NFL Player News

When asked about his injured knee Friday by Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com, Mixon said, "It felt weird. My knee was hurting. Other than that, it's just the mental side of it. You always want to play at 100 percent, but when something is bothering you it's hard mentally. I just had to check back in mentally and physically tough it out."

Mixon left Thursday's game twice to have his right knee evaluated, but he was able to return to the game and battle the pain while receiving seven carries over the Bengals' final two drives. It remains to be seen if his injury will land him on the injury report in advance of the Bengals' Week 3 matchup with the Panthers, but he will have the benefit of extra recovery time thanks to the Bengals playing early in Week 2. If for any reason Mixon is limited or held out against Carolina, Giovani Bernard would be in line to play an expanded role.

Mixon rushed 21 times for 84 yards and secured his only target for three yards in the Bengals' 34-23 win over the Ravens on Thursday.

Mixon managed to put together a second solid effort in as many games despite missing time during the contest with a knee injury. After logging a modest 17 rushing touches in the opener against the Colts, it was encouraging to see the promising second-year back cross the 20-threshold in carries despite the time he spent on the sideline, even as he was minimally involved in the passing game. Mixon will look to extend the impressive start to his season against the Panthers in Week 3.

Mixon (knee) returned to Thursday's game after being sidelined with a right knee injury earlier in the game, Jay Morrison of The Athletic reports.

Mixon ripped off a 21-yard run shortly after returning to the field, suggesting that his injury is not a serious one. The second-year running back and Giovani Bernard may split work more than they normally would for the remainder of Thursday's contest depending on how Mixon's knee is feeling.

Mixon is questionable to return to Thursday's game with a right knee injury.

Mixon exited the game in the first half due to a knee issue but promptly returned. If he is unable to get back on the field this time around, Giovani Bernard figures to feature as the Bengals' three-down back for the remainder of Thursday's contest.

Mixon went to the locker room in the first quarter of Thursday night's game to get his right knee checked out, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Mixon sat out the third series for the Bengals in favor of Giovani Bernard, but returned on the subsequent series.

Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said Thursday that he expects Armah to earn reps at tight end in the team's Week 2 game against the Falcons, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

The Panthers officially list Armah as a fullback, but with Greg Olsen (foot) expected to be sidelined for at least a few weeks, the team requires additional depth at tight end. Though he scored on a goal-line carry in Carolina's season-opening win over the Cowboys, the 6-foot-2, 255-pound Armah is mainly valued for his blocking, and that's likely what he'll be tasked with nearly any time he lines up at tight end. Neither Armah nor Chris Manhertz is expected to draw many targets whenever on the field, with rookie fourth-round pick Ian Thomas instead representing the most likely candidate of the position group to see increased involvement as a pass catcher while Olsen is out.

Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said that his goal is to get McCaffrey between 15 and 20 carries and around six to 10 receptions Sunday against the Falcons, Steve Reed of the Associated Press reports.

Rivera indicated earlier in the summer that McCaffrey would receive around 25 to 30 touches per game this season in ideal scenarios, and the coach's comments Thursday suggest he hasn't scaled back those expectations for the second-year running back. It appeared that McCaffrey had a strong setup for a hefty workload in the season-opening 16-8 win over the Cowboys -- a game in which the Panthers never trailed and led by two possessions for most of the second half -- but McCaffrey only earned 16 touches (10 carries, six receptions) and finished with 95 total yards. The Week 2 road matchup should present a stiffer challenge for the Panthers, who likely won't be able to control the tempo of the game to the extent they did in the opener. As a result, it's tough to envision McCaffrey getting the sort of volume in the run game that Rivera is shooting for.

Mack (hamstring) was listed as a limited practice participant Thursday.

That marks four straight limited sessions for Mack, but he's still not a lock to play Sunday against Washington. That said, his outlook on that front would brighten if he is able to log a full practice Friday. In Mack's Week 1 absence, Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines effectively split the Colts' backfield duties, with Wilkins leading the way on the ground with 14 carries for 40 yards, while Hines made a mark in PPR formats by catching seven passes for 33 yards.

Anderson (illness) practiced fully Thursday, Max Henson of the Panthers' official site reports.

Anderson has put the illness that forced a DNP on Wednesday behind him. As the top backup to Christian McCaffrey, Anderson handled 12 offensive snaps Week 1 against the Cowboys, compiling seven carries for 35 yards. If the breakdown of red-zone runs is any indication -- Anderson matched McCaffrey with two rushes, or one less than Cam Newton -- a clear-cut goal-line option has yet to emerge in Carolina.

Mack (hamstring) practiced again Thursday, Kevin Bowen of 1070 The Fan Indianapolis reports.

It remains to be seen, however, if Mack will once again be officially listed by the Colts as a limited participant, as he was Wednesday. While the running back is trending in the right direction, he's still not a lock to play Sunday against Washington.