NFL Player News

Mitchell (shoulder) returned to practice Friday, while fellow 49ers running back Trey Sermon (concussion) shed his non-contact jersey, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

It's good news for both, though Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports that Friday's practice is just a walkthrough, while 49ers GM John Lynch acknowledged Mitchell is "very questionable" for Sunday. Despite the injury woes, there's opportunity for a large workload, especially if one RB plays while the other is inactive. The 49ers' only healthy backfield options are Jacques Patrick and Trenton Cannon, both recent additions.

Coach Matt Rhule said Friday that McCaffrey will be out for "a few weeks" with a hamstring strain, Kristen Balboni of the Panthers' official site reports.

Rhule couldn't offer a more precise timeline but did acknowledge that McCaffrey will miss at least one game (and quite possibly more). Ian Rapoport of NFL Network suggests the Panthers are in no rush to place their star running back on injured reserve -- a move that would rule him out for the next three games. That doesn't necessarily mean McCaffrey will be back before then, but it does show the team has some hope. Chuba Hubbard took the lead after McCaffrey's early exit from Thursday's 24-9 win over Houston, with the rookie gaining 79 yards on 14 touches while Royce Freeman managed 25 yards on six.

Gibson (shoulder) will play Sunday against the Bills.

GIbson enters the game with no injury designation after logging full practices Thursday and Friday. He's still searching for his first touchdown of the season, but with 33 carries and seven targets on 62.7 percent snap share, his role does appear to have grown at least slightly compared to last year.

Barkley (knee) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against Atlanta, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

While Barkley has still been listed as a limited participant in every practice this season, the Giants will drop the injury designation for Week 3. Barkley handled 84 percent snap share in the team's Week 2 loss to Washington, and he should be headed for a large workload on 10 days' rest against the Falcons. Blocking and QB play remain issues for Barkley and the rest of the Giants offense, but Atlanta's defense has looked even worse through two weeks.

Cook (ankle) ended up doing some work at Friday's practice and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Seahawks, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

It isn't clear if Cook's work Friday was enough to warrant limited participation rather than a third consecutive DNP. Either way, he'll need to be treated as a game-time decision ahead of Sunday's 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff, with Alexander Mattison the next man up in the Minnesota backfield if Cook can't go. Mattison's two fill-in starts last year yielded one game with 30 total yards (Week 6 vs. ATL) and another with 145 and a pair of scores (Week 17 at DET).

Cook (ankle) did some work in practice Friday but is listed as questionable on the official injury report for Sunday's game against Seattle. Head coach Mike Zimmer said Cook is the type of player who could play after not practicing all week, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

It isn't clear if Cook's work Friday was enough to warrant limited participation rather than a third consecutive DNP. Zimmer left the door open for Cook to play Sunday, but the odds are probably slightly against it because he didn't fully practice all week. Still, he likely will be a game-time decision ahead of Sunday's matchup with Seattle at 4:25 p.m. ET. If Cook were to miss the game, Alexander Mattison would figure to get the start at tailback, with Ameer Abdullah and/or A.J. Rose likely called up from the practice squad for backup work.

McCaffrey (hamstring) is expected to miss a few weeks but won't be placed on injured reserve for now, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Getting injured on a Thursday rather than Sunday might work in his favor, but the star running back still appears likely to miss Week 4 against the Cowboys. McCaffrey was injured during the first half of Thursday's 24-9 win over the Texans, giving way to Chuba Hubbard and Royce Freeman in the Carolina backfield. Hubbard led the way with 16 touches for 79 yards, and he'll likely be the starter for at least the next week or two.

Cook (ankle) doesn't appear to be practicing Friday, as he left the field after stretching, Eric Smith of the Vikings' official site reports.

Cook played through the ankle sprain in last Sunday's loss to Arizona, but he wasn't his usual productive self after lighting up the Cardinals in the first half. He's now missing practice for a third straight day, potentially setting up a game-time decision ahead of Sunday's matchup with Seattle at 4:25 p.m. ET. If Cook were to miss the game, Alexander Mattison would figure to get the start at tailback, with Ameer Abdullah and/or A.J. Rose likely called up from the practice squad for backup work.

Barkley (knee) is practicing Friday, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

As expected, with the running back thus far listed as a limited participant on every practice report this season. That'll likely continue Friday afternoon, but there isn't much doubt about Barkley suiting up for Sunday's game against Atlanta. He returned to his near-every-down role in last Thursday's 30-29 loss to Washington, yet managed only 15 touches for 69 yards on 58 snaps (84 percent). Barkley gets a much better matchup Week 3, though he'll still face the challenge of running behind an O-line that's already lost two starters to season-ending injuries.

GM John Lynch said Sermon (concussion) is trending in the right direction after practicing in a limited fashion Wednesday and Thursday, though the running back remains in the concussion protocol, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

Sermon suffered the concussion during the Week 2 win over the Eagles, but his quick return to practice indicates that he's advancing through the necessary protocols. If cleared to play, the rookie third-round pick could be in line for an increased role Sunday against the Packers because Elijah Mitchell's status is in question due to a shoulder injury. Sermon was a healthy scratch in the season opener, but opportunities have quickly been presented with Raheem Mostert (knee) out for the season and JaMycal Hasty (ankle) facing a multi-week absence.