NFL Player News

Freeman was unable to pick up any yardage on his one rush attempt, but he did collect 12 receiving yards on his lone catch during Monday's 16-14 loss to the Titans.

Freeman was tackled just shy of the end zone on his fourth-quarter reception. The Broncos tried to dial up a goal-line touchdown run for Freeman on the subsequent play, but he was stopped for no gain before Melvin Gordon eventually punched in Denver's second TD of the night. Phillip Lindsay is set to undergo an MRI on what is believed to be a mild case of turf toe developed during Monday's game, but if he is inactive or limited Week 2, Freeman may see an uptick in usage against a Steelers defense that held Giants backs to an incredibly low seven rushing yards on 16 carries in its season debut.

Sanders (hamstring) will have his workload increased in practice this week, Vaughn Washington of the Eagles' official site reports.

Nearly a month has passed since the injury originally surfaced, but Sanders didn't recover as quickly as the team hoped and was forced to sit out of the Eagles' Week 1 loss to Washington. It sounds as if he has an increasingly good shot to suit up for Week 2, however, albeit with an uncertain workload coming off the injury.

Murray collected 48 rushing yards on 15 carries during Sunday's 34-23 win against the Buccaneers.

In a matchup against the No. 1 rush defense from 2019, Murray handled 53.6 percent of New Orleans' running back carries while establishing a 3.2 YPC. Though that would be a wildly inefficient clip most days, Murray was clearly a more effective rusher than Alvin Kamara on Sunday, as the three-time Pro Bowler averaged just 1.3 yards per carry in comparison. Kamara compensated in the passing game, however, with five catches for 51 yards and a touchdown (in addition to his rushing TD), while Murray had no receptions on one target. Murray will continue to be utilized as a between-the-tackles option Week 2, when the Saints travel to take on a Raiders defense that surrendered 128 rushing yards and two rushing scores to Carolina in its season debut.

Huntley gained one yard on his lone carry in Sunday's 27-17 loss to Washington.

Even though Miles Sanders was out with a hamstring injury, Huntley only got on the field for one play as Boston Scott and Corey Clement handled the vast majority of the work in the Eagles backfield. If Sanders is able to return for Week 2, the rookie is even less likely to see action.

Coach Anthony Lynn suggested Ekeler could see his pass-catching opportunities limited thanks to the team's new offensive scheme, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Lynn more or less reinforced what occurred Sunday, which saw the offense trade quick and concise checkdowns to the running back for more pocket-moving maneuvers and additional pass protection. It's hard to imagine any offensive scheme that limits last year's near 1,000-yard receiver is a particularly good one, but Lynn did make it a point to say he still wants to give the shifty back touches. It's true that Ekeler carried the ball 19 times and was largely effective in that capacity, but Ekeler's fantasy value is much more reliant on what he can do as a receiver as opposed to runner. Of course, that offensive scheme might go completely out the window in obvious passing situations, which could occur as soon as Week 2 against a potent Chiefs offense. Either way, it's definitely something to monitor regarding Ekeler's fantasy value throughout 2020.

Conner is believed to have avoided a high-ankle sprain in the Steelers' 26-16 win over the Giants on Monday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

The Steelers will send Conner in for further evaluation Tuesday, but Adam Schefter of ESPN relays that the team is "optimistic for a timely return" from the 25-year-old. Coach Mike Tomlin expressed similar positivity about Conner's situation when he met with the media Tuesday, saying the Steelers would "leave the light on" for the running back to potentially play Week 2 against the Broncos, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. In the event Conner is sidelined this weekend, Benny Snell would presumably step in to start while handling the lion's share of the carries out of the backfield. Snell took advantage of Conner's early exit Monday to rack up 113 yards on 19 totes.

Gordon ran for 78 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries while losing one fumble during Monday's 16-14 loss to the Titans. He also caught all three of his targets for eight receiving yards during the contest.

Gordon's fumble came deep in Denver's own end early in the second quarter, and the Titans cashed in five plays later with a touchdown to knot the score at 7-7. The 27-year-old back is, unfortunately, no stranger to fumbles, with five balls coughed up over his past 13 regular-season appearances. Gordon didn't have much competition for touches in Week 1, as Phillip Lindsay was forced to exit the game with a foot injury after fielding just seven carries. Lindsay's status for Week 2 remains uncertain, but if he were limited or inactive, Gordon would be in line for an even greater share of the running back workload against the Steelers' stout front seven.

Henry ran for 116 yards on 31 carries while hauling in all three of his targets for 15 yards during Monday's 16-14 win against the Broncos.

The 2019 NFL rushing champion did not have his most efficient showing on the ground Monday night, grinding his way to 3.7 yards per carry on a massive workload, but he did pick up five first-down gains during the contest. His pass-catching upside was higher than usual in the opener, as Henry's three receptions tied his season high from 18 regular-season and playoff games during 2019. Coming up in Week 2, Henry will face a Jaguars defense against which he accumulated 203 rushing yards and three rushing scores in two matchups last season.

Conner suffered a sprained ankle in Monday's game versus the Giants but the team believes he may return quickly, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Conner will be examined Tuesday to get a full picture of the extent of his issue, but the initial diagnosis seems favorable. Benny Snell and Jaylen Samuels handled the backfield duties after Conner's early exit Monday and would be in line for extra work in Week 2 should Conner be unavailable. Before leaving, Conner finished with nine yards on six carries to go with two receptions for eight yards.

Snell finished with 19 rushes for a career-high 113 yards in Monday night's 26-16 win over the Giants.

Snell was thrust into a larger role after starting tailback James Conner exited with an ankle injury during the second quarter. With Conner staying sidelined for the remainder of Monday's game, Snell ran with purpose and was rewarded with the second-most single-game carries of his young career. Although he was lucky to not lose a fumble in the third quarter, the 2019 fourth-rounder flashed his upside should Conner's availability be impacted going forward. That situation figures to be rather worthwhile to monitor in the coming week, but Snell's stock is nonetheless on the rise in advance of Week 2's home date with the Broncos.