NFL Player News

Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said the team may wait until Saturday to make a decision on whether McCaffrey (shoulder) plays in Sunday's game against the Saints, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

While the final injury report hasn't been released, Rivera's comments all but assure McCaffrey will be listed as questionable. The running back returned to practice Thursday as a limited participant, and he's back on the field Friday in some capacity. Another update will be available when the injury report is released.

Abdullah (neck) took part in Friday's practice, Justin Rogers of The Detroit News reports.

It won't be clear until after practice how much work Abdullah was able to get in, but his participation alone is a positive sign after he sat out the previous two days. The Lions could shed more light on his availability for Sunday's game against the Ravens when they release their final injury report of the week later Friday.

Martin (concussion) wasnt present for Friday's practice, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Unless Martin gets in some on-field activity in the closed portion of Friday's session, he'll go down as a non-participant in practice for the third day in a row. With that in mind, it's looking unlikely that he'll clear the concussion protocol before Sunday's game against the Packers, but the team should provide an update on his availability one way or the other shortly after Friday's practice. A backfield committee of Jacquizz Rodgers, Charles Sims and Peyton Barber would likely be on tap if Martin is sidelined Week 13.

Perine rushed 12 times for 38 yards and brought in all three of his targets for 31 yards in Thursday's 38-14 loss to the Cowboys. He also recovered a fumble.

Perine exited the game in the first half to be checked for a concussion, but he was eventually cleared to return. With the game getting away from the Redskins in the second half, Perine saw his rushing opportunities limited compared to his first two starts, as his 12 carries represented a significant downturn from the 24 and 23 he'd logged in the prior two contests. On the positive side, Perine was able to garner a solid role in the passing game for the second consecutive game, as he equaled the three catches he'd tallied versus the Giants on Thanksgiving. He'll look to get his numbers back on track against a vulnerable Chargers run defense in Week 14.

Running backs coach Ben Sirmans said Thursday that Williams "deserves" snaps, even when Aaron Jones (knee) is healthy enough to return, Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette reports.

Among the injured running backs in the Packers backfield, Jones appears to be ahead of Ty Montgomery (ribs) in their respective recoveries. As evidence, Jones practiced in a limited capacity the past two days and even had a "trial run" in team drills, while Montgomery hasn't participated in a session since Nov. 10. Williams has taken full advantage of increased reps the last three games, taking 59 carries for 190 yards (3.2 YPC), reeling in nine of 12 passes for 114 yards and scoring two touchdowns. Continued DNPs for Jones and Montgomery would result in another significant workload for Williams this Sunday against the Buccaneers.

Williams (shoulder) did not practice Thursday.

Meanwhile, Senorise Perry (concussion) practiced fully Thursday, which clearly gives him a better shot at suiting up Sunday against the Broncos than Williams. If Williams ends up ruled out this weekend, Kenyan Drake would be in line to serve as the Dolphins' lead back, with Perry (if medically cleared) and De'Veon Smith providing backfield depth in Week 13.

Martin (concussion) was a non-participant in Thursday's practice, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Martin entered the NFL's concussion protocol after sustaining the head injury in Sunday's loss to the Falcons, and his failure to practice yet this week suggests he hasn't made too much progress on the health front. Even if he's able to practice Friday, Martin would still have to receive clearance from an independent neurologist in order to suit up Week 13 against the Packers. Jacquizz Rodgers looks like the top candidate to serve as Tampa Bay's primary back if Martin is unable to play this week, though Charles Sims is the team's preferred pass-catching back and Peyton Barber could get some usage in short-yardage situations.

Jones (knee) was listed as a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Though Jones carries the same injury designation as he did Wednesday, it's believed that the rookie saw more involvement Thursday in what head coach Mike McCarthy termed a "trial return" ahead of the session. Even so, Jones ended up taking part in few of the drills that were conducted in front of the media, according to Silverstein. There's still hope that Jones will be able to return from a two-game absence due to the MCL sprain to play Sunday against the Buccaneers, but he would likely be limited to a supporting role in his first game back from injury, especially after fellow rookie Jamaal Williams rung up 135 total yards and two touchdowns a week earlier in the Packers' loss in Pittsburgh.

Abdullah (neck) didn't participate in practice Thursday.

Abdullah's back-to-back absences from practices to begin the week put his availability for Sunday's game against the Ravens in question, a surprising development given that the injury didn't result in his early departure during the Lions' Thanksgiving Day loss to the Vikings. He'll have another practice Friday to get back on the field and improve his outlook heading into the weekend, but even if he proves healthy by that point, Abdullah could struggle to produce against a Ravens defense that has allowed no more than 3.4 yards per carry in any of its last four contests.

McCaffrey (shoulder) turned in a limited practice Thursday, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Present and in pads at the start of the session, McCaffrey appeared to go through all drills during the open portion, per Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer. That said, McCaffrey must have had some limitations in his first visible activity of the week. Afterward, he told Rodrigue that his shoulder "feels good" in advance of Sunday's game at New Orleans, so he's a decent bet to ditch his designation by week's end.