NFL Player News

Mitchell (knee) was a non-participant at Thursday's practice, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Mitchell has been sidelined the past two games due to a knee injury, and there's no telling when he may be available to the 49ers offense again. On a positive note, he was seen working out on a side field Thursday, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic, so Mitchell may be making some progress in his recovery. As a contingency plan, the team signed running back Jeremy McNichols off its practice squad, giving coach Kyle Shanahan two healthy options (also Jordan Mason) in the backfield behind workhorse Christian McCaffrey in the event Mitchell sits out Monday against the Ravens.

Miller (ankle) is expected to be inactive for Thursday's game against the Rams, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Earlier reports suggested the rookie would return from a five-game absence, but it now seems he'll be inactive again. It's unclear if his inactive status is tied to the ankle injury or simply a coach's decision.

Jacobs (quadricep) didn't practice Thursday.

Per Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, interim head coach Antonio Pierce previously expressed optimism that Jacobs could return to action Monday against the Chiefs, noting that he thought the running back was close to playing in the Raiders' 63-21 win over the Chargers in Week 15. Still, with Jacobs not practicing Thursday, his status will need to be closely monitored as the week progresses. If Jacobs remains sidelined for a second straight game, second-year player Zamir White would likely serve as the Raiders' top option on the ground.

Pacheco (shoulder) was a full practice participant Thursday.

As promised by head coach Andy Reid earlier this week, Pacheco is back at full strength after missing the past two games and having a minor procedure on his shoulder. He should return to his usual role as the lead back Monday against the Raiders, which presumably means less work for Jerick McKinnon (groin) and a much smaller role for Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

Ford (wrist) was a full practice participant Thursday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Ford returned to a Week 14 contest after suffering the wrist injury and then played through it last week in a 20-17 win over the Bears. The bigger problems for his fantasy value are Cleveland's terrible injury luck on the offensive line and the reality that Kareem Hunt and Pierre Strong are combining for 35-to-50 percent of the backfield work most weeks. It'll likely be the same story this Sunday at Houston.

Breida (hamstring) was a limited participant in practice Thursday, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Breida saw an increase in snaps compared to his usual workload in a Week 15 loss to the Saints, but it appears the 28-year-old picked up an injury along the way. With the Giants not playing until Monday against the Eagles, the Georgia Southern product will have the benefit of an extra day to recover, which should enhance his chances of suiting up. However, if he were to miss, Eric Gray would likely slide into the No. 2 spot on the depth chart behind Saquon Barkley.

Hunt (groin) remained limited at practice Thursday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Meanwhile, fellow running back Jerome Ford (wrist) practiced fully Thursday after being limited along with Hunt on Wednesday. The Browns will post their final Week 16 injury report Friday, when it will be known whether Hunt approaches Sunday's game against the Texans with an injury designation or is fully cleared to work in tandem with Ford.

Brightwell (hamstring) practiced in full Thursday, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Brightwell was designated to return from IR on Wednesday, and Thursday marked his first full practice with the team since suffering a hamstring injury Week 7 against the Commanders. The 24-year-old could return Monday against the Eagles, but considering the amount of time the Arizona product has missed, the Giants may wait until Week 17 against the Rams to bring Brightwell back into the fold.

Dowdle (ankle) was limited at Thursday's practice, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.

For a sixth week in a row, Dowdle is operating with practice restrictions due to a lingering ankle issue. He's still been able to suit up for the past five game days, turning 38 touches into 132 yards from scrimmage and two TDs while working as Tony Pollard's primary backup. Friday's injury report will unveil whether or not Dowdle enters the weekend with a designation for Sunday's visit to Miami.

Mostert (knee/ankle/rest) didn't practice Thursday, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Miami's inclusion of the term 'veteran rest' on the injury report suggests Mostert is in no actual danger of missing Sunday's game against the Cowboys. His practice workloads have been carefully managed all year -- as have his in-game workloads when the Dolphins build a significant lead -- but Mostert has been the unquestioned lead runner ahead of De'Von Achane in recent weeks apart from blowout scenarios. A matchup with the playoff-bound Cowboys theoretically could shift the carry distribution more toward Mostert, though it might instead work in Achane's favor if the Dolphins fall behind, as the rookie has been getting most of the snaps in obvious passing situations recently (e.g. nine targets in a loss to the Titans in Week 14).