NFL Player News

Brown rushed 13 times for 42 yards and a touchdown and secured nine of 11 targets for 52 yards in the Bengals' 35-34 loss to the Ravens on Thursday night. He also lost a fumble.

Brown once again filled the lead-back role and was the only Bengals running back to record a rush attempt, but he was nearly as involved as a receiver due to game script. The second-year back finished second in receptions, receiving yards and targets behind Ja'Marr Chase, and he was able to post his fifth rushing touchdown of the season on a one-yard run to cap off the opening possession of the game. Brown will eventually begin sharing touches with the recently acquired Khalil Herbert, but he should continue to pace the ground game in a Week 11 road tilt against the Chargers on Sunday night, Nov. 17.

Henry rushed 16 times for 68 yards and a touchdown and secured his only target for three yards in the Ravens' 35-34 win over the Bengals on Thursday night.

With Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson trading touchdown passes throughout the night, Henry took more of a back seat than usual but still found a way to contribute a solid fantasy performance. The star running back scored on a one-yard run in the latter portion of the third quarter, his fourth TD in the last three games. Henry's rushing yardage total was his lowest since Week 1, but game script and the lack of a breakaway run played a part. Henry's fantasy stock will remain very elevated heading into a tough Week 11 road matchup against the division-rival Steelers on Sunday, Nov. 17.

Ali (ankle) is inactive for Thursday's Week 10 contest against Cincinnati.

Ali was able to practice in full both Tuesday and Wednesday, but he isn't going to take the field on Thursday Night Football. The rookie's inactive status coincides with the season debut of fellow running back Keaton Mitchell, who was activated off the reserve/PUP list Thursday following a long layoff as a result of tearing the ACL in his left knee last December. With Mitchell officially back in the fold, Ali could have a hard time seeing game action on offense moving forward.

Irving (toe) was limited at Thursday's practice.

Irving managed just one capped session last week due to a toe injury before suiting up Monday at Kansas City, so he appears to be in a better spot this week with a pair of them in two attempts. Friday's practice report may give a sense of his odds to suit up Sunday against the 49ers, and if he's able to do so, he'll continue to split RB reps with Rachaad White, while Sean Tucker gets a few scraps.

Herbert is active for Thursday night's game against the Ravens.

Though he just joined the Bengals on Tuesday in a trade with the Bears, Herbert has absorbed enough of his new team's offense to enter the backfield mix in short order. In his new locale, Herbert will help fill the void created by the absence of Zack Moss (neck), who is on IR and could miss the rest of season. In that context, Herbert is in line to step into a complementary role behind Chase Brown that should grow as the season progresses.

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).