NFL Player News

Jones (knee/finger) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Jones continues to operate with practice limitations as he tends to a lingering knee injury and a new finger concern. In his return from a three-game absence this past Sunday against the Buccaneers, he took 13 carries for 53 yards and recorded four catches (on four targets) for 16 yards. Eight of those rushes occurred in the opening possession of the game, and coach Matt LaFleur noted of Jones' early usage that he was "a little bit cautious" with the running back after that point, per Ryan Wood of USA Today. LaFleur added that Jones was available for every play in Week 15, so assuming he's active Sunday at Carolina, he could be poised for an even bigger workload. Fellow RB AJ Dillon again had a cap on his reps Thursday, with his own availability likely tied to how his broken thumb potentially impacts ball security.

Mattison (ankle) didn't practice Thursday.

Mattison looks to be trending toward missing a second straight game this weekend against the Lions, as he hasn't been able to practice in any capacity since sustaining a right ankle sprain in the Vikings' 3-0 win over the Raiders in Week 14. Ty Chandler looks poised to serve as Minnesota's lead back Sunday, and head coach Kevin O'Connell alluded Wednesday to the possibility of the second-year player remaining atop the depth chart even Mattison has fully moved past the ankle injury, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. Mattison has mustered just 3.9 yards per carry and zero touchdowns on the ground in addition to losing two fumbles over his 13 appearances in 2023, while Chandler came through with the best performance by any Vikings running back this season in this past Saturday's 27-24 overtime loss to the Bengals. Chandler carried 23 times for 132 yards and a touchdown and added three catches for 25 yards on four targets in the loss, and the Vikings could look to reward him for his efforts.

Cook (illness) doesn't carry an injury designation for Saturday night's game against the Chargers.

After missing Wednesday's session due to an illness, Cook practiced without restrictions Thursday, which sets the stage for the 2022 second-rounder to continue to lead the Bills backfield this weekend against the 5-9 Chargers. In this past Sunday's 31-10 win over the Cowboys, Cook turned in the most productive fantasy effort of his NFL career, carrying 25 times for 179 yards and a touchdown while catching two of his three targets for 42 yards and another score.

Johnson (shoulder) is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Chargers.

The 26-year-old running back sustained a shoulder injury during this past Sunday's 31-10 win over the Cowboys, but he still has a chance to play against the Chargers after getting in three limited practices this week. Johnson carried a season-high nine times for 54 yards and added one catch for four yards in the blowout win over Dallas.

McNichols was signed to the 49ers' active roster from their practice squad Thursday,

McNichols' promotion comes after he spent Week 15 with the team while Elijah Mitchell tended to a knee injury and was out of action. The former's addition to the active roster would suggest Mitchell is unlikely to suit up Monday against the Ravens, teeing up McNichols for a role similar to Week 15 against the Cardinals that saw him play six special-teams snaps but none on offense.

Foreman didn't participate in Thursday's practice due to personal reasons.

The Bears have yet to reveal whether the personal matter is anything that will keep Foreman away from the team beyond Thursday, so for the time being, the running back's status for Sunday's game against the Cardinals is up in the air. If Foreman is available versus Arizona, the extent of his role won't be entirely clear. Foreman, Roschon Johnson and Khalil Herbert all saw snap shares ranging from 23 to 51 percent in the Bears' 20-17 loss to the Browns in Week 15, with Johnson leading the way and doing well with his opportunities (five carries for 36 yards, four catches for 24 yards). However, Johnson's snap share sat at just 27 percent one week earlier in a win over Detroit while Foreman paced the group with a 56 percent share, so it's possible that head coach Matt Eberflus could be taking a hot-hand approach to the backfield rather than settling on a clear lead option.

Pierce had to learn a new scheme this season, which may be a contributing factor to the decrease in production during his second NFL campaign, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Pierce was barely visible in the Week 15 win over the Titans, getting on the field for just four snaps, while Devin Singletary carried the load for the Texans' rushing attack. As a rookie in 2022, Pierce gained 939 yards in 13 games behind a power-gap running scheme. It's a tactic the team felt suited the back from his college days at Florida. The adjustment this season to a zone outside running scheme, in which the back is required to read the defense before deciding on a path, has not been a smooth one. Pierce has averaged just 2.9 yards per carry and managed more than 50 rushing yards in two of 11 games. If it's working with Singletary as the lead back, the Texans are expected to continue that pattern.

Homer (hamstring) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

The 25-year-old running back was able to log a limited practice session Thursday after recording a DNP on Wednesday. Homer has played almost strictly on special teams for Chicago this season (203 of 209 total snaps), and he'll likely carry an injury designation into the weekend unless he's able to practice in full Friday.

The Rams activated Rivers (knee) from injured reserve ahead of Thursday's game against the Saints.

Rivers was designated for return from IR on Tuesday and was a full participant in two walk-through sessions this week, and though the Rams appear to be comfortable enough with his health to add him back to the 53-man roster, he may be in store for only a minor role Thursday. Before landing on IR on Oct. 18 with a PCL sprain, Rivers had emerged as the top understudy to starting running back Kyren Williams and averaged a respectable 4.4 yards on 13 carries to go with four catches for 18 yards over his six appearances for the Rams. However, given Rivers' lengthy layoff along with the fact that Royce Freeman has been similarly efficient in a reserve role, Rivers could find himself as the No. 3 option on the depth chart moving forward.

Stevenson (ankle) wasn't spotted at practice Thursday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Stevenson has now missed both of the Patriots' first two Week 16 practices, so he'll likely need to take part in Friday's session in some capacity to have a chance at playing Sunday against the Broncos. If Stevenson ends up missing a third straight game this weekend, Ezekiel Elliott would once again serve as New England's lead back.