NFL Player News

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.

Gibson (shin) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against New Orleans, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

Gibson played through the same shin issue last Sunday following a mid-week addition to the injury report, taking 14 carries for 63 yards and a touchdown while playing 55 percent of the snaps in a 34-30 win over the Falcons. He'll likely play again this weekend, but fantasy managers should still check in Sunday to make sure Gibson isn't on the inactive list ahead of the game's 1 p.m. ET kickoff. He gets a tough matchup against a Saints defense that has allowed just 3.1 yards per carry to date.

McCaffrey (hamstring) made it through Friday's practice without any setbacks, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

He'll likely be listed as questionable on the final injury report, but Newton suggests the running back is on track to play. McCaffrey missed last week's loss to Dallas, with Chuba Hubbard taking 13 of Carolina's 16 running back carries despite playing only 47 percent of snaps (Royce Freeman and Rodney Smith also picked up work). Should McCaffrey return for Sunday's game against the Eagles, there's no assurance he'll immediately return to his typical every-down role, but he could still be reasonably productive without a full snap load.

Edmonds (shoulder) is on the field for Friday's practice, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

A return to practice after missing sessions Wednesday and Thursday should give Edmonds a shot to make it back for Sunday's game against the 49ers. If not, James Conner could be headed for a three-down role, with Jonathan Ward and Eno Benjamin (hamstring) providing depth. The Cardinals also have Tavien Feaster on their practice squad, but Conner and Edmonds are the only backs that have taken touches for the team this season.

The Bengals plan to evaluate Mixon (ankle) Saturday before determining the running back's status for Sunday's game against the Packers, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

With that in mind, Mixon is expected to be listed as questionable when Cincinnati releases its final Week 5 injury report later Friday. If Mixon doesn't fare well in his evaluation Saturday, the Bengals could downgrade him to doubtful or out ahead of Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff. If Mixon ends up limited versus Green Bay or sits out entirely, Samaje Perine would be in line to see added carries for the Bengals, with Chris Evans likely to see an expanded third-down role.

Elliott (knee) came out of Thursday's practice fine and is expected to play Sunday against the Giants, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The 26-year-old received the day off Wednesday due to some tightness in his knee, but he practiced as a limited participant Thursday and had no issues, per head coach Mike McCarthy. It's unclear if Elliott will officially avoid an injury designation for Sunday's contest, but his availability doesn't appear to be in question.

Mixon (ankle) wasn't seen at the early portion of Friday's practice, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

MIxon looks like he'll sit out practice for the third consecutive day due to the ankle sprain, making it difficult to envision him being available for Sunday's matchup with the Packers. Assuming Mixon ends up being ruled out for the Week 5 matchup, Samaje Perine should take over the starting role, with Chris Evans handling the third-down role.