NFL Player News

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.

Anderson (illness) returned to practice Thursday, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

An illness kept Anderson off the practice field Wednesday, but he's back at work and thus in line to suit up Sunday against the Falcons. The former Bronco logged 12 snaps (while rushing seven times for 35 yards) in the Panthers' Week 1 win over the Cowboys, while working as the clear backup to Christian McCaffrey (57 snaps). Anderson's fantasy value is modest so long as McCaffrey remains healthy, but if that context changes, he's one of the league's more capable backup/complementary running back options.

Thomas (ankle) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice.

Thomas sat out the Viking's season opener against the 49ers due to an ankle injury but appears to have fully recovered. Behind Dalvin Cook and Latavius Murray, Thomas seems in line to receive minimal snaps against Green Bay on Sunday.

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

Per Andrew Walker of the Colts' official site, Mack, who was held out of the Week 1 loss to the Bengals, was only inactive as a precaution. With three straight limited practices in a row under his belt, Mack is trending in the right direction for Sunday's game against Washington, but for now, coach Frank Reich calls the running back day-to-day. Mack's chances of suiting up in Week 2 would no doubt be boosted if he practices fully Thursday and/or Friday.

Anderson didn't practice Wednesday due to an illness, Bryan Strickland of the Panthers' official site reports.

Considering he's likely dealing with only a short-term concern, Anderson is a good bet to get past the ailment before Sunday's divisional matchup with the Falcons. Working behind Christian McCaffrey in the Week 1 victory over the Cowboys, Anderson earned 12 offensive snaps, which he parlayed into seven carries for 35 yards.

Zenner (back) was waived from injured reserve Wednesday.

Zenner was placed on IR after injuring his back in the Lions' preseason finale. While it isn't clear where he currently stands health-wise, the running back is a versatile special-teams contributor who stands to have a solid chance of being claimed off waivers. If not, Zenner shouldn't have much trouble landing a new deal before long.

Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone admitted he should have given Grant a little more work after Leonard Fournette suffered a hamstring injury in Sunday's 20-15 win over the Giants, Mike Kaye of FirstCoastNews.com reports.

T.J. Yeldon dominated the backfield snaps after Fournette's exit in the second quarter, finishing with 14 carries and three catches on 39 snaps. Meanwhile, Grant only logged six snaps and actually got his lone touch on the opening drive of the game. His usage in the season opener wasn't encouraging, but Grant should at least have a larger role Week 2 against the Patriots if Fournette is unavailable.

Mack (hamstring) suited up for practice Wednesday, Kevin Bowen of 1070 The Fan Indianapolis reports.

Given that Mack was a limited participant in practice last Thursday and Friday, there's a solid chance he'll make his season debut Week 2 against Washington if he's able to practice fully at some point within the next three days. Jordan Wilkins led the Colts with 14 carries for 40 yards in the season-opening loss to the Bengals, with backup Nyheim Hines chipping in five carries for 19 yards and seven catches for 33 yards. If Mack is cleared to play this week, he would presumably reclaim his status as the lead option in the Colts' backfield committee.

Anderson (undisclosed) wasn't spotted at practice Wednesday, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

It remains to be seen if this is a maintenance day for Anderson or if he's dealing with any sort of injury. The 27-year-old logged 12 snaps in the Panthers' Week 1 win over the Cowboys, working as the clear backup behind Christian McCaffrey (57 snaps). Anderson at least received ample work when he was on the field, carrying seven times for 35 yards.

Conner is in line to serve as the Steelers' lead back Week 2 against the Chiefs after Le'Veon Bell (contract dispute) failed to report to the team Wednesday ahead of its first practice of the week, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

In addition to his ongoing absence from the team, Bell was officially removed from the Steelers' unofficial depth chart Tuesday, suggesting Pittsburgh is preparing to proceed without the three-time Pro Bowler until further notice. That should pave the way for Conner to see another hefty three-down workload after he was on the field for all but seven of the Steelers' 84 offensive snaps in their season-opening 21-21 tie against the Browns, with the second-year player finishing with 192 total yards and two touchdowns on 36 touches (31 carries, five receptions). The other two running backs who were active in the Week 1 contest, Stevan Ridley and Jaylen Samuels, both logged zero offensive snaps.