NFL Player News

Breida (ankle) returned to practice Friday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

While he'll probably be listed as a limited participant, Breida's ability to practice in any capacity at least gives him a shot to play in Sunday's game at Arizona. He tried to play through the same injury during last week's 39-10 loss to the Rams, but he was removed from the contest early after aggravating his mid-ankle sprain. Breida played through shoulder and knee injuries earlier this season, proving his ability to produce at a high level while dealing with pain/discomfort.

Freeman (ankle) won't play Sunday against the Chiefs, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reports.

With Freeman out this weekend, look for Phillip Lindsay to see added carries Sunday, while Devontae Booker's change-of-pace upside figures to see an uptick Week 8.

Cook (hamstring) doesn't appear to be practicing Friday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports.

Multiple reports have suggested Cook will miss at least one more game and likely two, with his failure to practice in any capacity this week making him a long shot for Sunday's game against New Orleans. Another update will be available Friday afternoon when the Vikings release their final injury report.

Mack (ankle) was spotted at Friday's practice, George Bremer of The Anderson Herald Bulletin reports.

Mack's availability for Week 8 appeared to be in peril when he sat out Thursday's practice, but his participation in Friday's session provides reason for optimism. He's not in the clear for Sunday's matchup with the Raiders just yet, though, and more should be known about his status when the Colts release their final injury report of the week after Friday's practice.

Drake carried 12 times for 58 yards and one touchdown Thursday against the Texans. He also caught both targets for 37 yards and another touchdown in the 42-23 loss.

Drake did most of his damage before the TNF affair got into blowout range, and looked explosive in limited touches. His biggest reception of the night, a 28-yard touchdown reception, was thrown on a trick play by Danny Amendola. Frank Gore once again substantially ate into Drake's workload, logging the same amount of carries (12) and targets (two), but Drake has proven the better fantasy play over the last four weeks. It's worth noting that Drake did blow a blocking assignment against Tyrann Mathieu, which led to a quarterback Brock Osweiler taking a clean sack, and could count against the 24-year-old's case for increased snaps. Drake will take aim next Sunday at the Jets, who have allowed an average of 105.7 rushing yards through seven games to date.

Penny (finger) logged a full practice Thursday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

As anticipated, the finger injury Penny carried out of the Seahawks' bye won't impact his availability for Sunday's game against the Lions. The rookie has been a disappointment thus far for those that invested in him in fantasy drafts, but there's reason to be heartened about his prospects moving forward after he turned in his best outing of the season Week 6 against the Raiders. In that contest, he tallied 70 yards from scrimmage on 11 touches (nine carries, two receptions), though Penny still lagged behind Chris Carson (27) and Mike Davis (23) in terms of offensive snaps, logging just 13.

Breida (ankle) didn't participate in practice Thursday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Injuries to Breida have taken their toll as the season has progressed. After averaging 12.8 touches for 99.5 scrimmage yards on 30.8 offensive snaps over the first four games, Breida has averaged 9.3, 45.7 and 15, respectively, in the last three. Currently, he's tending to an aggravation of a mid-ankle sprain, which hasn't allowed him to practice this week. Despite focusing on rehab, Breida is tough to rule out considering he's been active in every game in 2018. If he's limited or sidelined for the first time Sunday at Arizona, the 49ers will turn to Raheem Mostert and Alfred Morris to man the backfield.

Freeman (ankle) did not practice Thursday, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reports.

On the plus side, the report notes that Freeman -- who is dealing with what has been described as a high ankle sprain -- is improving. Per Legwold, the running back "was moving around Thursday inside the Broncos' complex without the walking boot he has worn at times earlier in the week." There's still a chance that Freeman will progress to the point where he can suit up Sunday against the Chiefs, but if he's limited or out this weekend, added touches would be available for Phillip Lindsay and Devontae Booker.

Abdullah (ankle) practiced fully Thursday, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

The unrestricted practice likely puts Abdullah in no danger of missing Sunday's game against the Seahawks. With Theo Riddick (knee) sitting out sessions Wednesday and Thursday and trending toward a second straight absence this weekend, Abdullah will likely dress as the Lions' third running back once again. That role didn't bear much fruit in the Week 7 win over the Dolphins, as Abdullah produced just 13 yards from scrimmage on two touches while working behind Kerryon Johnson and LeGarrette Blount.

Freeman (ankle) wasn't on the field for the start of Thursday's practice and will likely go down as a non-participant in the session, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reports.

The rookie was also withheld from the Broncos' first session of the week a day earlier, a discouraging development given that the team had more time off between games than usual after playing Thursday night in Week 7. Freeman, who exited the Broncos' 45-10 win over the Cardinals with the sprained ankle, will likely need to get back on the field in some capacity Friday to have a shot at drawing a questionable tag heading into Sunday's game in Kansas City. If he ends up missing his first contest of the season, Phillip Lindsay and Devontae Booker would see expanded roles out of the Denver backfield.