NFL Player News

McCaffrey (shoulder) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, with coach Matt Rhule revealing afterward that the running back is now bothered by a thigh injury, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

McCaffrey seemed to be on track for a return after Carolina's Week 13 bye, but his situation now looks a bit more complicated with the addition of a second injury to accompany his AC joint sprain. Rhule said McCaffrey "tweaked" his thigh last week, and then felt some tightness during Wednesday's practice. The running back's practice participation Thursday and Friday will be carefully monitored, with Mike Davis on hand for another start if McCaffrey can't face the Broncos on Sunday.

Snell will return to a backup role in the Pittsburgh backfield following James Conner's activation from the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Snell picked up two starts while Conner was out of the lineup. He had a number of key runs in Pittsburgh's Week 12 win over Baltimore, but Snell took a big step back in Week 13, carrying eight times for five yards in a loss to Washington on Monday. Coming off such an unproductive day against the Football Team, Snell might have to settle for a bit role behind Conner rather than working in a timeshare with Pittsburgh's top back.

Ahmed (shoulder) wasn't spotted on the field during the portion of Wednesday's practice open to the media, Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald reports.

Ahmed has missed consecutive games due to his shoulder injury, and his absence from practice to begin Week 14 isn't a positive early sign for his chances of returning to action Sunday against the Chiefs. Matt Breida (illness) and Malcolm Perry (chest) are also missing practice to start the week.

McCaffrey (shoulder) is slated to be a full participant in practice Wednesday, David Newton of ESPN.com.

The Panthers will release their first Week 14 practice report later Wednesday, which will reveal whether McCaffrey did in fact take part in the session without any limitations. Assuming that ends up being the case, McCaffrey will be on track to return to action Sunday against the Broncos, spelling an end to his three-game absence.

The Steelers activated Conner (illness) from the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday.

With that, Conner is now on track to play Sunday against the Bills after missing Pittsburgh's previous two games. His return to action will be a welcome one after Washington held the Pittsburgh rushing attack to 21 yards on 14 carries Week 13 en route to upsetting the previously unbeaten Steelers.

Swift (illness) will participate in Wednesday's practice, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Swift has missed three straight games, two due to a concussion and one due to a non-COVID-19-related illness. He failed to practice in either of the Lions' final two sessions of Week 13, so the fact that he's on the field in any fashion to begin Week 14 prep is a positive sign. The migraines the running back experienced in the aftermath of sustaining his concussion have reportedly subsided, so he looks to be trending to a return to the lineup Sunday against the Packers.

Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone said Robinson would be a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, but the running back is expected to be a "full go" ahead of Sunday's game against the Titans, John Reid of The Florida Times-Union reports.

Marrone didn't cite a specific injury as a reason for Robinson's limitations, but more information on that front should become available when the Jaguars release their first Week 14 practice report later Wednesday. Given that Robinson surpassed the 20-touch mark for the fifth time in six games in last weekend's overtime loss to the Vikings, Marrone may just be looking to give Jacksonville's lead back some extra maintenance.

Gibson is unlikely to play Sunday against the 49ers after being diagnosed with turf toe, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Gibson was removed early in Monday's win over the Steelers with the left foot injury, playing just four snaps and finishing with 14 yards on two carries. Washington doesn't yet have an estimated timeline for Gibson's return, but turf toe injuries often sideline players for multiple games. Assuming Gibson is forced to sit out this weekend's game, J.D. McKissic will likely step into a larger role as Washington's top back, while Peyton Barber would see more work as an inside runner and during short-yardage situations.

Reynolds signed to the Jaguars' practice squad Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The 24-year-old was cut by the Jaguars over the weekend, but he'll remain with the organization on the practice squad after clearing waivers. Reynolds exclusively played special teams in his lone appearance this season.

Edwards ran for 101 yards on seven carries during Tuesday's 34-17 win against Dallas.

Baltimore reached 200-plus rush yards for the 12th time since the start of 2019, while also posting the second-highest rushing output of any team this season (294 yards). Edwards was integral to attaining those distinctions, breaking off three runs of 20-plus yards against a Cowboys defense that has conceded more than 260 rushing yards on three different occasions this season. However, he only garnered one more carry than Mark Ingram in Ingram's return from a stint on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Nevertheless, with an explosive performance in Week 13, Edwards seems poised to maintain a significant role for the stretch run.