NFL Player News

Mattison (illness) didn't practice Wednesday.

Mattison underwent an appendectomy Dec. 5 and has missed two games in the process. With that in mind, it's no surprise he's unable to practice roughly a week and a half later. While Mattison has been sidelined, fellow backs Ameer Abdullah, Mike Boone and C.J. Ham have combined for 16 touches behind clear bell cow Dalvin Cook, who accrued a whopping 62.

Jacobs (ankle) doesn't have an injury designation for Thursday's game against the Chargers, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.

Jacobs approached Week 14 action listed as questionable, but he suited up and played 29 of the Raiders' 68 offensive snaps in the team's loss to the Colts, carrying 13 times for 49 yards and catching three of his five targets for 25 yards in the process. Though he was listed as a limited practice participant this week, Jacobs has been cleared to play Thursday and will once again head the Raiders backfield against a Chargers defense that has allowed an average of 120 rushing yards per game.

Edmonds didn't practice Wednesday due to an ankle injury, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Edmonds is among the more utilized No. 2 running backs in the NFL, averaging 8.4 touches per game in the 12 contests in which starter Kenyan Drake has been active this season. Meanwhile, the only other Cardinals running back to garner touches in 2020 -- D.J. Foster with two -- resides on the practice squad. There's no indication that Edmonds is in danger of sitting out Sunday versus the Eagles, but his status now is of interest as the Cardinals prepare for Week 15.

Ahmed (shoulder) was a limited participant during Wednesday's practice, Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald reports.

According to Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com, Ahmed donned a red no-contact jersey for the session, so he still has a few hurdles to clear before being deemed ready for game action. Elsewhere in the Miami backfield, Matt Breida (illness) has returned from reserve/COVID-19 list, while Myles Gaskin remains on the list after testing positive for the virus and looks unlikely to play Sunday against the Patriots. If Ahmed and Breida are both cleared for Week 15, it would be difficult to determine how Miami's backfield reps are divvied up between them and DeAndre Washington.

The Buccaneers placed Jones (finger) on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

Jones' availability for Week 15 was already in question after he underwent finger surgery Tuesday, and he'll now need to overcome that injury in addition to clearing all necessary COVID-19 protocols before suiting up Sunday against the Falcons. His placement on the reserve/COVID-19 list doesn't necessarily mean that Jones tested positive for the virus, as he may have just been a close contact of someone who did. In any case, it's looking increasingly likely that some combination of Leonard Fournette, LeSean McCoy and Ke'Shawn Vaughn will comprise the Tampa Bay backfield this weekend.

Jones (finger) won't practice Wednesday, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM Radio reports.

Jones had surgery Tuesday to put a pin into his fractured pinkie, so his absence from practice a day later comes as little surprise. Teammate Chris Godwin missed one game after a similar procedure earlier this season, and while Jones' status for Sunday's trip to Atlanta has yet to be determined, the team would ideally want to see the running back practice in some capacity before clearing him for game action. If Jones sits out Sunday, Tampa Bay's backfield would consist of some combination of LeSean McCoy, Leonard Fournette and Ke'Shawn Vaughn.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Mostert (ankle) won't practice Wednesday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Mostert has missed four games this season due to a high-ankle sprain, but he's also served in a timeshare at running back for each of the past three contests, racking up 156 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 44 touches during that span. Shanahan told Wagoner on Monday that Mostert emerged from this past Sunday's loss to Washington with an ankle issue that required "further imaging." The results of those tests haven't been revealed, but Mostert isn't exactly kicking off Week 15 prep in great shape. Jeff Wilson, Tevin Coleman and Jerick McKinnon are the next running backs up for the 49ers.

Coach Matt Rhule said McCaffrey (thigh) could return for the Panthers' Week 16 matchup with Washington, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

There's no need to read between the lines for Week 15, as Rhule already said McCaffrey isn't expected to play Saturday in Green Bay. McCaffrey was downgraded from limited practice participation Tuesday to non-participation Wednesday, which all but confirms that Mike Davis as the team's lead back for another week. The Panthers don't yet have any plans to shut McCaffrey down, so he should be out there Week 16 or 17 if he's deemed healthy enough to play.

Gibson (toe) was listed as a non-participant in Wednesday's practice, Kyle Stackpole of Washington's official site reports.

Gibson and Alex Smith (calf) were present for the session, but neither actually took reps with the main group, or at least they didn't do enough to be listed as limited participants. While Gibson's continued absence from practice isn't a great sign, head coach Ron Rivera said the running back has made "good progress" recovering from turf toe, according to JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington. The team isn't ready to rule Gibson out for Sunday's game against Seattle, though it's certainly possible he misses another game.

McCaffrey (thigh) didn't practice Wednesday, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Coach Matt Rhule already said he doesn't expect McCaffrey to return for Saturday's game against the Packers, though the running back was a limited participant in Tuesday's practice. McCaffrey followed a similar path last week, kicking things off with a limited session Wednesday before sitting out entirely Thursday and Friday. He was then ruled out on the final injury report, allowing Mike Davis to make his 10th start of the year. The Panthers are now preparing Davis for start No. 11.