the majority of the carries - and remain one of the team's top options near the goal line - his scattered workload as part of a committee in a pass-happy offense could to lead to frustratingly inconsistent results once again for the former Heisman Trophy winner.

Ingram had 13 carries for 60 yards and two touchdown Sunday against the Falcons.

Ingram had a bit of an outburst on the sideline during the second half, but calmed down enough to score on two three-yard touchdown runs in the fourth quarter. The Saints used a committee-approach Sunday, with Ingram leading the backfield in carries, Khiry Robinson scoring on a short touchdown in the first half and Pierre Thomas doing most of his damage in the passing game. While the Saints eventually lost in overtime, there wasn't a single player in the backfield that outperformed the others, so the committee approach could continue in Week 2 against the Browns.

Ingram gained 46 yards on eight carries in Saturday's third preseason game against the Colts.

Ingram continued to impress this preseason, though it must be noted that the Colts were one of the worst teams in the league at defending the run last season. Still, Ingram once again out-performed supposed timeshare mate Khiry Robinson, and according to Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Ingram is beginning to look more like the team's primary running back, even if Robinson takes some share of the regular season rushing load. Ingram has certainly burned fantasy owners before but given his current late-round ADP, he may be worth a flier backed by the Saints' explosive offense.

Ingram gained only 19 yards on five carries but also had a 23-yard touchdown reception in the Saints' preseason game against the Titans on Friday.

Ingram predictably shared much of the first-team workload with Khiry Robinson, but Pierre Thomas did much of the heavy lifting through the air, catching three first-half passes. Expect the Saints the use a similar blueprint during the year in deploying their three-headed running back committee.

Ingram rushed eight times for 83 yards and a touchdown in Friday's preseason opener against the Rams.

Ingram, who split the first-half workload with Khiry Robinson, picked on the Rams' starters and backups. While it can't hurt that he's listed atop the initial depth chart, Ingram figures to work in tandem with Robinson and Pierre Thomas, as is tradition in New Orleans.

Mark Ingram opened Saints training camp as the first-team running back.

Coach Sean Payton referred to Ingram as "one of our starters," while Pierre Thomas ran with the twos. "He's a guy that we felt played very well in the last half of the season," Payton said of Ingram. "It's a position where we obviously carry depth, because it's a position that gets nicked up." Including playoffs, Ingram rushed 55 times for 374 yards (6.8 YPC) and two touchdowns in the four games he received at least ten carries last season. The Saints are likely to continue utilizing a three-man backfield, however.

Mark Ingram confirmed his contract status will serve as motivation this year.