Cowboys beat: Team drifting away from RB committee

San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey has bilateral Achilles tendinitis, meaning he has it in both legs, per NBC Sports. McCaffrey recently went to Germany for treatment.

The 49ers said they expected to get a "better idea" on McCaffrey's status over the next few weeks. The team's plan was to ramp up his rehabilitation to "see how it responds." General manager John Lynch added that the team is aiming to "quiet down" the injury.

Related players: Jordan Mason, Isaac Guerendo, Patrick Taylor

The story said Achilles tendinitis is described as "an overuse injury of the Achilles tendon, the band of tissue that connects calf muscles at the back of the lower leg to your heel bone," according to the Mayo Clinic. Some Achilles tendinitis can be treated at home, while more serious cases can lead to tendon tears that may require surgery. The story went on to say, until McCaffrey, the team and the medical specialists see how the area responds to more work, it's hard to make a call on when he will be back, if he does come back this season. NFL Media reported Sunday that McCaffrey should be back, at least, by early November, but the report of bilateral Achilles tendinitis could change things. For now, Mason remains the bellcow. He had 24 carries in Week 4 with Deebo Samuel getting two. Guerendo had a fumble on special teams and had just one carry in the game.

Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson left a game with an injury for the fourth time in his eight NFL starts, but it doesn’t sound like this hip issue or Richardson’s history is a source of great concern for the team.

Related players: Joe Flacco

The story went on to say that Richardson said after Sunday’s win over the Steelers that he thought he avoided a serious injury, but would be going for an MRI. On Monday, head coach Shane Steichen said that Richardson’s read appears to be correct and that the team isn’t worried about Richardson being too much of an injury risk, according to the story. We'll have to monitor the injury this week in practice ,as there was no word about his status for Week 5. The ageless Flacco would get the start if Richardson can't go.

Steichen said Colts are not considering short-term IR for Jonathan Taylor.

Related players: Trey Sermon

Taylor suffered what is said to be a "minor" high ankle sprain in Week 4. There is no word on Taylor's status going forward but given it's still a high ankle sprain, his Week 5 availability is at least in question. Sermon should be picked up if not already owned as a Taylor owner. He'll likely be a hot commodity on this week's waiver wire.