NFL Player News

Mitchell (groin) won't practice Wednesday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Mitchell, Christian McCaffrey (calf) and Deebo Samuel (ankle) are all sitting out Wednesday's practice to nurse injuries, but head coach Kyle Shanahan expects the trio of playmakers to be available for Sunday's NFC Championship Game, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Mitchell and McCaffrey played through their respective injuries during the 49ers' divisional-round win over the Cowboys and were labeled as day-to-day by Shanahan on Monday, so it appears San Francisco is simply being cautious with its top two running backs. Following Wednesday's session, the 49ers will have two more practices before they decide whether to give Mitchell an official designation for the upcoming playoff matchup.

McCaffrey (calf) won't practice Wednesday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel (ankle) and Elijah Mitchell (groin) are all sitting out Wednesday's practice to nurse minor injuries, but head coach Kyle Shanahan expects to have the trio of playmakers available for Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Eagles, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. McCaffrey and Mitchell played through their respective injuries during the 49ers' divisional-round win over Dallas and were deemed day-to-day by Shanahan on Monday, so it appears their absences Wednesday are merely precautionary. Following Wednesday's session, San Francisco will have two more practices before the team has to give McCaffrey an official designation for the NFC title game.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Wednesday that "there's a chance" Edwards-Helaire (ankle) could be activated from injured reserve ahead of Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Bengals, Herbie Teope of The Kansas City Star reports.

Edwards-Helaire, who hasn't played since suffering a high-ankle sprain during Week 11, appears to be inching toward a return to the mix as soon as this weekend after he resumed practicing with the team Jan. 17. If he's available Sunday, Edwards-Helaire would bolster a Kansas City backfield that's been led of late by Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon.

Vaughn rushed 17 times for 53 yards and secured three of four targets for 19 yards across 15 games in 2022.

The third-year back was a forgotten man on offense most of the season, logging just 35 snaps from scrimmage. Vaughn did garner active status for a career-high 15 games, but rookie Rachaad White beat him out for the No. 2 running back job and only increased his snap share as the campaign unfolded. The fact that Vaughn received so few opportunities even with veteran Giovani Bernard missing significant time due to injury doesn't bode well for the Vanderbilt product's prospects heading into the final year of his rookie deal, especially with Leonard Fournette still projected to be on the roster in 2023 alongside White.

Pollard underwent a tightrope procedure Monday to address the left high-ankle sprain he sustained during Sunday's 19-12 loss to the 49ers in the divisional round of the playoffs, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Pollard also sustained a broken left fibula Sunday, but Archer notes that the running back didn't need surgery to address that injury, which will be able to heal on its own. Pollard should be back to full strength well before training camp in late July, as his recovery from the ankle procedure is expected to last around 3-4 months. The rough timeline means that Pollard may not be able to participate in OTAs, but the Cowboys' main focus will likely be in ensuring that the running back is under contract by that time. The 25-year-old is ticketed for unrestricted free agency in March, but the Cowboys will have the ability to place their franchise tag on him or sign him to an extension before he reaches the open market.

Nwangwu tallied nine rushes for 14 yards to go along with two receptions (on two targets) for 21 yards over 17 games during the 2022 regular season. He also returned 35 kickoffs for a career-high 920 yards and a touchdown.

Nwangwu logged the third kickoff-return touchdown of his career while continuing to almost exclusively play in this phase. The second-year running back actually logged fewer offensive snaps (18) than he did during his rookie season (27), when he played just 11 games. Instead, top running backs Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison once again carried Minnesota's rushing game. With the team currently $24.5 million over the projected 2023 salary cap, it's unclear how the Vikings will handle the futures of Cook and Mattison, the latter of whom is set to become an unrestricted free agent. The potential departure of either of these two backs could open up more opportunities for Nwangwu in 2023.

Mitchell (groin) is considered day-to-day, but coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that he expects Mitchell to play in Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Eagles, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

Mitchell is in the same boat as Christian McCaffrey (calf), though this is the first mention of Mitchell's injury. McCaffrey out-touched Mitchell, 16-14, in the 19-12 win over the Cowboys in the divisional round, and both running backs should play sizable roles Sunday, even if their practice reps are limited in the week leading up to the game.

McCaffrey (calf) is considered day-to-day, but coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that he expects McCaffrey to play in Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Eagles, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

Fellow 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell (groin) also is considered day-to-day. McCaffrey and Mitchell both played through their respective injuries in the divisional round against Dallas, with the former producing 57 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 16 touches while the latter rushed 14 times for 51 yards. The running backs may have their reps capped in practice throughout the week, but both should be available Sunday, barring any setbacks.

McCaffrey noted after Sunday's 19-12 win over the Cowboys in the divisional round that the right calf issue that resulted in him ceding snaps to backup Elijah Mitchell late in the contest is "all good" and won't affect his availability for this weekend's NFC Championship Game matchup with the Eagles, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports. "I was fighting but made it through, made it through great," McCaffrey said. "[The calf] is nothing bad."

McCaffrey ended Sunday's contest with 10 carries for 35 yards and a touchdown and six catches for 22 yards on eight targets while playing 67 percent of the snaps on offense, his second-lowest share in any of the 49ers' eight games dating back to Week 13. After finding the end zone from two yards out with 14:58 left in the fourth quarter, McCaffrey didn't draw a carry on either of the 49ers' final two possessions while Mitchell received 11 handoffs between the two drives, though McCaffrey did record two receptions. The fact that McCaffrey was available in some capacity down the stretch supports the notion that his calf injury isn't a major concern, but it wouldn't be surprising if he received some extra maintenance in the 49ers' practices this week.

Mitchell rushed 14 times for 51 yards in Sunday's 19-12 playoff win over the Cowboys.

Mitchell wasn't targeted in the passing game after cashing in a short receiving touchdown in the wild-card round win over Seattle. Starter Christian McCaffrey gained 57 yards on 16 touches, as neither back was able to find much running room against Dallas' athletic front. Mitchell should continue to split rushing duties with CMC, but the latter possesses the greater fantasy upside in next Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Eagles.