NFL Player News

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday that he expects McCaffrey (Achilles) to make his season debut Sunday at Tampa Bay, David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard reports.

Since the 49ers designated him for return from injured reserve Monday, McCaffrey has been contained to two limited practices, likely to ease him back into things after not having practiced since Week 1 prep due to Achilles tendinitis. Shanahan noted Wednesday that McCaffrey has had "no pain" in either of his Achilles recently, per Adam Schefter of ESPN, so even if he doesn't get in a full practice Friday and is listed with a designation for Week 10, the running back should be activated from IR by Saturday's 4:00 p.m. ET deadline, at the latest. Assuming that comes to pass, McCaffrey will take over the lead in San Francisco's backfield from Jordan Mason (shoulder).

Mitchell (knee) is active for Thursday night's game against the Bengals.

After being activated from the reserve/PUP list ahead of the contest, Mitchell is slated to see his first game action since suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in Week 15 of the 2023 campaign. While he's no threat to Derrick Henry's perch atop the Ravens' RB depth chart, Mitchell should be able to carve out a complementary role in the team's backfield alongside Justice Hill. In such a capacity, Mitchell initially will carry modest fantasy lineup upside, but his presence going forward should, at a minimum, provide Baltimore's ground game with a welcome boost in terms of speed and depth.

Mason (shoulder) was a limited practice participant Thursday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Mason handled every practice rep Wednesday, but the 49ers typically go through a more rigorous session Thursday, so his downgrade shouldn't be cause for concern. Indeed, he was seen wearing a non-contact jersey in the latter practice, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, indicating the team still is managing his lingering shoulder issue. Both Mason and Christian McCaffrey (IR, Achilles) were limited Thursday, so the situation bears watching to see if McCaffrey finally makes his season debut Sunday in Tampa Bay, or if Mason continues to be San Francisco's lead runner.

McCaffrey (Achilles) was limited at Thursday's practice, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Following the 49ers' Week 9 bye, the 49ers designated McCaffrey for return from injured reserve Monday, and he's proceeded to log back-to-back capped sessions. Coach Kyle Shanahan relayed to Adam Schefter of ESPN on Wednesday that McCaffrey has experienced "no pain" in either of his Achilles, so the team likely is just easing the running back in this week. Ultimately, Friday's practice report will unveil whether McCaffrey is cleared ahead of the weekend or 90 minutes before Sunday's 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff, assuming he's able to make his season debut.

Johnson (hamstring) was a limited practice participant Thursday.

Johnson may have picked up the injury during practice Wednesday or Thursday. His participation in Friday's session will provide clarity on his status for Sunday's game against the Vikings. Johnson has served as the Jaguars' No. 3 running back this season behind Travis Etienne (hamstring) and Tank Bigsby (ankle).

Chestnut (foot) was listed as a limited practice participant Thursday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Chestnut was able to log a full practice Wednesday, but he was limited in Thursday's session due to a foot issue. His practice participation Friday will give a clearer indication on his status heading into Sunday's game against the Chargers. Chesnut has served as the Titans' No. 2 running back behind Tony Pollard (foot) for the last three games while Tyjae Spears was sidelined due to a hamstring injury. Over that span, Chestnut has logged 15 carries for 69 yards while adding one catch for nine yards.

Bigsby (ankle) remained limited in practice Thursday.

The same goes for Travis Etienne (hamstring), with D'Ernest Johnson (hamstring) now on the Jaguars' Week 10 injury report after logging a limited practice Thursday. Friday's final report will reveal the game statuses of the three running backs ahead of Sunday's game against the Vikings, but it'd be surprising if either Bigsby or Etienne were sidelined after playing through their respective injuries last weekend.

Etienne (hamstring) remained limited in practice Thursday.

The same applies to Tank Bigsby (ankle), while D'Ernest Johnson (hamstring) was tacked on to the Jaguars' Week 10 injury report after logging a limited session Thursday. Added context regarding the running back trio's statuses for Sunday's game against the Vikings will arrive Friday, but both Etienne and Bigsby played through their respective injuries last week, and it'd be surprising if either were unavailable this weekend.

Hunt (quadricep) was a full participant in Thursday's practice.

For the second week in a row, Hunt is appearing on Kansas City's injury report with a listed quad issue, but his ability to practice fully Thursday clears up any concern about his availability for Sunday's game against the Broncos. With Isiah Pacheco (fibula) not expected to return from injured reserve until late November at the earliest, Hunt should be in line for at least two more outings as Kansas City's lead back. Though he's averaging a meager 3.7 yards per carry through five contests since signing with the Chiefs, Hunt has been a strong fantasy option on the back of heavy volume (at least 16 touches in each game) and a nose for the end zone (five touchdowns).

Pollard (foot) didn't practice Thursday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Pollard was a limited participant in practice Wednesday, so his downgrade in activity a day later is notable. That said, the running back didn't practice ahead of Week 9 action and was able to log an 86 percent snap share in this past Sunday's win over the Patriots, carrying 28 times for 128 yards and adding three catches for 26 yards in the contest. With no reported setbacks, it's plausible that Pollard's DNP on Thursday could be maintenance-related.