NFL Player News

The Packers are increasingly hopeful that Jones (calf), who is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the 49ers, will be able to play, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Listed as a limited practice participant on each of the Packers' three reports this week, Jones hasn't proven that he's completely moved past the calf strain that has sidelined him for the team's past two games. That being said, Jones has apparently shown improvement over the past few days, so the Packers will likely clear him to play if he can make it through an early warmup without issue. Clarification on Jones' status one way or the other should come approximately 90 minutes prior to the 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff, when the Packers release their inactive list. If Jones is available, Rapoport notes that the running back could be in store for a limited role, which supports what Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported earlier Thursday. With AJ Dillon and Jamaal Williams already ruled out for Week 9 after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Tyler Ervin -- who has lined up mostly out wide or in the slot this season -- and practice squad callup Dexter Williams are the only other healthy running backs on the roster.

Coach Matt Rhule believes McCaffrey (ankle) will play Sunday in Kansas City, Steve Reed of the Associated Press reports. "Things are trending and moving in the right direction," Rhule said Thursday. "It's just a matter of no setbacks."

McCaffrey has put together a little more than a week of practice as he works his way back from a high right ankle sprain, including work at Wednesday's padded session. On Thursday, he looked like his usual self, too, showing burst and making good cuts during individual drills, according to David Newton of ESPN.com. So far, McCaffrey hasn't suffered any of the aforementioned "setbacks," but the Panthers will continue to be cautious and may not make his activation from IR official until the weekend. If he plays Sunday for the first time since Week 2, there's a chance McCaffrey yields the occasional rep to Mike Davis, who mostly has fared well in his absence.

Laird (ankle) was a full participant in Thursday's practice, Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post reports.

With the Dolphins placing No. 1 back Myles Gaskin (ankle) on injured reserve earlier Thursday, top backup Matt Breida (hamstring) trending toward sitting out Sunday's game in Arizona and trade-deadline pickup DeAndre Washington (COVID-19 protocol) not available to make his debut until Week 9, Laird's ability to shake off the minor ankle injury takes on added importance. Assuming he avoids any further setbacks with his ankle heading into the weekend, Laird should be in line to serve as the Dolphins' top pass-catching back against the Cardinals, while Jordan Howard presumably operates as the team's top option on the ground. Laird has been mostly limited to special-teams work in 2020, but he had a degree of fantasy utility in PPR formats while seeing steady action on offense during the final quarter of the 2019 season. Over those final four contests, Laird averaged 56.7 scrimmage yards and four targets per game.

Breida (hamstring) didn't practice Thursday, Safid Deen of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Breida's Week 9 status gains more import with Myles Gaskin (knee) now on IR. With that in mind, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald relays that coach Brian Flores noted Thursday that Breida has a "chance" to suit up Sunday against the Cardinals. If he's unavailable this weekend, however, the Dolphins would turn to the the likes of Jordan Howard, Patrick Laird (ankle), Lynn Bowden and Salvon Ahmed to handle the team's rushing duties.

Drake (ankle) wasn't spotted at Thursday's practice and is expected to be listed as a non-participant on the Cardinals' injury report, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

Head coach Kliff Kingsbury isn't quite ready to rule Drake out for Sunday's contest against the Dolphins, but with back-to-back absences from practices coming out of a bye week, the running back is seeming trending toward missing his first game of the season. If Drake is indeed ruled out for Week 9, Chase Edmonds would have a clear path to a three-down role out of the backfield, as the Cardinals' other two options at the position (Jonathan Ward and Eno Benjamin) have combined to play just three offensive snaps all season.

Head coach Mike McCarthy said Elliott (hamstring) would be limited in Thursday's practice, but the Cowboys expect the running back to be available for Sunday's game against the Steelers, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.

The Cowboys are managing Elliott's reps for the second day in a row, but based on the comments from his coach, the hamstring issue doesn't seem to be anything serious. Instead, Elliott's poor team context is his biggest obstacle these days, as a banged-up offensive line and shaky quarterback play have contributed to him averaging less than four yards per carry and drawing just four total targets over the past two games. Even though Elliott is expected to be ready to handle a normal workload this weekend, a bounce-back performance may not be in the cards versus Pittsburgh's fifth-ranked run defense.

Coach Brian Flores said Thursday that Breida (hamstring) has a "chance" to suit up Sunday against the Cardinals, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

It's not the most convincing of endorsements, as Flores also noted in the interview that "hamstrings are tough." This would have been a prime week for Breida to win back a big part of the role he was expected to have at the start of the season, as Myles Gaskin (knee) was officially placed on IR Thursday morning. If Breida cannot suit up in Week 9, look for a backfield committee to potentially be led by the likes of Jordan Howard, Patrick Laird (ankle), Lynn Bowden and Salvon Ahmed.

Gaskin (knee) will be placed on IR and miss a minimum of three games, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Gaskin's original timetable for a return from a sprained MCL was roughly three games, so it makes sense for the team to put the back on IR and clear up a roster spot. It makes for a tough position group to gauge, as Matt Breida (hamstring) and Patrick Laird (ankle) are both dealing with injuries of their own. The Dolphins may soon find themselves using Jordan Howard again, who had been a healthy scratch for three consecutive games. They also acquired DeAndre Washington via trade, but as a new acquisition, he'll presumably have to quarantine and test for COVID-19 before being allowed to suit up.

Williams has cleared the COVID-19 protocols and is on the Lions' 53-man roster, Justin Rogers of The Detroit News reports.

Williams signed with the team last Friday and is now officially a member of the active roster. The Lions cut Bo Scarbrough to clear up a roster spot. Williams enjoyed a moment of glory with the Colts last season when he produced back-to-back, 100-yard rushing performances, but he quickly fell back to earth and ended up playing just two offensive snaps over the final four games. He'll serve as depth in this backfield that's already divvying up touches to rookie D'Andre Swift, Adrian Peterson and Kerryon Johnson.

Drake (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday.

Despite having the benefit of a bye week, Drake's status still is in question as the Cardinals prepare to host the Dolphins on Sunday. His injury has been termed a slight tear of a ligament in his ankle, and he was handed a recovery timetable of "a few weeks," according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Drake has a pair of practices remaining this week to prove his health to Arizona's training staff, after which he'll receive a designation for Sunday's game. If he requires time off, Drake will hand over the lead role to Chase Edmonds, who has averaged 6.1 yards per carry and hauled in 26 of 32 targets in seven games this season.