NFL Player News

Harris (knee) didn't practice Wednesday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Harris was listed as a limited participant at Tuesday's walkthrough, but Wednesday's absence is most likely a case of load management for the running back ahead of Saturday's pivotal game against the Ravens. He's frequently sat out practice in recent weeks but has yet to miss a game this season and is coming off his best rushing performance of the campaign -- a 122-yard, two-touchdown effort in a Week 17 win over the Seahawks.

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said Walker (shoulder) participated in Wednesday's walkthrough and looked OK, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.

Walker has played through a shoulder injury the last two games, but he didn't return to Sunday's loss to the Steelers after taking a big hit early in the third quarter, despite being listed as probable to check back into the contest. According to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times, Carroll added that Walker looked better Wednesday than he did a week ago at the same point, so the running back seems to be trending in the right direction ahead of Sunday's regular-season finale at Arizona. Wednesday's practice report will reveal how much work Walker was able to muster to kick off Week 18 prep.

Kamara (ankle) wasn't seen on the field during the media-access portion of Wednesday's practice, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.

Kamara made an early exit from this past Sunday's win at Tampa Bay due to an ankle injury, which head coach Dennis Allen confirmed to be a sprain one day later, per John Hendrix of SI.com. The severity of the issue isn't known, but it appears to be keeping Kamara off the field for the first session of Week 18 prep. Wednesday's practice report ultimately may confirm as much.

Sanders was held out of Wednesday's practice due to an illness, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

Sanders has taken a back seat to fellow running back Chuba Hubbard over the last three games, earning 16 touches versus the latter's 56 during that span. His output has also been lacking during that stretch, as Sanders has totaled just 43 yards from scrimmage and no touchdowns. He has two more chances remaining this week to mix into drills before the Panthers potentially give him a designation for Sunday's contest versus the Buccaneers.

Hunt (groin) won't participate in Wednesday's practice, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Hunt tended to a groin injury during Week 4 prep, then avoided the issue until Week 13, at which point it began to affect his practice reps. His efficiency has suffered over the last five games (2.7 yards on his 46 carries), but he's also scored three rushing touchdowns during that span. The Browns are locked in as the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs, so there's a chance they may rest Hunt with an eye toward having him in optimal health for the wild-card round.

Pacheco won't practice Wednesday due to quadricep and shoulder injuries, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Pacheco's quad contusion looks to be the greater concern for the running back than the shoulder issue, which he had managed along with a concussion leading up to his past weekend's 25-17 win over the Bengals. Though Pacheco appeared healthy while he proceeded to rack up 165 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 25 touches in the Week 17 victory, the Chiefs could take a cautious approach with him heading into this Sunday's regular-season finale with the Chargers. The Chiefs are locked in as the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs, so Pacheco looks to be a prime candidate to see a reduced workload Sunday, or potentially sit out the contest entirely. If Pacheco is out or limited this weekend, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, La'Mical Perine and practice-squad member Keaontay Ingram could see added opportunities out of the backfield.

Vaughn was placed on injured reserve Wednesday with an ankle injury, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

After a promising preseason, Vaughn failed to carve out a prominent role in the regular season. The 5-foot-6 running back out of Kansas State was frequently left inactive on game days and finishes his rookie campaign with 23 carries for 40 yards, as well as seven catches on as many targets for 40 yards.

Mitchell profiles as the next man up to lead the San Francisco backfield in Sunday's game against the Rams with Christian McCaffrey (calf) having been ruled out for Week 18, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Though head coach Kyle Shanahan has classified the injury McCaffrey suffered in the Week 17 win over the Commanders as a "mild" right calf strain, the 49ers won't take any chances with their star tailback in a regular-season finale that has no implications with San Francisco having already clinched a first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. Mitchell is thus in the line to draw the Week 18 start, though given his own history of knee concerns, he may not necessarily handle the near-every-down, high-volume role out of the backfield that McCaffrey typically takes on. To that end, Matt Barrows of The Athletic suggests that Jordan Mason -- and perhaps even practice-squad member Tyrion Davis-Price -- could see heavy workloads Week 18, meaning that Mitchell may not represent as appealing of a DFS option as he may seem on the surface if the 49ers elect to be cautious with his usage.

Mason could get significant playing time at running back Sunday against the Rams, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Mason has mostly played special teams this season,, sitting behind Christian McCaffrey (calf) and Elijah Mitchell on the depth chart for offense when the latter two backs have both been healthy. Week 18 may be another story, however, as the Niners have locked up the top playoff seed in the NFC and won't have McCaffrey available for their final regular-season game. The calf injury McCaffrey suffered Week 17 might also make the team more cautious with his top backup, Mitchell, who has a lengthy injury history of his own. It thus won't come as any surprise if Mason and/or practice-squad member Tyrion Davis-Price ends up leading the ground attack this Sunday against the Rams.

Brown rushed three times for five yards and caught both of his targets for 23 yards in Sunday's 25-17 loss to the Chiefs.

Brown continued to operate as the Cincinnati's No. 2 running back, playing 11 of the Bengals' 74 offensive snaps Sunday. With limited usage behind veteran Joe Mixon, the rookie's fantasy utility is suppressed within the Cincinnati offense. The Bengals are eliminated from playoff contention heading into Sunday's season finale versus the Browns, so it's possible the coaching staff could look to deploy Brown in more of an even timeshare with Mixon in an attempt to get a glimpse into the future.