NFL Player News

Pachecho rushed eight times for 23 yards and secured all four targets for 31 yards in the Chiefs' 21-20 loss to the Lions on Thursday night.

Pacheco outpaced Clyde Edwards-Helaire by two carries even though the former logged his first touch of the game after the latter, and Pacheco was much more involved as a receiver than usual thanks in large part to the absence of Travis Kelce (knee). Pacheco did find running room at a premium thanks to what appears to be a significantly improved Lions rush defense, yet his overall usage was relatively encouraging and lends credence to the notion Pacheco should operate as a No. 1 back this season, even if only by a modest margin. If Kelce returns to action in a Week 2 road matchup against the Jaguars a week from Sunday, Pacheco may see less involvement through the air but would also go up against a looser defensive front than the one he encountered Thursday night.

Walker was limited at Thursday's practice due to a groin injury, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.

Walker spent training camp tending to a minor groin strain, which kept him on the sidelines for the entire preseason slate. He eventually logged a full practice on Aug. 17 and even kicked off Week 1 prep with a similar session, but the injury clearly isn't behind him on the eve of the regular season. Thursday's limitations may have been a precautionary measure, but Walker's status on Friday's practice report will be one to watch out for to see if he enters the weekend as questionable.

Mason (foot) was a limited participant at the 49ers' practice Thursday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Mason is dealing with a sprained foot he suffered in the team's preseason finale Aug. 25 and he has now logged back-to-back limited practices. The running back will look to increase his participation Friday in order to play Sunday in San Francisco's regular season opener against the Steelers on the road.

Vaughn (personal) practiced in full Thursday.

Vaughn was absent from Wednesday's session due to personal reasons, which Greg Auman of Fox Sports called an unexcused absence. Despite Vaughn's listing of "full," Auman noted the running back only watched special-teams drills from the sideline during the media-access portion of practice. Vaughn may be poised for regular healthy scratches this season with Rachaad White the clear No. 1 RB and undrafted rookie Sean Tucker and Chase Edmonds ahead of him on the depth chart.

Green Bay waived Nichols (shoulder) from injured reserve with an injury settlement Thursday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

A week after sending Nichols to IR, the Packers have decided to part ways with the seventh-round rookie. He's set to become a free agent, but he won't be able to sign with another team until he's fully healthy.

Patterson (thigh) was a limited practice participant Thursday, Scott Bair of the Falcons' official site reports.

Patterson was sidelined from Aug. 14 onward due to what was eventually termed a thigh injury on Wednesday's practice report. He's now logged back-to-back capped sessions, putting himself in a position to be available to Atlanta's offense Sunday against the Panthers. Ultimately, Friday's report will reveal whether or not he heads into the weekend with an injury designation.

Abanikanda (thigh) wasn't listed on the Jets' injury report Thursday ahead of Monday's game versus the Bills, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

After a lightning-fast recovery from a thigh contusion he sustained less than three weeks ago, Abanikanda will be available to make his NFL debut in Week 1 should the Jets call his number. His path to touches off the bat is quite narrow, however, as he is buried on the depth chart behind one of the best running back trios in football in Breece Hall (knee), Dalvin Cook and Michael Carter.

Montgomery is expected to take over as the Lions' goal-line running back in 2023 in addition to sharing work with Jahmyr Gibbs on early downs, Colton Pouncy of The Athletic reports.

Detroit opted to overhaul its running-back room this offseason, bringing in Montgomery on a three-year, $18 million deal in free agency and selecting Gibbs in the first round of the draft while bidding adieu to Jamaal Williams in free agency and trading D'Andre Swift to Philadelphia. Montgomery will essentially be serving as the Williams replacement, a role that could be fruitful after Williams led the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns in 2022. While he shouldn't be expected to see nearly as many goal-line carries as Williams did a season ago nor cash in on those opportunities as frequently, Montgomery would be a worthy investment for fantasy managers if he can reach half of Williams' touchdown total from a year ago. And while the Lions envision the talented Gibbs holding a key role on offense right out of the gate, the coaching staff may take advantage of the rookie's pass-catching skills by deploying him in the slot as well as out of the backfield. As such, there may be scenarios where both Montgomery and Gibbs share the field, and the former should be much more involved in the passing game than Williams was in his lone season in Detroit. Montgomery averaged three catches per game and 6.6 yards per target over his final three years in Chicago, while Williams recorded just 12 catches in total and averaged 4.6 yards per target while playing the full 17-game slate in 2022.

Miller (hamstring) was a non-participant at Thursday's practice, Luke Johnson of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Per John Hendrix of SI.com, Miller was spotted on the practice field before the team stretch Thursday, but the rookie running back maintained his lack of activity from one day earlier. Miller thus will have just one more chance to mix into the drills this week before the Saints potentially make a ruling on his availability for Sunday's game against the Titans. If he's able to put himself into a position to suit up this weekend, he could have a role out of New Orleans' backfield with Alvin Kamara suspended for the first three contests on the season. Having said that, Jamaal Williams is slated to lead the backfield, Kirk Merritt also is on the active roster, and Tony Jones and Jordan Mims are candidates to be elevated from the practice squad.

Moss (arm) remained limited at practice Thursday, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis reports.

Bowen previously noted that Moss -- who is bouncing back from a broken arm -- was able to take some contact during Thursday's session, but unless the running back practices fully Friday, he figures to approach Sunday's game against the Jaguars with a Week 1 injury designation. In the event that Moss is cleared to play this weekend, he'd begin the season as part of a backfield timeshare that would also include Deon Jackson and Evan Hull.