NFL Player News

McFarland is still competing for a spot on the 53-man roster ahead of the Steelers' preseason finale against the Lions on Sunday, Chris Adamski of TribLive.com reports.

While Najee Harris is established as Pittsburgh's clear lead running back heading into 2022, McFarland has been competing with Benny Snell and Jaylen Warren for a spot on the 53-man roster during training camp and the preseason. McFarland made a strong impact in the Steelers' preseason opener, rushing seven times for 56 yards. However, he was held in check last weekend against the Jaguars, rushing twice for one yard while securing his lone target for seven yards. McFarland also has talent as a kick returner, which could give him an edge during the final competition for a roster spot.

Warren is still in the mix for a spot on the 53-man roster ahead of the Steelers' preseason finale against the Lions on Sunday, Chris Adamski of TribLive.com reports.

Warren signed with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent during the offseason but has made a strong impact during training camp and the preseason. He's been the team's most productive running back over the first two preseason matchups, rushing nine times for 37 yards while securing seven of eight targets for 54 yards and a touchdown. In spite of his preseason results, he's still competing with Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland for depth roles in Pittsburgh's backfield.

Snell is still competing for a spot on the Steelers' 53-man roster ahead of Sunday's preseason finale against the Lions, Chris Adamski of TribLive.com reports.

Snell served as Pittsburgh's No. 2 running back last year, but he isn't guaranteed a roster spot as a backup running back in 2022. He sat out the preseason opener against Seattle due to a knee injury and was relatively quiet during the matchup against Jacksonville, rushing three times for minus-two yards while securing two of three targets for 15 yards and a touchdown. Snell's chances for a roster spot are improved by his abilities on special teams, but he'll still have to fend off Anthony McFarland and Jaylen Warren as the preseason draws to a close.

Ebner (ankle) missed Thursday's practice, making it unlikely he plays Saturday against the Browns, Alyssa Barbieri of USA Today reports.

Ebner injured his ankle in the Bears' last game against the Seahawks and hasn't practiced since. He had been battling with Darrynton Evans for the No. 3 running back role behind David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert. If he sits out, he'll have two weeks to get ready for the regular-season opener.

Harris carried four times for 54 yards (including a 33-yard run) and caught one pass for seven yards in Friday's preseason finale against the Raiders.

As long as Damien Harris (who sat out the contest with an unspecified injury) and Rhamondre Stevenson remain in the mix, Kevin Harris doesn't have a path to steady carries. However, the 2022 sixth-rounder's chances of securing a roster spot may have increased Friday, with Ty Montgomery having suffered an ankle injury. Also in the depth mix in the Patriots' backfield are fourth-rounder Pierre Strong and J.J. Taylor.

Strong carried twice for four yards and caught two of his three targets for 13 yards in Friday's preseason finale against the Raiders.

Of more import than the stats Strong logged Friday while logging 14 snaps is that Ty Montgomery -- the favorite to handle the Patriots' top pass-catching/change-of-pace RB role -- suffered an ankle injury in the contest. If Montgomery is forced to miss extended time, Strong would be a candidate to handle an expanded role as the season progresses, while top early down options Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson could see added opportunities in the passing game out of the gate, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site notes.

Dallas carried the ball 13 times for 75 yards and a touchdown and caught both his targets for nine yards in Friday's preseason game against the Cowboys.

The third-year player was the second running back into the game for Seattle after Travis Homer, and while the duo split the workload through the first half, Dallas got the first possession of the second half to himself and made the most of it, racking up most of his rushing production and capping the drive with a one-yard TD plunge. Despite the big performance, he will likely head into the regular season No. 4 on the backfield depth chart, but Dallas could still have a role in the offense Week 1 if either Kenneth Walker (abdomen) or Rashaad Penny (COVID-19) is still less than 100 percent.

Homer gained five yards on three carries and caught both his targets for 11 yards in Friday's preseason game against the Cowboys.

The fourth-year back mixed in with DeeJay Dallas through the first half, although Dallas wound up posting better numbers on the night. Homer still seems set as Seattle's No. 3 RB heading into the regular season, a role that could provide him with more volume than expected in Week 1, as neither Rashaad Penny (COVID-19) nor Kenneth Walker (abdomen) are fully healthy at the moment.

Blackshear carried the ball 13 times for a team-leading 47 yards in Friday's preseason loss to the Panthers.

The 3.6 YPC isn't great, but Blackshear had a nice preseason after arriving as an undrafted free agent signing out of Virginia Tech. The Bills don't have room for six running backs on the final roster, and that's likely where Blackshear sits considering Taiwan Jones will probably make the team as a special-teams ace. You can bet the Bills will try to stash Blackshear on the practice squad if the cuts go as planned.

Foreman carried the ball three times for six yards in Friday's preseason win over the Bills. He also added two receptions for 10 yards and a touchdown.

Foreman followed Chuba Hubbard into the game, but two of his three carries came at the goal line. Foreman also punched in one of the team's two touchdowns with a two-yard reception midway through the first quarter. The battle between Hubbard and Foreman for the backup running job in Carolina is worth monitoring early in the season -- particularly given Christian McCaffrey's recent injury history.