NFL Player News

Edmonds (hamstring) didn't practice Thursday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

With David Johnson (ankle) back to full health and Kenyan Drake in the fold, the Cardinals can opt for caution with Edmonds, who hasn't practiced since Oct. 25. If Edmonds misses a second consecutive contest Sunday at Tampa Bay, the aforementioned duo will be the team's top two running backs in some order with Zach Zenner in reserve.

Conner (shoulder) isn't slated to suit up for Sunday's game versus the Rams, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Conner practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday, marking his first appearance on the field since Oct. 26. Having said that -- and despite optimism from coach Mike Tomlin -- it appears the Steelers will be without Conner for a second straight game. If the preceding comes to pass, the backfield could be the sole domain of Jaylen Samuels, as Benny Snell (knee) won't return this weekend and Trey Edmunds missed Wednesday's session due to a rib injury.

McCaffrey (knee) was a limited practice participant Thursday, Brendan Marks of The Charlotte Observer reports.

McCaffrey slowly but surely is ramping up his practice reps this week, with coach Ron Rivera stating the running back is "progressing" through his undisclosed knee injury, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. Friday's practice report will reveal whether or not McCaffrey's managers have to sweat out his availability for Sunday's game at Green Bay.

Kamara (ankle) is expected to be ready to play Week 10 against the Falcons.

Kamara received commendations for the quality of his practice session Wednesday, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com, though the running back was officially listed as a limited participant. That's been the case on multiple occasions in past weeks, and Kamara ended up not suiting up, but it's looking like this week could be different. After two absences and a bye week, Kamara will face an Atlanta defense that's giving up 3.9 YPC to opposing running backs.

Conner (shoulder) practiced in a limited fashion Wednesday, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Meanwhile, fellow running back Trey Edmunds (ribs) didn't practice Wednesday. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette previously relayed that coach Mike Tomlin is optimistic that Conner -- who didn't practice at all last week -- has a chance to play Sunday against the Rams, but that outcome can't yet be considered a lock at this stage.

Kamara (knee/ankle) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, Luke Johnson of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Kamara was limited on the two injury reports prior to logging his second straight absence in the Saints' last contest Week 8 against the Cardinals. While his current standing doesn't appear to indicate he's progressing in his recovery from his injuries, he'll have two more chances to prove his health this week. Latavius Murray is on hand in the event Kamara requires another game off Sunday versus the Falcons.

Edmonds (hamstring) was a non-participant at Wednesday's practice, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

Meanwhile, David Johnson practiced fully and noted afterward he's "definitely playing" Sunday at Tampa Bay, per Kyle Odegard of the Cardinals' official site. With Johnson past his ankle injury and Kenyan Drake coming off a dynamic debut with the team, the Cardinals can proceed cautiously with Edmonds. Still, a decision on Edmonds' Week 10 availability may not come until the end of the week.

McCaffrey was held out of practice Wednesday due to a knee injury, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Last week, McCaffrey tended to a knee issue, which limited his practice reps in the Panthers' first session before he returned in full one day later. His status bears monitoring as the current week progresses, but there doesn't seem to be any worry about his availability for Sunday's visit to Green Bay. McCaffrey will draw a favorable matchup against a defense that has given up 158.2 yards from scrimmage per game and 11 touchdowns to running backs in nine contests this season.

Breida and co-starter Tevin Coleman are set to receive huge boosts in the rushing game with the potential returns of left tackle Joe Staley (lower leg), fullback Kyle Juszczyk (knee) and right tackle Mike McGlinchey (knee) as soon as Monday's game against the Seahawks, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

All three key cogs in the 49ers' blocking unit returned to practice Tuesday after lengthy layoffs. McGlinchey's status is still in question, but Staley and Juszczyk claimed that they are both "100 percent" heading into a pivotal matchup against the Seahawks. San Francisco has been making do while its starting tackles and fullback remained sidelined, but some (or all) of their returns will provide a huge boost in producing running lanes for both Breida and Coleman, who have been splitting touches and gashing defenses fairly evenly this season. Breida has performed well in the seven contests since Staley went down to injury, rushing for 487 yards (5.8 yards per carry) and scoring two total touchdowns over that span. That said, there is no doubt that having both All-Pro tackles and a fullback -- a position key to Kyle Shanahan's power-run scheme -- will make life easier for both of San Francisco's running backs for the second half of the campaign.

Patterson caught a five-yard pass on his only target and added 34 yards on two kick returns during Sunday's 22-14 loss to Philadelphia.

Patterson is among the league's best kick returners, ranking first in the NFL with 451 return yards and second with 30.1 yards per kick return, but that explosiveness hasn't translated to the offense. Patterson is averaging just one catch per game and 4.9 yards per catch. The Bears' passing attack, in general, has been weak due to the regression of Mitchell Trubisky and it's difficult to imagine Patterson's talents as a returner transferring over to offense at this point in his career, even Sunday against Detroit's 30th-ranked pass defense.