NFL Player News

Croskey-Merritt didn't practice Wednesday due to a knee injury.

In the first game without Austin Ekeler (Achilles) this past Sunday against the Raiders, Croskey-Merritt led the Commanders backfield in offensive snaps (23 of 58), followed by Chris Rodriguez (22) and Jeremy McNichols (15). Croskey-Merritt wasn't all that efficient with his touches (nine for 31 yards from scrimmage), but he salvaged his day with a rushing touchdown. Meanwhile, Rodriguez paced the team in carries (11) for 39 yards, and McNichols had four rushes for 78 yards and a TD. It's unclear if Croskey-Merrritt's status is in peril for Sunday's game in Atlanta, but his activity level, or lack thereof, bears watching as the week continues to get a sense of his odds to suit up Week 4.

Ward (ankle/calf) was limited at practice Wednesday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Ward was on the field for all 70 of the Titans' snaps on offense in the team's 41-20 loss to Colts in Week 3, so it's unclear if the QB came out of that contest banged-up or if his listed ankle/calf issues are a result of Wednesday's practice. In any case, the status of Ward -- whose backup is Brandon Allen -- is now worth tracking as Sunday's game against the Texans approaches.

Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said Wednesday that Tolbert will "have to step up" with CeeDee Lamb (ankle) expected to miss time, Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com reports.

Schottenheimer mentioned that Tolbert led the team with seven touchdowns last year. The issue was that he didn't do much else with his ample playing time, ranking 13th among WRs in routes run (535) and 53d in receiving yards (610). Tolbert opened this season in a much lesser role, essentially splitting the No. 3 receiver job with KaVontae Turpin, before upgrading to team-high 89 percent route share in Week 3 when Lamb was injured early in the game. Tolbert may again handle an every-down role Week 4 against Green Bay, but the combination of a low target rate and tough matchup isn't promising for fantasy.

Brown (groin/knee) is not practicing Wednesday.

Brown sat out Week 3, and he hasn't practiced in any capacity since having been forced out early versus the Packers on Thursday Night Football in Week 2. If Brown is unable to gain clearance in time for Sunday's matchup against the Falcons, Luke McCaffrey, Jaylin Lane and Chris Moore will all be candidates for expanded offensive opportunities, especially with Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) also dealing with an injury.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Jones (knee) will be a limited practice participant Wednesday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Both Jones and No. 1 QB Brock Purdy (shoulder/toe) will operate with a cap on their reps to begin Week 4 prep, and the duo along with practice-squad member Adrian Martinez will handle first-team reps. Jones himself has started the last two games in place of Purdy, completing 53 of 80 passes (66 percent) for 563 yards, four touchdowns and one interception, turning seven carries into five yards and fumbling twice (one lost). If Purdy needs another week to get to 100 percent, Jones likely would get the start Sunday versus the Jaguars, but a PCL sprain in his left knee may be throwing a wrench into those plans.

Pitts (toe) was limited in practice Wednesday, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.

Pitts was also limited by a toe issue last Thursday, though he sandwiched that session between two full practices and managed to avoid carrying an injury designation into Atlanta's loss to the Panthers in Week 3. He'll work to gain similar clearance for Sunday's contest against the Commanders. Through three games this season, Pitts has compiled 15 catches for 135 yards and zero touchdowns on 19 targets.

Pearsall will miss Wednesday's practice due to a knee injury, David Lombardi of SFStandard.com reports.

Pearsall played 97 percent of San Francisco's offensive snaps in a 16-15 win over the Cardinals this past Sunday, catching eight of 11 targets for 117 yards. He's now third in the league in both receiving yards (281) and air yards (392), having caught four of seven targets 20-plus yards downfield. There is some chance the usage declines if Jauan Jennings (shoulder/ankle) now ends up healthier than Pearsall, but Jennings will also miss Wednesday's practice (after sitting out Weeks 1 and 3). The 49ers don't lack for injury concerns ahead of their home game against Jacksonville this Sunday.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Purdy (left shoulder/toe) will be limited at Wednesday's practice, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

The same can be said for fellow QB Mac Jones (knee), and the duo along with practice-squad member Adrian Martinez all will handle some first-team reps. Purdy has missed the past two games due to a turf toe variant and an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder, and how he fares on the field this week likely will determine who will be under center for the 49ers on Sunday against the Jaguars.

Jennings (ankle/shoulder) is not participating in Wednesday's practice, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Jennings remains day-to-day and that he was close to being cleared to play Week 3 against the Cardinals, per David Lombardi of SFStandard.com. That said, it seems likely that Jennings will need to practice in at least a limited fashion Thursday and/or Friday to have a realistic shot at returning to the field Sunday versus the Jaguars. Jennings picked up a shoulder injury during San Francisco's regular-season opener but managed to play through it Week 2 before then picking up an ankle injury in the second game.

The Chargers placed Harris (Achilles) on IR on Wednesday.

Coach John Harbaugh confirmed Monday that Harris suffered a torn Achilles during this past Sunday's win over the Broncos, and the running back will miss the remainder of the season as a result. In his absence going forward, Omarion Hampton is in line to lead the Chargers backfield, with Hassan Haskins in reserve and Kimani Vidal as well as Amar Johnson representing possible additions via the team's practice squad.