NFL Player News

Mattison (undisclosed) took part in Thursday's practice, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

After Mattison missed the final stages of Tuesday's session while sporting a limp, he's been able to handle reps in back-to-back days. Wednesday's practice was a walkthrough, while the Vikings were back to a normal version Thursday, so he appears to be putting the injury behind him. Reserve running back Kene Nwangwu also is dealing with an unknown injury at the moment, so Minnesota signed Abram Smith on Thursday to bolster its backfield depth alongside Ty Chandler and rookie seventh-round pick DeWayne McBride.

Carter isn't slated to suit up for Thursday's Hall of Fame Game versus the Browns, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.

Breece Hall continues to reside on the active/PUP list due to the ACL tear that he suffered Week 7 of last season. Meanwhile, Carter and Zonavon Knight also won't play Thursday, leaving rookie Israel Abanikanda, Travis Dye and Damarea Crockett as the Jets' backfield options for the team's preseason opener. Carter's next chance to get exhibition action is Saturday, Aug. 12 at Carolina.

Mack had a workout with Arizona on Thursday, Howard Balzer of GoPHNX.com reports.

After spending his first five seasons with the Colts, Mack played six games for the Broncos in the 2022 season and two with the 49ers. The latter placed him on injured reserve in January due to a hamstring injury. His workout with the Cardinals indicates his health is back up to par. There are currently five running backs on Arizona's roster, so it remains to be seen if he will get an opportunity.

Smith agreed to terms with the Vikings on Wednesday, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.

After leading the XFL in rushing last season with 791 yards in 10 games, Smith has been signed by Minnesota. Before his XFL stint, the running back went undrafted in 2022 and signed with the Saints, but they waived him just months later. Expect the Baylor product to compete for a depth role at running back or a spot on Minnesota's practice squad ahead of the coming season.

Walter (undisclosed) was placed on IR on Thursday.

Walter was working to earn a depth role in the Raiders' backfield after joining the team on a reserve/future deal in January. The 26-year-old hasn't appeared in an NFL game since 2021 with the Jets, and now he'll likely have to wait a while longer. Unless he reaches an injury settlement with the team, Walter will be forced to miss the entirety of the 2023 campaign.

Walker (groin) is present at Thursday's practice but doesn't have a helmet, Bridget Condon of NFL Network reports.

Walker has been out for about a week now, which coach Pete Carroll using the term "week-to-week" to describe his status Monday. Meanwhile, fellow running back Zach Charbonnet (shoulder) is back in action sooner than expected after missing only three practices, giving him a nice opportunity to take more snaps with the starters while Walker remains limited to observing from the sideline.

Charbonnet (shoulder) returned Thursday after missing only three practices, Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

It didn't sound great Sunday when coach Pete Carroll used the team "out indefinitely" to discuss Charbonnet, who had just joined fellow running back Kenneth Walker (groin) on the team's list of injured players. As it turns out, Charbonnet is back in action already, albeit for a practice without full pads, while Walker remains limited to observer status on the sideline. Both are expected to be healthy before Week 1, or perhaps even long before then. In the meantime, Walker's continued absences should allow Charbonnet to get more snaps with the starters. The workload division between the pair of recent second-round picks has been much-discussed in recent months but may be hard to truly decipher until the regular season.

Coach Dan Campbell envisions a "two-headed monster" in the backfield with Gibbs and David Montgomery, ESPN.com's Eric Woodyard reports.

Campbell is merely confirming what was made obvious by Detroit's offseason moves. The Lions let Jamaal Williams walk and later traded D'Andre Swift, but only after signing Montgomery to a three-year, $18 million contract ($8.75 million guaranteed) and drafting Gibbs at No. 12 overall. While Montgomery is a capable pass catcher in his own right, Campbell said he views Gibbs as the guy who "carries the scalpel" and "can hurt you in the pass game." The Lions head coach also mentioned his previous experience on teams that utilized two running backs, including the Giants with Ron Dayne / Tiki Barber and the Saints with Mark Ingram / Alvin Kamara. The latter is a reasonable comparison for Montgomery/Gibbs, though presumably in an offense with less cumulative production up for grabs given that Jared Goff is no Drew Brees. Then again, Williams and Swift combined for over 2,000 scrimmage yards and 25 TDs last year, and that was with Swift missing three games and third-stringer Justin Jackson adding 281 total yards and two TDs of his own. Montgomery and Gibbs are probably a better real-life duo than Williams/Swift, with the rookie being the upside play for fantasy thanks to his combination of speed, receiving skills and draft capital.

Mitchell suffered an adductor strain and is expected to be out for about a week, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Mitchell had enjoyed a healthy spring and summer up until Wednesday/Thursday, after missing more regular-season games (18) than he played (16) through his first two professional seasons. The estimate coach Kyle Shanahan provided Thursday suggests Mitchell should resume practicing long before Week 1, with Jordan Mason and Tyrion Davis-Price candidates to see more work with the first- and second-team offenses in the meantime.

Swift has made the strongest impression of any Eagles running back in training camp, according to Tim McManus of ESPN.com.

Eliot Shorr-Parks of Sports Radio 94 WIP Philadelphia apparently agrees, saying Thursday, "I think Swift is def[initely] RB1" for the Eagles. Other reports have Swift highly active as a pass catcher in training camp, though he's unlikely to be any more than the fourth option in an offense with WRs A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and TE Dallas Goedert. A healthy, busy camp is a great sign for Swift, who nonetheless will need to fend off snap competition from Rashaad Penny, at the very least, and possibly from Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott and/or Trey Sermon as well.