NFL Player News

Mattison (concussion) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Lions.

Mattison was out for Weeks 13 and 14 while he recovered from an appendectomy, and he then missed Week 16 while navigating the concussion protocol. He's now back for what likely will be his second start of the year, as Dalvin Cook will miss the game for personal reasons. Mattison managed just 30 total yards against Atlanta in his first start, but he draws an excellent matchup with the Lions in Week 17. Cook had 252 total yards and two scores when the Vikings beat the Lions in Week 9.

McCaffrey (thigh) is considered "very doubtful" for Sunday's game against the Saints, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

For whatever reason, the Panthers are listing a bunch of players as doubtful rather than out. None of the group -- including running back Mike Davis (ankle) -- is expected to play, leaving Rodney Smith and Trenton Cannon atop the Carolina depth chart for Week 17. The team also can use wideout Curtis Samuel and fullback Alex Armah in the backfield, so Smith -- the likely starter -- won't automatically take over Davis' role. Davis ended up starting 12 games this season, as ankle, shoulder and thigh injuries limited McCaffrey to three appearances. The star running back nonetheless projects to be a top-three fantasy pick in 2021, just two years removed from an all-time season and entering his age-25 campaign. There's been no report of McCaffrey considering surgery for any of his 2020 injuries, and he should have plenty of time to recover before next season even if he does need some type of procedure.

Gibson (toe) isn't participating in the media-access portion of Friday's practice, Sam Fortier of The Washington Post reports.

Gibson returned from a two-game absence for last week's loss to the Panthers, taking 13 touches for 69 yards while playing 30 percent of offensive snaps. The missed practice time might seem worrisome, but head coach Ron Rivera has said the rookie running backs is "fine," and offensive coordinator Scott Turner said Gibson's reduced snap share last week was a product of game script. Still, Gibson's status will bear monitoring when Washington releases its final injury report later Friday.

Head coach Bruce Arians said he wants to give Jones "a ton of work" in Sunday's game against the Falcons, Carmen Vitali of the Buccaneers' official website reports.

Jones had finger surgery after Tampa's Week 14 contest and was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list shortly thereafter. He's now set to return from a two-game absence, though his pass-catching ability could be impacted by a brace that covers two fingers on his left hand, according to Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site. Regardless, Jones is poised to step back in as the Bucs' lead runner, needing exactly 100 rushing yards to reach 1,000 for the season.

Harris (ankle) wasn't spotted on the field during the media-access portion of Friday's practice, Zack Cox of NESN.com reports.

The 23-year-old was a limited participant at practice Wednesday, but his potential absence at Friday's session after missing the past two games is an ominous sign for his availability this weekend against the Jets. Sony Michel, James White and J.J. Taylor will again handle backfield duties if Harris is ruled out ahead of Sunday.

Dallas (ankle) didn't participate in Thursday's practice, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Dallas appears unlikely to play in the season finale against the 49ers. It's unclear how the Seahawks' backfield will shape up in Week 17, as every running back on the active roster is on the injury report. Both Dallas and Carlos Hyde (illness) missed practice Thursday, while Chris Carson (foot) and Rashaad Penny (knee) both were limited participants.

Penny (knee) was a limited participant at Thursday's practice, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Penny required more than a year of rehab after tearing his ACL along with other knee ligaments last December, but he's played in each of the last two games, logging 10 total snaps on offense. It's a bit concerning that he's back on the injury report, especially because he wasn't listed Wednesday, but it's possible that it's just for maintenance purposes. Penny's injury status should be more clear on Friday's practice report. His availability for the season finale against the 49ers could be more important than before, as both Carlos Hyde (illness) and DeeJay Dallas (ankle) have missed two straight practices. Penny would be the primary backup to Chris Carson (foot) if those two missed time.

Edmonds (hip) was held out of practice Thursday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

In the 13 games in which a healthy Edmonds has spelled starting running back Kenyan Drake this season, Edmonds has averaged 8.8 touches for 56.1 yards from scrimmage per game while scoring five TDs. After leaving this past Sunday's game versus the 49ers in the first half with a hip issue, though, he has yet to step foot on the practice field. If he fails to get all the way back and misses his first contest of the campaign Week 17 against the Rams, the aforementioned reps likely will fall on Drake and D.J. Foster.

Coach Sean McVay said Akers (ankle) didn't practice Thursday, but the Rams haven't ruled him out for Sunday's game against the Cardinals after he fit in a workout, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Akers hasn't been seen in the portion of practices open to the media this week, but he appears to be making some progress through the high-ankle sprain that sidelined him Week 16. McVay likely wants Akers to get back on the field in some capacity Friday, at which point the Rams could make a determination on his status for the regular-season finale. If he's unable to suit up this weekend, L.A. will roll with Malcolm Brown as its lead back with Darrell Henderson on injured reserve due to his own high-ankle sprain.

McFarland (illness) is not listed on Thursday's injury report, Teresa Varley of the team's official site reports.

The rookie first-round pick sat out Week 16's win over the Colts due to an ailment, but it looks like he's already returned to full health. With the Steelers planning to sit a number of starters against the Browns on Sunday, McFarland could end up seeing increased playing time.