NFL Player News

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday that the 49ers will aim to open Mustapha's (knee) 21-day practice window Monday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Mustapha missed all of training camp and opened the regular season on the reserve/PUP list due to a knee injury that he suffered in Week 17 of the 2024 season. There's optimism that the second-year safety could be designated to return to practice Monday to ramp up his conditioning, though he would be a long shot to play in the 49ers' Week 6 road clash against the Buccaneers on Sunday, Oct. 12. Mustapha's return would likely lead to a decreased role in the secondary for Jason Pinnock or rookie fifth-rounder Marques Sigle.

Tucker and Rachaad White will pace the Buccaneers backfield Sunday in Seattle after Bucky Irving (foot/shoulder) was ruled out for the contest, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

The tandem may be called upon Week 6 versus the 49ers, too, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reported earlier Friday that Irving is in danger of missing a second game due to a right foot sprain and a shoulder injury. After Irving departed a Week 14 matchup with the Raiders due to injury last season, Tucker was outpaced by White by a significant margin in both snap share (75-19) and touches (19-3). Whether or not a similar breakdown occurs Sunday remains to be seen.

Wilson (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Panthers, Travis Wingfield of the Dolphins' official site reports.

Wilson was held out of practice all week due to a knee injury. The 2018 sixth-rounder was signed off New Orleans' practice squad to Miami's active roster Tuesday, but he'll have to wait until at least Week 6 against the Chargers on Sunday, Oct. 12 to make his Dolphins debut. With Tyreek Hill (knee) out for the rest of the season, the Dolphins' wide-receiver corps will be headlined by Jaylen Waddle, Malik Washington and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.

White and Sean Tucker will man the Buccaneers backfield Sunday at Seattle after Bucky Irving (foot/shoulder) was ruled out for the contest, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

Irving wasn't able to practice this week due to a sprained right foot and a shoulder injury, and there's a chance he'll sit out Week 6 against the 49ers, too, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. In the meantime, White and Tucker will handle most of the RB reps. When Irving made an early exit from a Week 14 matchup with the Raiders due to injury last season, White turned 19 touches into 109 yards from scrimmage and one rushing TD on a 75 percent snap share, while Tucker recorded three carries for 47 yards on 19 percent of the plays.

Duck (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Panthers, Travis Wingfield of the Dolphins' official site reports.

Week 5 will mark the fourth consecutive game that Duck will miss due to a ankle injury that he suffered in the Dolphins' regular-season opener against Indianapolis. Veteran Rasul Douglas will continue to start at outside corner opposite Jack Jones for as long as Duck is sidelined. Duck will shift his focus towards returning to practice next week and being available for the Dolphins' Week 6 home clash against the Chargers on Sunday, Oct. 12.

Samuel (heel) practiced fully Friday and doesn't have a designation for Sunday's game at the Chargers.

The Commanders' top three wide receivers didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday due to various injuries, but only Samuel made the trip from Washington to Los Angeles, as Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) and Noah Brown (groin/knee) were ruled out for Week 5 action. Samuel proceeded to manage all on-field work Friday, paving the way for him to serve as Jayden Daniels' top WR on Sunday in the quarterback's return from a two-game absence. Samuel thus figures to be a significant part of the game plan, not only as a pass catcher but as a threat out of the backfield.

Though Bowers (knee) didn't practice Thursday and Friday, coach Pete Carroll expects the tight end to play Sunday against the Colts, Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com reports.

Per Carroll, Bowers didn't suffer a setback with the knee issue that he's been managing. Instead, the team elected to give the 2024 first-rounder extra rest ahead of Week 5 action. For his part, Bowers said he's feeling better each week and wants to continue that trend, while adding that he's not allowed to share further details on an injury that's been frustrating for him to deal with. In any case, given that he's officially listed as questionable -- as is fellow TE Michael Mayer concussion -- fantasy managers will still need to verify Bowers' status Sunday, but fortunately the Raiders have a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff this week.

Nunez-Roches (foot) does not carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Saints.

Nunez-Roches was a limited participant in practice all week, and he has been given the green light to play after missing the Giants' last three games due to a foot injury. He may not see a heavy snap count in his return, but his presence might mean less playing time on defense for Elijah Garcia, Darius Alexander and D.J. Davidson, though Dexter Lawrence is listed as questionable for Sunday's contest due to an illness that prevented him from practicing all week.

Nubin (groin) was a limited participant in Friday's practice and is questionable to play against New Orleans on Sunday.

Nubin ended the week with consecutive limited practices after missing Wednesday's session due to a groin injury, which he may have picked up during the Giants' Week 4 win over the Chargers. His status for Sunday's game may not be announced until approximately 90 minutes before the 1:00pm ET kickoff, but Dane Belton would be a top candidate to start at safety alongside Jevon Holland if Nubin is not cleared to play. Nubin has registered 20 tackles (14 solo) through the first four games of the regular season.

Coach Dan Quinn said Daniels will wear a brace on his left knee in his return to action Sunday at the Chargers, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Daniels came out of a Week 2 loss at Green Bay with a sprained knee and missed the next two games as a result. With a trio of full practices under his belt this week, though, he's good to go for Week 5 action. The skill positions for the Commanders have taken a hit since Daniels' last game action, as RB Austin Ekeler is out for the season due to a torn Achilles and WRs Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) and Noah Brown (groin/knee) didn't make Thursday's trip to Los Angeles. As a result, Daniels' top targets Sunday will be WR Deebo Samuel (heel) and TE Zach Ertz.