NFL Player News

Pierce made his preseason debut Saturday, rushing six times for 15 yards in a 28-3 loss to Miami.

It was a rough go of things for Houston's entire backfield, as none of Pierce, Mike Boone or Devin Singletary could muster more than three yards per carry. Pierce started with the first-team offense and also received the Texans' first carry, which shouldn't be surprising after his standout rookie campaign. The 23-year-old may not see the hefty workload he logged in 2022 when he averaged 19.2 combined touches following the offseason additions of Boone and Singletary. That said, Pierce is the back to target out of Houston in fantasy drafts ahead of the 2023 campaign.

McCaffrey isn't in uniform ahead of Saturday's preseason game against the Broncos, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

During his 14-game stint with the 49ers last season (including playoffs), McCaffrey racked up 263 touches for 1,509 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns, hearkening back to his heyday with the Panthers in 2018 and 2019. As such, he doesn't necessarily need any reps to be ready for San Francisco's Week 1 road matchup with the Steelers.

Strong (undisclosed) is not in uniform for Saturday's preseason game against the Packers, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.

Strong has been missing practice time this week with an undisclosed injury. With Ty Montgomery (undisclosed) also sidelined, we should expect to see plenty of J.J. Taylor and Kevin Harris in Saturday's exhibition. Rhamondre Stevenson and newcomer Ezekiel Elliott could also make cameos.

Coach Mike McDaniel confirmed that Achane sustained a shoulder injury during Saturday's preseason game against the Texans, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.

Per Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins expect to find out more about the running back's injury Sunday, but at a minimum Achane's status for the team's preseason finale is unclear. Prior to his injury, the 2023 third-rounder logged six carries for 27 yards.

Johnson carried the ball six times for 36 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 25-7 preseason win over the Lions. He added two receptions for seven yards.

Johnson finished second on the team with six carries and he was effective, punching in scores from 15 yards and one yard away. However, he was the third back on the field even with Travis Etienne sitting out, and he didn't tally a carry until the second half. Johnson has 11 carries for 67 yards across two contests this preseason, but he appears to be fourth on the depth chart despite his effectiveness.

Achane (undisclosed) was carted to the locker room during Saturday's preseason game against the Texans, Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald reports.

Prior to that, Achane had logged six carries for 27 yards. Per Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com, Achane left the field under his own power, but was clearly in pain with what could be a possible shoulder issue.

Hasty carried the ball four times for eight yards in Saturday's 25-7 preseason win over the Lions. He added one reception on two targets for four yards.

Hasty took the field for game action for the first time in 2023, and he was the second back to check in following Tank Bigsby. He found running room hard to come by, though his usage was the more important takeaway as he looks to be third in line for touches behind Bigsby and Travis Etienne. Hasty has tallied 43 combined receptions across the last two seasons, and he may be limited primarily to passing downs in the upcoming campaign.

Harris (knee) isn't in uniform ahead of Saturday's preseason game against the Steelers, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News reports.

Harris returned to practice Wednesday after missing some time due to knee soreness, but it appears as though the Bills will play it safe with the running back Saturday. If Harris increases his practice activity this coming week, it's possible that he could see snaps in next weekend's preseason finale against the Bears.

Laborn was waived by the 49ers on Saturday, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

If he clears waivers, Laborn will return to the open market after signing with San Francisco as an undrafted free agent on May 1. The running back produced 1,513 yards and 16 scores on 302 carries in his final collegiate campaign with Marshall in 2022.

Bigsby carried the ball 13 times for 70 yards in Saturday's 25-7 win over Detroit in preseason action. He also recorded one reception for -2 yards.

Bigsby was the first back on the field for Jacksonville, though Travis Etienne didn't participate. He was effective with the opportunity, ripping off big gains of 17, 13 and 11 yards. Coach Doug Pederson has praised Bigsby throughout training camp, and the rookie back continues to take advantage of every opportunity.