NFL Player News

Evans is expected to work as Cincinnati's third-down back in the regular season, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

Joe Mixon should pick up where he left off as Cincinnati's primary ball-carrier, but Evans' strong preseason showing as a blocker and pass catcher should allow him to fill the pass-catching role vacated by Samaje Perine's departure. Mixon has struggled in pass protection, so Evans should see a sizable chunk of playing time on third downs and other pass-heavy situations.

The Raiders haven't shown any interest in trading Jacobs, who has yet to sign his $10.09 million franchise tender for 2023, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Though the Raiders haven't been in trade talks with other teams Pelissero notes that nothing is imminent regarding the star running back getting back on the practice field. Until there's added clarity on that front, Jacobs' status for the Raiders' Sept. 10 season opener in Denver remains to be determined. That said, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal previously reported that Jacobs is expected to report to the Raiders before Week 1, but head coach Josh McDaniels acknowledged earlier this week that the longer Jacobs waits to join the team, the more the running back's early-season production could be affected. In the event that Jacobs isn't available or is eased into action early on during the campaign, Zamir White would be in line see added work out of the backfield.

Jones (groin/suspension) was able to practice Tuesday, giving him a chance to play in the Cowboys' final preseason game Saturday versus the Raiders, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The running back is already slated to miss the first two games of the regular season while serving a suspension for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drugs policy, but Jones has also been sidelined in camp and the preseason due to a groin injury. In his absence, Deuce Vaughn and Rico Dowdle have impressed and risen up the depth chart. If Jones can get back up to speed this week and suit up Saturday against the Raiders, he would at least get his own chance to make his case for backup snaps behind Tony Pollard once his suspension is up.

Laird rushed nine times for 20 yards in the Buccaneers' 13-6 preseason win over the Jets on Saturday night.

Laird logged 19 snaps and paced the Buccaneers' backfield in carries. The fourth-year pro is battling undrafted rookies Sean Tucker and Ronnie Brown for a roster spot, and Laird could potentially have the inside track to a backup role due to his contributions on special teams. All the players in the competition, Laird included, will get another opportunity to make their case in the preseason finale versus the Ravens on Saturday night.

Williams left Tuesday's practice early with a groin injury, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Williams signed with the Saints on Aug. 14 as a depth piece for a Saints' backfield that, at the time, was dealing with multiple injuries. He rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries in six games last season with the Cardinals before being placed on the team's injured reserve list in November with a hip injury. Williams is aiming to crack the Saints' final roster as a depth piece behind running backs Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller.

During Tuesday's practice, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com relays that Elliott saw an uptick in work behind Rhamondre Stevenson, notably as a pass-catcher out of the team's backfield.

Elliott was brought in by the Patriots to work in a complementary role behind Stevenson, the team's presumed lead back. In addition to providing New England with another short-yardage option, it looks like Elliott could factor in on passing downs as well. Though he caught just 17 passes in 15 games with the Cowboys last season, he recorded 47 catches in 2021. If given the opportunity in New England, Zeke could take some of the burden off Stevenson, who caught 69 passes in 17 contests in 2022 on top of logging 210 carries in tandem with Damien Harris (106 carries in 11 games), who now plays for the Bills.

Strong (concussion) returned to practice Tuesday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Strong is sporting a red, non-contact jersey for Tuesday's session, but this puts him on track to play in the preseason finale Friday against the Titans after he missed last weekend's exhibition. Strong is trying to carve out a pass-catching role in New England's offense behind Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott.

Abanikanda (thigh) is expected to be sidelined for a couple weeks, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.

The rookie running back suffered a thigh contusion in the Jets' third preseason contest against the Bucs last weekend. Through three exhibitions, Abanikanda has rushed 25 times for 113 yards (4.5 yards per carry) and one touchdown, adding five catches for 37 yards on five targets. With Dalvin Cook now in town, Abanikanda is likely to open the year as the Jets' RB4 behind Cook, Breece Hall and Michael Carter.

Hall (knee) logged 11-on-11 work during Tuesday's padless practice, but won't play in Saturday's preseason finale against the Giants, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Per Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic, Hall seemed to be moving well laterally while participating in team drills Tuesday, which is a positive sign with regard to the running back's chances of being available for Week 1 action. Per Cimini, Dalvin Cook, who is bouncing back from a shoulder injury, also won't play Saturday. The team's backfield carry allotment out of the gate between Hall and Cook remains an open question.

Coach Kevin Stefanski noted Tuesday that Ford (hamstring) won't practice this week but that the running back hasn't been ruled out for the Browns' season opener Sept. 10 against the Bengals, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

The report adds that Ford is making progress in his recovery from a hamstring injury, and the hope is that the running back will be ready for Week 1 action. Once he's back in the mix, the 2022 fifth-rounder is slated to back up Nick Chubb, the Browns' clear-cut lead runner. In Ford's absence, added reps are available for Demetric Felton, John Kelly, Hassan Hall and Jordan Wilkins.