NFL Player News

Cook (ankle) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Though Cook's reps were capped for the second day in a row, the fact that he has been able to log some activity in both of the Vikings' Week 13 practices seemingly puts him on a path to play Sunday against the Jaguars. Assuming Cook attains clearance for the weekend, he'll likely be in store for another 20-plus-touch outing versus a Jacksonville defense that has surrendered 136.2 yards per game on the ground this season, the fourth-worst mark in the NFL.

Ahmed (shoulder) remained limited at practice Thursday, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports.

Meanwhile, fellow running back DeAndre Washington (hamstring) didn't practice Thursday, with added clarity on the duo's Week 13 status set to arrive upon the release of Friday's injury report. Another moving part in Miami's backfield is the status of Myles Gaskin (knee), who the club could opt to activate from injured reserve in advance of Sunday's game against the Bengals.

Edwards-Helaire (illness) didn't practice Thursday, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports.

Edwards-Helaire practiced fully Wednesday, so his status is worth monitoring as Sunday's game against the Broncos approaches. If he's limited at all or out this weekend, Le'Veon Bell would be next up for the Chiefs' Week 13 carries.

Swift (concussion) wasn't in attendance for the open portion of Thursday's practice, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports.

Swift was listed as a limited participant Wednesday for the Lions' first practice of Week 13, but his absence from the team facility a day later may hint at a possible setback in his recovery from the concussion he sustained in a Week 10 game against Washington. Prior to Thursday's practice, interim head coach Darrell Bevell didn't provide much information behind why Swift was missing, but at this stage, the running back is looking unlikely to clear the NFL's five-step concussion protocol ahead of Sunday's game in Chicago. If Swift is in fact sidelined for a third straight game, Adrian Peterson and Kerryon Johnson would handle the bulk of the snaps and touches out of the Detroit backfield.

McFarland carried three times for nine yards and turned his lone target into a 17-yard reception Wednesday in the Steelers' 19-14 win over the Ravens.

McFarland was on the field for 14 of the Steelers' 72 offensive snaps on the day, good for a season-high 19 percent share. That said, McFarland's usage might have been more modest than some may have anticipated, given that top back James Conner (reserve/COVID-19 list) was sidelined. With Conner out, head coach Mike Tomlin eschewed a committee approach to the backfield and instead leaned heavily on Benny Snell, who accounted for 93 total yards while playing 71 percent of the snaps. Even if Conner remains out of the lineup for the Steelers' Week 13 game versus Washington on Dec. 7, McFarland will be tough to count on for meaningful production if Snell is once again treated as a bell cow.

Barkley remains without a target return date from his October surgery to repair a torn ACL, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

Barkley spoke to the media at length for the first time since his late-October surgery, providing details on the situation surrounding the injury. One item addressed was the reason he had to wait six weeks after his injury, explaining that it was necessary to have his MCL heal before going under the knife. Barkley added that he also had his meniscus repaired during the October procedure, and that aspect of his injury will delay the weight-bearing portion of his rehab a bit further. With all that in mind, Barkley expressed a great deal of confidence in himself despite failing to disclose whether or not he believes he'll be ready for the start of the 2021 season. He elected not to discuss playing the season without a contract extension.

Snell carried the ball 16 times for 60 yards and added three receptions for 33 yards Wednesday in the Steelers' 19-14 win over the Ravens.

Snell served as the clear lead back with James Conner (reserve/COVID-19 list) sidelined, claiming 16 of the Steelers' 19 carries on the day. He was regularly met at the line of scrimmage early in the game, but he churned out gains of 10 and 13 yards in the fourth quarter to aid his performance. If Conner isn't activated from the list ahead of the Steelers' Week 13 matchup against Washington on Dec. 7, Snell should be in line for a significant workload once again.

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday that Penny (knee) should return to practice later this week or early next week, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.

Penny is nearing the finish line in his recovery from the torn ACL that he suffered in Week 14 of the 2019 season. Once he's cleared to take the practice field, the 24-year-old running back may need some time to fully ramp up, as he sustained major knee damage beyond just the ACL tear. Once he's back to 100 percent, Penny will likely challenge Carlos Hyde (toe) for the No. 2 role behind top back Chris Carson (foot).

Homer (knee/wrist/thumb) didn't participate in Wednesday's practice, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Homer continues to be listed with a trio of injuries. He's been absent from practice for more than two weeks now, and he's trending toward a third straight game on the sidelines. Chris Carson (foot) and Carlos Hyde (toe) handled all the backfield reps in last week's win over the Eagles and figure to do the same in Week 13 against the Giants if Homer can't play.

Hill rushed nine times for 35 yards and secured both targets for five yards in the Ravens' 19-14 loss to the Steelers on Wednesday.

The second-year back looked good on a couple of his runs, most notably on a 19-yard carry that was the longest of the game for either side. Hill hadn't logged a carry all season before Wednesday, so he certainly had fresh legs and was able to use them to carve out a bit more success on the ground than backfield mate Gus Edwards. Despite showing some encouraging signs, the reality is Hill seems destined to revert back to anonymity if Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins are activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list ahead of Tuesday night's Week 13 battle versus the Cowboys.