NFL Player News

Jones (ankle) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game in Cincinnati, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Jones was a limited participant in every practice for a second straight week. Last week, he ended up taking 15 carries for 48 yards and three catches for 51 yards in a 27-17 win over Pittsburgh, playing 63 percent of offensive snaps. That's right in his usual workload range, and Jones should stay similarly busy this weekend, though he won't have the help of starting center Josh Myers (out - finger).

Williams (hip) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Minnesota, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

So is D'Andre Swift, but he's been playing through the same groin injury all year. Williams was a new addition to the practice report this week, though limited participation Wednesday through Friday suggests he should be able to play. The Lions will release their inactive list around 11:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, with TE T.J. Hockenson and RT Penei Sewell being the big question marks, while Swift, Williams and pass rusher Trey Flowers (knee) also are listed as questionable, officially.

Swift (groin) and Jamaal Williams (hip) both are listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Minnesota, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

Swift has been playing through 'questionable' tags all year, while Williams was a new addition to the injury report at the beginning of the week. Both seem likely to play, whereas RT Penei Sewell (ankle) and TE T.J. Hockenson (knee) seem closer to truly questionable. Even so, fantasy managers should check back in Sunday morning ahead of the 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff to make sure Swift is indeed active for a fifth time in five weeks.

Gibson, who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against New Orleans, revealed Friday that he's been playing through a stress fracture in his shin, noting that it doesn't hurt badly and doesn't seem too serious, Sam Fortier of The Washington Post reports.

Between his comments Friday, the fact he played last week and his limited practice participation Thursday and Friday, the young running back appears well on his way to suiting up this Sunday. However, the revelation about a stress fracture adds to concern about his chances of staying on the field throughout the season, not to mention the possibility of an in-game aggravation in the coming weeks. Gibson picked up 16 touches and handled a 55-percent snap share in a close win over the Falcons in Week 4, playing through his stress fracture without any obvious limitations after a mid-week addition to the injury report last Thursday.

Williams (hamstring) is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Jets, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.

With safety Erik Harris (calf) also listed as doubtful, the Falcons' depth in the secondary will be tested across the pond. Williams has also been working as the team's punt returner, so Atlanta will need to find someone else to handle that role if Williams sits out Sunday as expected. Cordarrelle Patterson has extensive experience as a return man, but Atlanta may not want to pile more onto his plate given Patterson's significant involvement on offense as both a running back and wide receiver.

Hines (shoulder) returned to practice Friday, Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star reports.

The Colts will release their second injury report of the week later Friday, which will reveal Hines' participation level. Regardless, his return to the field in any capacity after not practicing Thursday is a good sign with regard to his status for Monday's game against the Ravens. If available for the contest, Hines will continue to work in a change-of-pace role behind Indy's top back, Jonathan Taylor.

McCaffrey (hamstring) is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Eagles, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

This comes as somewhat of a surprise after McCaffrey made optimistic comments Thursday afternoon and then reportedly made it through Friday's practice without setbacks. None of that has been contradicted, but it is possible the Panthers never truly had Week 5 in mind for a return, preferring to play it safe even if McCaffrey shows good progress on the practice field. While coach Matt Rhule did leave the door open for McCaffrey's status to change before Sunday, it now seems more likely than not that Chuba Hubbard will get another start. Hubbard shared snaps with Rodney Smith and Royce Freeman in last week's loss to Dallas, with the rookie accounting for only 47 percent of the playing time but 13 of the 16 RB carries.

Cook (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Detroit.

Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that Cook did "some work" at Friday's practice, following non-participation Wednesday and Thursday. The star running back did play through the same ankle sprain last week after missing just one game, but he took only 51 percent of Minnesota's offensive snaps in a 14-7 loss to the Browns and then admitted a few days later that his ankle was still bothering him. While Cook also said that he plans to continue playing through pain/discomfort, fantasy managers should probably treat him as a game-time decision ahead of the 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff this Sunday. Backfield mate Alexander Mattison becomes a top-10 play at RB for Week 5 if Cook is ultimately inactive for the highly favorable matchup.

Coach Pete Carroll suggested Friday that Penny (calf) could return for Week 6 against Pittsburgh, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

Penny's potential return takes on added importance with Chris Carson bothered by a neck injury, though at this point the 2018 first-round pick may be stuck behind Alex Collins as well. Still, the Seahawks hope to get Penny back from IR in Week 6, as he'd at least be another option for their banged-up offense. Penny last played in Week 1.

Head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Friday that Edmonds (shoulder) will be a game-time decision for Sunday against the 49ers, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Edmonds' return to practice Friday, though likely in a limited capacity, gives him a shot to avoid his first missed game since November 2019. Shared workloads have helped Edmonds stay healthy since then, and it's possible the Cardinals give him fewer snaps and touches than usual if he suits up this weekend. He's been sharing work with James Conner, who is tied for second in the league with four rushing touchdowns despite averaging only 43 rushing yards and 6.5 receiving yards per game. Conner should be good for more than that if Edmonds ends up on the inactive list ahead of Sunday's 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff.