NFL Player News

McCaffrey rushed 14 times for 77 yards and a touchdown and also brought in all five of his targets for 61 yards and two more scores in the Panthers' 52-21 loss to the Steelers on Thursday. He also recovered a Cam Newton fumble.

McCaffrey was one of the few bright spots for the Panthers on the night, as he was responsible for all three of their scores and once again shined through both the ground and air. The 2017 first-round pick opened the scoring with a 20-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter before adding a 25-yard scoring grab in the second on a play when he was left alone on the left side of the field. McCaffrey would add a one-yard touchdown on the ground with the contest well out of reach in the latter half of the fourth quarter, his fourth of the season. The 22-year-old has now logged double-digit carries for three consecutive games, with Thursday's usage especially encouraging considering it came in a blowout scenario. McCaffrey will look to continue his strong stretch of play against the Lions in Week 11 matchup on Nov. 18.

Conner is being evaluated for a concussion in the fourth quarter of Thursday's game against the Panthers and is questionable to return.

Conner had a slow game on the ground by his recent standards before exiting, logging 65 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries while adding one reception for eight yards. The rushing numbers still equate to five yards per carry, but it looks as if Conner's four-game 100-yard rushing streak will come to an end in Week 10. With Thursday's contest well out of hand in the fourth quarter, it is unlikely the Steelers will bring the second-year rusher back onto the field, even if he is cleared. Jaylen Samuels and Stevan Ridley figure to see an increased role for the rest of Thursday's blowout and possibly beyond if Conner is forced to miss game action. Pittsburgh will have 10 days to rest before taking on the Jaguars in Week 11.

The Vikings are signing Thomas (hamstring) to their practice squad Thursday, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

Thomas was waived by the Vikings earlier this week to make room for Ameer Abdullah on the 53-man roster. The undrafted rookie will rejoin Minnesota as a practice squad player. While it's possible that Thomas could carve out another depth role, it seems unlikely that the undrafted rookie will play significant offensive snaps this season.

Clement was listed as a non-participant in Thursday's practice due to an illness, Mike Kaye of NJ.com reports.

The nature or severity of Clement's ailment isn't known, but the Eagles will hope that his condition improves enough to fit in some practice time Friday. Assuming the illness doesn't prevent him from playing Sunday against the Cowboys, Clement will likely work as the secondary option in the Eagles' backfield committee behind Wendell Smallwood. Smallwood has outpaced Clement in offensive snap count in each of the Eagles' past three contests.

Mack (foot) remained limited at practice Thursday.

So far there's nothing to suggest that Mack's Week 10 availability is in any danger, but it remains to be seem if his practice limitations this week lead to a "questionable" designation for Sunday's game against the Jaguars or if the surging running back is removed from the Colts' injury report altogether come Friday.

Jones (hamstring) wasn't on the field for Thursday's practice, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Jones still has yet to practice since suffering a strained hamstring Oct. 28 against the Bengals and looks in danger of missing his second straight contest Sunday versus Washington. For what it's worth, Jones has been able to do elliptical work and told Jenna Laine of ESPN.com that he's feeling better, but he'll need to put in some on-field work before gaining clearance to play again. If the rookie is sidelined this weekend as anticipated, Peyton Barber would have a clear path to handling the bulk of the carries out of the backfield, with reserves Jacquizz Rodgers and Shaun Wilson more likely to make impacts on passing downs and special teams, respectively.

Thomas (hamstring) was waived by the Vikings on Wednesday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

Thomas was waived by Minnesota to make room for former Lions' running back Ameer Abdullah. The undrafted free agent rushed eight times for 30 yards and zero touchdowns with the Vikings this season, and caught two passes for 21 yards. If Thomas clears waivers, he'll be free to search for a depth role elsewhere in the league.

Martin was limited at Wednesday's practice due to a hip injury, Matt Schneidman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Martin likely picked up the minor injury during Thursday's 34-3 loss to the 49ers, a game in which he finished with 11 carries for 49 yards and one catch for 20 yards on two targets. He's locked in as the Raiders' lead ballcarrier with Marshawn Lynch (groin) on injured reserve, but a Week 10 game against the Chargers looks like another matchup that could lead to regular snaps for passing-down back Jalen Richard. The hip injury doesn't seem to be nearly as much of a concern for Martin's outlook.

Patterson (neck) was listed as limited at Wednesday's walk-through practice, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Patterson ended up taking a questionable tag into Sunday's 31-17 win over the Packers after being added to the Patriots' injury report last Friday with the neck issue. He nonetheless suited up and carried the ball 11 times for 61 yards and a touchdown in the victory. Rather than his own health, the versatile wideout's Week 10 fantasy prospects now hinge on the availability of Sony Michel (knee). At this stage, Michel is trending toward a return to action against the Titans. In such a scenario, Patterson would revert to his normal duties, which lead to occasional big plays but sporadic touches on offense.

Mack was limited in practice Wednesday due to a foot issue.

Mack headed into Week 8 action with an ankle injury, but ended up having a big game (132 rushing yards, two touchdowns) in the Colts' win over the Raiders. He evidently came out of that contest a bit banged up and the Colts' bye week didn't completely fix that. That said, there's nothing so far to suggest that the running back's availability for Sunday's game against the Jaguars is in any peril. Another update on Mack's status will come when the Colts release their practice report for Thursday.