NFL Player News

Judkins carried the ball four times for nine yards in Saturday's 34-10 preseason loss to the Bears.

The second-year back got the start for the Browns but played only the first quarter before calling it a day. Judkins is the clear top dog in the backfield, and after gaining 998 scrimmage yards on 256 touches over 14 regular-season games as a rookie, the 2025 second-round pick is expected to take on a larger workload in 2026 under new head coach Todd Monken.

Estime suffered an ankle injury during Saturday's preseason loss to the Jaguars, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Estime was injured on a hard hit after reeling in a catch for a six-yard loss in the second quarter. Prior to that, the 22-year-old had been impressive, breaking multiple tackles for a nine-yard TD run on New Orleans' first offensive play and tallying 28 yards on five total carries. Estime has a chance to earn the No. 3 RB role for the Saints, but he'll likely need to get healthy enough to show what he has to offer in additional preseason contests.

Johnson turned 12 carries into 59 yards and caught all three of his targets for 10 yards during the Chiefs' 20-12 loss to the Rams in Saturday's preseason game.

Johnson led all running backs in both carries and rushing yards and finished second in receiving yards at the position behind Brashard Smith (12). Following Saturday's game, Johnson drew praise from head coach Andy Reid, who noted the rookie fifth-rounder "ran hard and aggressively... he's one of the positives coming out of this," per Charles Goldman of AtoZSports.com. Johnson is currently listed as the Chiefs' RB3 ahead of Smith and behind Kenneth Walker and Emari Demercado, but more performances like Saturday's could push Johnson ahead of Demercado for the No. 2 role by the start of the regular season. The Chiefs' next preseason game takes place Saturday, Aug. 22 against the Buccaneers.

Davis carried the ball three times for 21 yards and caught all four of his targets for 32 yards in Saturday's 29-14 preseason win over the Panthers.

James Cook got the start in the backfield during the Bills' preseason opener and played the whole first quarter, but Davis was the next RB into the game and had a very productive day. Davis' numbers as a pass-catcher were surprising considering that the third-year back has just 27 career catches in 34 regular-season contests, but new offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael has suggested that Cook could see more usage as a receiver in 2026, and Davis might benefit from that wrinkle in the scheme as well when he's on the field.

Cook carried the ball five times for 21 yards in Saturday's 29-14 preseason win over the Panthers.

The reigning NFL rushing champ played the entire first quarter in the Bills' preseason opener, and Cook's longest gain was a 13-yard scamper that helped set up a Keon Coleman touchdown. Josh Allen remains the focal point of the offense, but Cook proved last season that he can rack up elite production as well, and the fifth-year RB could see more receiving work in 2026 as new offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael adds some wrinkles to Joe Brady's scheme.

Brooks carried the ball three times for five yards and caught his only target for nine yards in Saturday's 29-14 preseason loss to the Bills.

After sitting out Carolina's preseason opener last week in the Hall of Fame Game, Brooks got the start Saturday while Chuba Hubbard deals with a hamstring issue. Brooks didn't make much of an impact while playing the first three possessions, but the entire first-team offense struggled to move the ball. The first running back off the board in the 2024 draft has appeared in only three NFL games so far as injuries have ruined the start of his career, but the Panthers are confident he can still contribute. Rico Dowdle averaged 16.2 touches a game last season as Hubbard's main backfield partner, but that might be a lofty goal for Brooks' volume, assuming he's able to stay on the field in 2026.

McCaffrey (undisclosed) remained sidelined during practice Saturday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

The 49ers haven't yet offered much detail on McCaffrey's status aside from saying that he's dealing with "tightness." The star running back didn't play in the team's preseason opener versus Tennessee on Thursday, though San Francisco held out its other key starters as well. Offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said early in the week that the team is "just managing" McCaffrey through some soreness, and at this point there's no indication that he's at risk of not being ready for Week 1 of the regular season. Still, fantasy managers -- especially those who have upcoming drafts -- may be wise to keep an eye on the situation to monitor when McCaffrey is ready to return to the practice field.

Barkley isn't in uniform for Saturday's preseason game at Baltimore, Brooks Kubena of The Athletic reports.

WRs DeVonta Smith (hamstring), Makai Lemon (hamstring) and Johnny Wilson also aren't dressed for the preseason opener, but it appears that most of the rest of the Eagles' skill-position talents may be available Saturday. When it comes to the backfield, Tank Bigsby, Will Shipley, Carson Steele and Ja'Quinden Jackson currently are the healthy options. Barkley is coming off a subpar (for him) 2025 campaign in which he churned out 1,413 yards from scrimmage and nine total touchdowns on 317 touches in 16 regular-season games.

Estime went to the locker room due to an apparent leg injury during Saturday's preseason game against Jacksonville, John Hendrix of AthlonSports.com reports.

Estime was hurt when he was hit hard on a catch that went for a six-yard loss. The third-year tailback went to the injury tent and then tested things out on the sideline before heading into the locker room. It remains to be seen if Estime is dealing with anything serious, but he was having a good game prior to exiting, rushing five times for 28 yards and a touchdown. He's in the running to be the Saints' No. 3 RB behind Travis Etienne and Alvin Kamara.

The Patriots waived Jennings (undisclosed) from injured reserve with an injury settlement Saturday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Jennings' placement on injured reserve would have forced the 25-year-old running back to miss the entire 2026 season. However, the settlement allows him to sign and play with a team once fully healthy, and that includes a potential reunion with the Patriots later this season. Lan Larison and Jam Miller are locked into a competition for the Patriots' RB3 role behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson following Jennings' departure.