NFL Player News

Taylor had one carry for three yards and one catch for 10 yards in Friday's 23-7 preseason loss to the Titans.

Taylor made a brief appearance in the first quarter, while second-year pros Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong both got extensive playing time. Chad Graff of The Athletic notes that Harris and Strong started the summer ahead of Taylor on the depth chart but may not have maintained that position. With Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott both locks to make the 53-man roster, the Patriots probably have only one or two RB spots left and will now have to choose between Taylor, Harris, Strong and Ty Montgomery (leg).

Harris started Friday's preseason game against the Titans and took seven carries for 17 yards and a touchdown.

Pierre Strong made it back from concussion protocol but played deep into the fourth quarter, while top RBs Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott were rested along with the rest of the starters. J.J. Taylor also got some snaps early in the game and finished with one carry for three yards and one catch for 10 yards. The Patriots likely will keep two RBs behind Stevenson and Elliott, with the candidates for depth roles being Harris, Strong, Taylor and Ty Montgomery (leg).

Reynolds played most of the first half in Friday's 26-17 win over Carolina, taking 11 carries for 41 yards and a touchdown and catching his lone target for a five-yard gain.

Reynolds played the vast majority of snaps with Teddy Bridgewater and the second-string offense, while Benny Snell and Devine Ozigbo mostly played after halftime with the third unit. Top backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery were rested, and it's hard to imagine Reynolds getting much work as the No. 3 RB if both guys ahead of him remain healthy for Week 1 at Kansas City on Thu., Sept. 7.

Chestnut took nine carries for 30 yards and two catches for 42 yards and a touchdown in Friday's 23-7 preseason win over the Patriots.

Tyjae Spears repped ahead of the other backups as he has all preseason, with Chestnut taking over thereafter and making some big plays to ignite the Tennessee offense. Meanwhile, Hassan Haskins (undisclosed) and Jonathan Ward (knee) remained unavailable, leaving Jacques Patrick as the only RB left after Spears and Chestnut (a healthy Derrick Henry was unsurprisingly rested). Patrick did well with 17 touches for 94 yards, but Chestnut scored three TDs this preseason and may have earned the No. 3 RB role heading into a Week 1 road game against New Orleans.

Strong took eight carries for 31 yards and caught both of his targets for 13 yards in Friday's 23-7 preseason loss to the Titans.

Strong proved his health after spending about a week and a half in concussion protocol, though he came off the bench behind fellow 2022 draft pick Kevin Harris. With Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott locked in atop the depth chart and Ty Montgomery (leg) potentially competing for a role if/when he can get healthy, it isn't clear the Patriots will keep both Strong and Harris. It does seem Strong may have helped his case Friday night when he was one of the few bright spots on an ugly night for New England.

Spears had nine carries for 28 yards and caught two of three targets for 13 yards in Friday's preseason game against New England.

Spears got the start and took three carries for three yards on the opening drive while Ryan Tannehill was at quarterback. The rookie then stayed on to play four drives with Malik Willis, getting the first six carries of the game for Tennessee before Julius Chestnut and Jacques Patrick started mixing in. Spears threw a vicious stiff-arm on one of his runs and further cemented his status as the No. 2 back behind only Derrick Henry heading into his NFL regular-season debut Week 1 at New Orleans.

Hubbard isn't slated to play in Friday's preseason game versus the Lions, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

Hubbard injured his ankle last Friday against the Giants, and while he was able to return to practice Monday, the Panthers will exercise caution with the third-year pro. He'll be joined on the sideline by fellow running back Miles Sanders (groin), which will leave Carolina's backfield in the hands of Raheem Blackshear, Spencer Brown and Camerun Peoples. Hubbard's next chance for game action will arrive in a Week 1 road game with the Falcons on Sunday, Sept. 10.

McFarland rushed 10 times for 55 yards and a touchdown during Thursday's 24-0 preseason win over the Falcons.

McFarland saw plenty of work during Pittsburgh's exhibition finale, capping off what has been a solid training camp and preseason. He reached the end zone twice and rushed 22 times for 75 yards and two touchdowns while securing all three of his targets for 23 yards. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren appear to be the Steelers' clear top two running backs, but McFarland may have done enough to earn a spot on the team's 53-man roster.

Patterson's soft-tissue injury isn't serious, but the Falcons nonetheless plan to be patient, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.

With Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier making it through the preseason healthy, the Falcons probably don't have many backfield snaps available for Patterson in any case. Of course, he can do a few other things, including returning kickoffs, so Patterson could still make a push to be active for a Week 1 home game against the Panthers. He's been held out of practice since mid-August.

Sermon took 16 carries for 30 yards and a touchdown in Thursday's 27-13 preseason loss to Indianapolis, with Zach Berman of The Athletic noting that Sermon is fifth on the depth chart.

Sermon also had four catches for 26 yards on six targets in what may have been an audition for other teams. The Eagles didn't play any starters in this one and also held out key backups, with the absentee list including four RBs (D'Andre Swift, Rashaad Penny, Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott). Sermon didn't exactly knock it out of the park, but much of that isn't his fault given that the Colts played a lot of starters and the Eagles used none. If nothing else, Sermon is one of the running backs most likely to get claimed next week after teams make roster cuts.