NFL Player News

Mason (foot) was removed from the injury report Friday and will play in Sunday's opener against the Steelers, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Mason was limited earlier in the week but has been cleared to play. He's expected to open the season as the Niners' third running back, behind Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell. Mason has minimal fantasy value in season-long leagues.

Coach John Harbaugh said Friday that Dobbins has no snap count limitations for Sunday's game against the Texans, Ryan Mink of the team's official site reports.

Dobbins spent a large chunk of training camp "holding in" due to his desire for a new contract. He never received one and got a late start to practice. Now more than a full year removed from ACL surgery and healthy off of last year's scope, Dobbins looks positioned for a particularly big workload against Houston with the Ravens installed as heavy home favorites. This is a great matchup for the 24-year-old back.

Moss (forearm) is listed as questionable for Sunday's season opener against the Jaguars after practicing in a limited fashion this week.

Moss -- who is bouncing back from a broken arm -- is the only player on the Colts' active roster with an injury designation ahead of Week 1 action, so his status is worth monitoring as Sunday's 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff approaches. If Moss ends up being held out of Indy's opener, Deon Jackson and Evan Hull would figure to lead the team's backfield, with practice-squad members Jake Funk and Jason Huntley potentially in the depth mix if either or both gets elevated for the contest.

Miller (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Titans after missing another practice Friday, Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com reports.

Miller hasn't practiced since late August and thus seems more likely than not to miss what would've been his first regular-season NFL games. It's the first of three games RB Alvin Kamara is suspended for, leaving Jamaal Williams as the leader of the New Orleans backfield. With Miller on the doubtful side of questionable and Kirk Merritt a converted wide receiver, the Saints may need to call up Tony Jones or Jordan Mims from the practice squad before Sunday.

Stevenson, who missed Friday's practice, is reportedly dealing with a stomach bug, according to Karen Guregian of masslive.com.

Per the report, the expectation is that the running back will be ready to go for Sunday's regular-season opener against the Eagles. Either way, the Patriots' upcoming Friday injury report will confirm whether or not Stevenson heads into the weekend with a Week 1 injury status.

Brightwell (knee) does not carry an injury designation Friday ahead of Sunday's game versus Dallas, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Despite having been sidelined since mid-August with a knee issue, Brightwell will be healthy enough to play in Week 1 versus the Cowboys. He probably won't get many touches as long as Saquon Barkley and Matt Breida remain healthy, though.

Taylor (ankle) has been at the Colts' team facilities rehabbing and attending meetings, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Taylor wants to be traded but isn't holding out, and recent comments from GM Chris Ballard suggest the Colts still hope the running back will change his mind and end up playing for the team at some point after Week 4. He's ineligible for the first four games while on the reserve/PUP list, with his slower-than-expected rehab from late-January ankle surgery playing a big role in the complicated situation. If Taylor is eventually medically cleared and removed from the PUP list, he'd have to report to the Colts for at least the final six games of 2023 to accrue a season and become a free agent next year. For now, the Colts head into Week 1 with Deon Jackson, Evan Hull and possibly Zack Moss (arm) as their running backs against the Jaguars.

Patterson (thigh) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Panthers, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.

Patterson was limited in practice this week and will go through pregame workouts Sunday before a final decision is made on his status for Week 1. He's been battling the injury since Aug. 14. Listed as a "JOKER" on the Falcons' posted depth chart, Patterson is expected to play all over the offense as a sub-package player in 2023.

Coach Frank Reich said Hubbard will "see action" behind Miles Sanders in Sunday's game against the Falcons, Steve Reed of the Associated Press reports.

Reich said the Panthers will approach Week 1 like Sanders is "full go," but Hubbard looks like the clear No. 2 back in Carolina, ahead of Raheem Blackshear. Hubbard still has very little fantasy value outside of deeper leagues with Sanders healthy.

Coach Todd Bowles said Friday that Vaughn is back with the Bucs and has worked things out after leaving the team for a day due to displeasure with a demotion, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

Vaughn still has his job but may only play special teams Sunday at Minnesota and could even be a healthy scratch. He was hoping to earn a role on offense in the final season of his rookie contract, but it sounds like Sean Tucker and Chase Edmonds -- in addition to starter Rachaad White -- are ahead of Vaughn on the backfield depth chart. While Edmonds isn't likely to play much apart from clear passing situations, Tucker is worth making note of for fantasy after recent comments from Bowles essentially confirmed the undrafted rookie had won the No. 2 spot in Tampa's backfield. It's unclear if Edmonds also will be involved and whether he or Vaughn (or neither) will be a healthy scratch for Sunday's opener in Minnesota.