NFL Player News

Penny may see an uptick in usage if Chris Carson (hip) sits out Sunday's game against the Chargers, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.

Penny didn't play a single offensive snap in the Week 8 win over the Lions, as Carson and Mike Davis both shared the backfield work. The same timeshare arrangement could be in place if the two backs are ready to go for Week 9, but Penny would likely have a clear path to a spot in the rotation if Carson -- who is considered a game-time decision -- is deemed unavailable. Even if that's the case, Davis would still represent the top option to pace the backfield in touches. When the Seahawks played without Carson against the Cardinals in Week 4, Davis registered 25 touches to Penny's nine.

The 49ers officially placed Mostert (forearm) on injured reserve Friday.

Coach Kyle Shanahan revealed earlier Friday that Mostert would be shut down for the season after undergoing surgery to address the fractured forearm, which he sustained in Thursday's 34-3 win over the Raiders. Mostert finishes the campaign with 34 carries for 261 yards and a touchdown, with his 7.7 yard-per-carry average leading all NFL ballcarriers with at least that many totes. He'll be a free agent this offseason and shouldn't have trouble finding work with the 49ers or another team in light of his exceptional performance in a backup role.

Murray may lose 15-to-20 snaps to Dalvin Cook (hamstring) during Sunday's home game against the Lions, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

Though listed as questionable for Week 9, Cook is tentatively expected to return from a four-game absence. Even if that's the case, it sounds like Murray would still be a clear favorite to lead the Minnesota backfield in snaps and touches. While the possibility of a workload split necessitates a significant downgrade to Murray's prospects this week, he at least draws a first-rate matchup versus a Lions defense ranked 30th in yards allowed per carry (5.1) and 32nd in rushing yards allowed per game (144.6) this season. Averaging 20 touches, 112 scrimmage yards and 1.3 touchdowns the past three weeks, Murray will have a solid case for low-end RB1 status if Cook ends up being held out for another game.

Cook (hamstring) is expected to play around 15-to-20 snaps in Sunday's game against the Lions, but he'll first need to make it through pregame warmups without incident, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com.

The Vikings had a similar plan back in Week 6 against the Cardinals, only to scrap it in favor of a heavy dose of Latavius Murray after Cook ran into some trouble during pregame warmups. The second-year pro is tentatively expected to return from a four-game absence on the heels of limited practice participation throughout the week, with multiple Vikings beat reporters suggesting his role will be quite limited. There's still some potential for a productive outing, considering Cook has 130 touches on 294 career snaps (44.2 percent) heading into a matchup with a Detroit defense ranked 30th in yards allowed per carry (5.1) and 32nd in rushing yards allowed per game (144.6). The final word on Cook's availability probably won't be known until the Vikings release their inactive list at 11:30 a.m. EST on Sunday.

Patterson is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Packers after being added to the Patriots' injury report Friday with a neck issue.

Patterson's name popped up on the report after he practiced on a limited basis Friday. His Week 9 availability carries added import considering that the versatile wideout/returner surprisingly led New England in carries (10 for 38 yards) in the Week 8 win over the Bills while No. 1 back Sony Michel (knee) sidelined. The Patriots also list Michel as questionable this week, so if he's held out of action again, it's possible that Patterson could once again see added touches out of the team's backfield. Ideally, more information regarding the Patriots' backfield plans context will arrive in advance of the first wave of kickoffs Sunday, as the Patriots and Packers are set to kick off at 8:20 p.m. EST. For now, Patterson -- if available to play -- profiles as an insurance policy for Michel, who practiced in a limited fashion all week.

The Chargers are listing Gordon (hamstring) as questionable for Sunday's game against the Seahawks, Ricky Henne of the team's official site reports.

Coming out of the Chargers' Week 8 bye, Gordon turned in limited practices Wednesday and Thursday before advancing to full participation Friday. That seemingly bodes well for his chances of playing this weekend, though the Chargers may have affixed the questionable tag to Gordon after a late setback with the hamstring resulted in him being scratched ahead of their Week 7 game against the Titans in London. Assuming Gordon steers clear of any last-second problems with his hamstring this time around, he should be ready to handle his usual three-down workload once Sunday arrives. Gordon's return would result in a lighter role for Austin Ekeler, who earned the starting assignment in the game Gordon missed.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Mostert underwent surgery Friday to address a fractured right forearm and will be placed on injured reserve, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

It was fully expected that Mostert would require a season-ending procedure after he sustained the injury in Thursday's 34-3 win over the Raiders, putting a damper on another effective showing on the ground (seven carries for 86 yards and a touchdown). Mostert will wrap up the campaign with an exceptional 7.7 yards per carry average on 34 totes, production that could earn him a good deal of interest when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in March. As for the 49ers' plans this season sans Mostert, Alfred Morris is now on track to see an expanded role as the clear top complement to starter Matt Breida. Expect the 49ers to add another running back to the roster in the near future, too, though that player's main role could come on special teams rather than offense.

Kamara (illness) returned to practice Friday as a full participant and doesn't carry a designation into Sunday's game against the Rams, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com reports.

Kamara missed Thursday's practice with the illness but never seemed to be in serious jeopardy of sitting out the upcoming NFC showdown. He took on a surprisingly large share of the backfield workload in last week's 30-20 win over the Vikings, handling 20 touches and while playing 72 percent of the Saints' offensive snaps in a two-touchdown performance. He only played about half of the offensive snaps in the Saints' first two games following Mark Ingram's return from suspension.

Thomas (hamstring) was ruled out for Sunday's game against the Lions.

Thomas suffered the hamstring injury in last Sunday's loss to the Saints and was unable to practice this week. Dalvin Cook (hamstring) is set to return in a limited capacity this week, which would have cut into Thomas' meager offensive workload regardless.

Coach Vance Joseph said that the Broncos' Week 10 bye would "absolutely" factor into Freeman's (ankle) availability for Sunday's game against the Texans, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reports. The Broncos are listing Freeman as questionable for the contest.

A multi-game hiatus always seemed to be a likely outcome for Freeman after he was diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain following the Broncos' Week 7 win over the Cardinals, but the rookie improved his chances of limiting his absence to one game after he returned to the practice field this week. While he was in uniform Thursday, Freeman ultimately went down as a non-participant in practice on the Broncos' official injury report, but it appears he was able to demonstrate enough progress in Friday's session to avoid being ruled out prior to the weekend. Freeman's questionable tag implies he has a 50-50 shot to play Sunday, but Joseph's comments suggest the odds are probably lower than that. Even if Freeman gains clearance to play, there's a good possibility he'll handle only a limited role, which would clear the way for No. 1 back Phillip Lindsay to pick up another sizable workload.