NFL Player News

McCaffrey (calf/Achilles) is practicing Friday and appears to be moving well and without issue, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.

49ers GM John Lynch said Friday morning that McCaffrey looks like his usual self and is expected to play in Monday's game against the Jets. McCaffrey was listed as limited Thursday on San Francisco's first official injury/practice report of the season, but it sounds like he may progress to full participation Friday or Saturday. His calf injury initially was reported the first week of August, about five weeks before San Francisco's season opener this coming Monday.

Warren (hamstring) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Falcons, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic reports.

Warren was a full participant in practice Thursday and Friday, suggesting that he has fully recovered from the hamstring injury he picked up in mid-August. Despite an offseason overhaul that included a new quarterback in Russell Wilson (questionable, calf) and a new offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith, Pittsburgh is expected to deploy its backfield duo of Najee Harris and Warren in similar proportions to last season. Warren had 149 carries and 74 targets in the 2023 regular season to Harris' 255 carries and 38 targets.

Gibson (hip) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bengals, but Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports that the running back is optimistic he'll be able to play.

Gibson closed out the week with limited participation in practice Thursday and Friday. If he's able to play, Gibson is expected to work in a change-of-pace role behind Rhamondre Stevenson, mixing in primarily for passing situations. JaMycal Hasty would be the next man up for backup duties if Gibson has a setback.

Johnson (toe) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Titans.

Johnson missed a lot of practices and preseason games in August but isn't in any doubt for Week 1 after upgrading to full practice participation Friday. His role is less clear, as D'Andre Swift and Khalil Herbert figure to take most, if not all, of the carries, and Swift may also be preferred over Johnson in passing situations.

Steele logged two carries for three yards during Thursday's 27-20 win over the Ravens.

Steele also returned one kickoff for 28 yards. The undrafted rookie played just five offensive snaps Week 1 despite Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness) not being available behind starter Isaiah Pacheco, but there's room for Steele's involvement to grow as he better acclimates to the Chiefs offense. Edwards-Helaire won't be eligible to come off the reserve/non-football injury list until at least Week 5, so Steele will get another opportunity to handle a key depth role Week 2 versus the Bengals.

GM John Lynch said Friday morning that he expects McCaffrey (calf/Achilles) to play Monday against the Jets, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

"Obviously we want to see him progress through the week," Lynch said. "We had confidence he'd be ready. ... He'll be out there and ready to go." The GM's comments suggest McCaffrey will play so long as he avoids a setback, after the 49ers listed him as a limited participant Thursday on their first official injury report of the season. He suffered a calf strain in early August and didn't return to practice until Tuesday, leaving Jordan Mason as San Francisco's top running back for much of training camp and the preseason.

Perine secured one of two targets for 10 yards during Thursday's 27-20 win over the Ravens. He did not log a rushing attempt.

Perine, who signed with the Chiefs just over a week and a half ago, played eight offensive snaps in his team debut, an indication that he hasn't yet fully acclimated to coach Andy Reid's offensive scheme. Still, the one target Perine failed to haul in seemed like a hint of better things to come. If he'd secured that short dump-off from Patrick Mahomes in the third quarter, there was only open field standing between Perine and a touchdown. The pass-catching specialist will work to increase his involvement behind Isaiah Pacheco versus the Bengals in Week 2.

Spears is expected to split snaps evenly with Tony Pollard in the Titans' Week 1 matchup against the Bears, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.

The Titans have consistently stated that Spears and Pollard are viewed as interchangeable, and offensive coordinator Nick Holz reiterated that again Wednesday. He did note that both backs have plays specifically installed in the offense for them, with preseason usage suggesting that the team prefers Pollard in short-yardage situations. That could hurt Spears' ability to find the end zone, though he'll likely have the opportunity to make up for that with his playmaking ability as a pass catcher.

Pollard is expected to split time evenly with Tyjae Spears to begin the season, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Offensive coordinator Nick Holz said that he expects the backs to split snaps evenly and that each has plays specifically tailored to them in the offense. Pollard suffered through a surprisingly inefficient 2023 season with the Cowboys, but he's now roughly 18 months removed from suffering a fractured leg and showed explosiveness as both a runner and pass catcher during preseason action.

Pacheco rushed 15 times for 45 yards and a touchdown and caught two of three targets for 33 yards in the Chiefs' 27-20 win over the Ravens on Thursday night.

The hard-charging running back scored his first touchdown of the season from one yard out in the third quarter on what seemed to be a third effort after the Ravens initially stopped him short of the goal line. Pacheco later displayed his never-say-die style on a 10-yard reception where he balanced himself on the back of a defender and then continued running for a fist down. He took 17 of Kansas City's 20 RB touches, with Samaje Perine and Carson Steele only taking occasional snaps, which suggests Pacheco should be busy again Week 2 against the Bengals.