NFL Player News

Breida received good news from an MRI on Monday, revealing that his injury is a mid-ankle sprain without any significant damage, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

This doesn't mean Breida will avoid missed time, but it's at least worth noting he's already played at a high level this season while battling through a hyperextended knee and a separated shoulder. He also gets a bit of assistance from the schedule, with the Niners traveling to Lambeau Field for Monday Night Football in Week 6. Alfred Morris will get more work if Breida isn't able to play, with Raheem Mostert and fullback Kyle Juszczyk also candidates for expanded roles. Despite the good news Monday afternoon, Breida doesn't seem likely to practice Thursday when the 49ers need to release their initial Week 6 injury report. The team's 1-4 record and minimal playoff chances might encourage a cautious approach, especially given that Breida probably has some lingering discomfort from the other injuries.

Barner re-signed with the Patriots on Monday, Doug Kyed of NESN.com reports.

Barner has now signed with the Patriots three times in the past month, with each of his last two stints lasting less than two weeks. This may end the discussion about New England re-signing Mike Gillislee, who might have posed a threat to Sony Michel's workload near the goal line. Barner shouldn't have much impact on either Michel or James White.

Rawls logged two snaps on special teams during Sunday's 27-17 victory over the Dolphins.

Rawls, who signed with the Bengals in mid-September, was active for the first time this season to provide depth at running back with Giovani Bernard (knee) sidelined. However, Cincinnati was content with letting Joe Mixon handle the entirety of the rushing workload. While Rawls may stick on the active roster until Bernard returns in the coming weeks, don't expect him to get many, if any, chances on offense as long as Joe Mixon is healthy.

Boone had one carry for one yard on his only snap on offense in Sunday's win at Philadelphia.

Roc Thomas played 14 snaps on offense as the backup to Latavius Murray with Dalvin Cook out with a hamstring injury. However, it doesn't look like Boone or Thomas will have much of a role in the offense even with Cook hurt.

Thomas had four carries for eight yards and one reception for six yards on two targets in Sunday's win at Philadelphia. He also lost a fumble on a lateral.

The lost fumble was technically credited to Kirk Cousins, but it was a pass that Thomas should have easily caught but mishandled. Thomas was the primary backup to Latavius Murray, but his miscue could mean Mike Boone gets more snaps if Dalvin Cook remains out with a hamstring injury in Week 6 against the Caridinals.

Grant (foot) will be placed on injured reserve and won't have a chance to return this season, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Grant suffered a Lisfranc injury during Sunday's 30-14 loss to Kansas City, leaving T.J. Yeldon to dominate playing time in the backfield. With Leonard Fournette (hamstring) seemingly in line for at least one more absence, the Jaguars are left with little-known Brandon Wilds as the only healthy running back behind Yeldon. The 26-year-old Grant wraps up his fourth NFL season with just 40 yards on 13 carries (3.1 average) and 67 yards on nine receptions.

Penny didn't play any snaps on offense in Sunday's 33-31 loss to the Rams, Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Chris Carson and Mike Davis combined for 184 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries, likely setting up a similar backfield split for Week 6 in Oakland. Despite his status as a first-round pick, Penny doesn't have a clear path to playing time unless one of his teammates suffers an injury or the Seahawks eventually fall out of the playoff picture. The team might even consider making him a healthy inactive on gamedays, considering he doesn't offer much value on special teams or in the passing game.

Mack (hamstring) was on the field for Monday's light workout, Zak Keefer of The Indianapolis Star reports.

Mack's participation shouldn't come as a surprise after he logged limited practices throughout last week before being ruled out for Thursday's eventual 38-24 loss to the Patriots. A return to full participation at some point in the coming days would put him on track to return for a Week 6 road game against the Jets. Mack doesn't offer much upside as part of a committee in a pass-heavy offense, but he might breathe some life into the pathetic Indianapolis running game.

Breida will have an MRI on Monday to evaluate what's believed to be a mid-to-high ankle sprain, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Breida was removed from Sunday's 28-18 loss to Arizona in the first quarter and never returned, later leaving the stadium with a protective boot over his injured foot/ankle. Initial X-rays came back negative, but he still needs an MRI to test for ligament damage. With the 49ers going nowhere and Breida banged up since the preseason, a cautious approach would make a lot of sense. The second-year back does have an extra day to recover in Week 6, as the Niners are traveling to Green Bay for a Monday game. It won't come as any surprise if the team adds another running back to help 29-year-old Alfred Morris and special teams ace Raheem Mostert.

Williams had six carries for 33 yards and two receptions for 19 yards in Sunday's loss to the Lions.

Williams did not get much going Sunday, but his opportunities were limited with the Packers needing to pass frequently with them well behind on the scoreboard most of the day. Williams was narrowly outproduced by fellow running back Aaron Jones on Sunday, but he still led all Packers running backs with 33 snaps, as Jones was on the field for just 22 plays while Ty Montgomery played 29. There has been much discussion about getting Jones more carries, and that could certainly happen -- at Williams' expense -- should game flow dictate that in the coming weeks. However, Williams is always going to have some sort of role given his pass protection skills, and the Packers seem comfortable rotating all their running backs in an effort to keep them fresh for the duration of the season.