NFL Player News

Boone (concussion) didn't practice Wednesday.

Boone entered the league's concussion protocol during this past Sunday's loss to the Colts. He has two more practices to get on the field ahead of Week 3's matchup versus the Titans; otherwise, he'll likely miss his first game since 2018. Since he's played exclusively on special teams this season, his injury isn't a concern for the offensive dynamic.

Perine (ankle) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Andrew Walker of the Colts' official site reports.

Perine still appears to be bothered by the ankle injury that pushed his NFL debut back a week, though he looked spry in limited action with 17 yards on three carries in Sunday's loss to the 49ers. If Perine can play through the injury once more against the Colts in Week 3, he could earn more touches in a backfield currently headlined by Frank Gore, with Le'Veon Bell (hamstring) on injured reserve.

Evans (hamstring) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Evans missed Tennessee's first two games, but he's poised to finally make his NFL debut Sunday against the Vikings. The rookie third-rounder should serve in a change-of-pace role behind workhorse running back Derrick Henry.

Akers (ribs) will be held out of practice Wednesday, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

After Sunday's win against the Jets, the Rams revealed Akers separated some rib cartilage, which didn't allow him to get on the field after taking the Rams' first three carries of the game. He's considered day-to-day, while veteran Malcolm Brown also won't practice Wednesday due to a broken left pinky finger. At the moment, Darrell Henderson is the healthiest of the Rams' trio of running backs.

Moss didn't practice Wednesday due to a toe injury.

Keep an eye on Moss's practice participation as the week unfolds, as he'll likely need to graduate to at least limited activity by Friday to have a shot at avoiding an injury designation heading into Sunday. If Moss is limited or out Week 3 against the Rams, Devin Singletary would be in line for an increased share of the backfield reps.

Coach Kyle Shanahan suggested McKinnon will fill in for Raheem Mostert (knee) and Tevin Coleman (knee) during Sunday's game against the Giants, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports. "I'm very confident in [McKinnon], and he's done a great job in all reps," Shanahan said. "With [Mostert and Coleman] being out, he should get more opportunities. He's excited for it and we're excited to see him."

Shanahan's quote all but confirms Mostert and Coleman will miss the game, leaving McKinnon as the top candidate to lead the San Francisco backfield. However, a starting job doesn't automatically equate to massive usage, as Shanahan has shown a strong preference for using multiple running backs in his game plans. Jeff Wilson could also get some work, especially near the goal line, and JaMycal Hasty may be promoted from the practice squad later this week.

Mostert (knee) won't practice Wednesday, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Meanwhile, fellow running back Tevin Coleman is a candidate for injured reserve, with a potential prognosis of about four weeks on the sideline, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. Coach Kyle Shanahan considers Coleman's knee sprain to be "worse" than Mostert's, which backs up the 49ers' assessment that the latter will avoid an extended absence. Assuming both Mostert and Coleman are out Sunday versus the Giants, the team's backfield options may be just Jerick McKinnon and Jeff Wilson this weekend.

The Panthers placed McCaffrey (ankle) on injured reserve Wednesday.

The transaction officially rules McCaffrey out for at least the team's next three games due to a high-ankle sprain, which he sustained in Sunday's loss to the Buccaneers. Mike Davis is expected to fill in as the Panthers' top back for the time being, beginning with a Week 3 matchup with the Chargers.

The Titans promoted McNichols from their practice squad Wednesday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Tennessee has called up McNichols from the practice squad both of the past two weeks, with the fourth-year back handling a limited role behind starter Derrick Henry in wins over the Broncos and Jaguars. The Titans' decision to bring him back ahead of Sunday's game in Minnesota implies some level of concern about the status of rookie Darrynton Evans, who has yet to make his NFL debut due to a hamstring injury. Once healthy, Evans is expected to replace McNichols as Tennessee's top change-of-pace back.

Freeman registered 20 rushing yards on three carries during Sunday's 26-21 loss to Pittsburgh.

With Phillip Lindsay (toe) facing a 2-to-4 week absence, Freeman was not plugged into a comparable role against the Steelers. Though we haven't yet seen the Melvin Gordon-Lindsay dynamic fully unveiled because of the latter going down partway through the season opener, surely the 2018 Pro Bowl back would have been more involved than Freeman was Sunday. With the Broncos ranking in the lower half of the league in team rush attempts thus far in 2020 (26 carries per game), Freeman's upside is limited as the distant No. 2 to Gordon, especially given his sparse passing-game usage. Week 3 presents a challenging RB matchup as well, with the Broncos facing off against Tampa Bay's fourth-ranked rush defense.