NFL Player News

Patterson (knee) is expected to play Sunday against the Lions, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.

His versatility and return skills are an asset to the Bears, but with running back David Montgomery (groin) also in line to play in Week 1, Patterson, who can take snaps out of the backfield in a pinch, doesn't have a clear path to a high volume of touches.

Montgomery (groin) is expected to be active and receive a full workload in Sunday's season opener against the Lions, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.

This anticipated outcome was foreshadowed by Montgomery's full participation in practice Friday. It's still worth confirming the running back's availability for Sunday's 1:00 ET kickoff, but in the absence of any setbacks, Montgomery is line to head the Bears' Week 1 backfield, with Tarik Cohen and Ryan Nall in reserve.

Clement is slated for an increased role in Sunday's game versus Washington following news that Miles Sanders (hamstring) has been ruled out, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Boston Scott is expected to be the main beneficiary of Sanders' absence, but Clement should garner a decent amount of touches as well. While the 25-year-old running back barely played last year, he's been a formidable depth option and has averaged 4.1 yards per carry in his career while displaying solid pass-catching abilities. He's worth fantasy consideration in deeper formats.

Williams was promoted to the active roster Saturday.

Williams was cut by the Lions late in training camp but re-joined the team's practice squad. He's now on the 55-man active roster but isn't likely to have much of a role given the depth of the Lions' backfield.

Scott is expected to see a major uptick in snaps after Miles Sanders (hamstring) was ruled out ahead of Sunday's game, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The last time Scott sat atop Philadelphia's depth chart, the 25-year-old recorded 23 total touches, 138 total yards and three touchdowns in last year's Week 16 win over the Giants. While Scott will at least have Corey Clement and Jason Huntley to split some snaps with this time, it's entirely possible the backup could see a similar workload with Sanders set to miss Sunday's game. Washington's front four could pose some problems for Scott on between-the-tackles runs, but his ability to be a difference maker out of the backfield could make for a trendy play in PPR formats.

Sanders (hamstring) will not make the trip to Washington and is out for Sunday's game, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Sanders missed much of the later stages of training camp due to a hamstring injury, and after being called "day-to-day" Wednesday by coach Doug Pederson, the running back proceeded to log three consecutive limited practices. However, the Eagles have decided to play it safe and hold him out this week. Pederson will turn to some combination of Boston Scott, Corey Clement (quadriceps) and Jason Huntley to pick up the slack in the Philly backfield.

Evans (hamstring) will not play Monday against the Broncos, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Evans was a limited participant in practice all week but the Titans evidently didn't feel comfortable with Evans as the primary backup to Derrick Henry. Senorise Perry will act in the capacity Monday, although it's possible the Titans could also bring up a running back from the practice squad to provide depth. The team has until Monday to make that roster decision.

Kamara signed a five-year, $75 million extension Saturday which includes just over $34 million in guarantees, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The move comes only moments after Vikings running back Dalvin Cook reportedly agreed to a five-year extension in the range of $62 million. It's a massive windfall for Kamara given the running back market in past seasons, though with a number of major backs already locked into new deals, it makes sense that the Saints were so aggressive in re-signing their star running back. Kamara missed multiple practices during the latter stages of training camp with a minor back issue, one which was reportedly perceived as a holdout of sorts, but that was quickly denied by the running back, according to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Expect the newly minted $75 million man to be a major fantasy asset Week 1 in a major divisional tilt against the Buccaneers.

Cook came to terms Saturday with the Vikings on a five-year, $63 million contract extension, which includes $28 million guaranteed, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

With Cook signed to an extension, there's no longer any risk that he'll hold out this season. Cook now looks set to be the main running back in the Minnesota backfield for this season and beyond. With his contract situation resolved, Cook will turn his focus to the Vikings' season-opening matchup with Green Bay on Sunday. He had a career-high 154 rushing yards in his lone outing against the Packers in 2019, breaking free for a 75-yard touchdown in the Week 2 loss.

McKinnon could be in line for primary backup duties behind Raheem Mostert if Tevin Coleman (health concern) is held out due to poor air conditions against the Cardinals on Sunday.

Coleman has sickle cell trait, which puts him at increased risk for contracting breathing problems in unhealthy air conditions like the current one in Santa Clara. The air quality index (AQI) sat between 150-200 Friday at Levi's Stadium, which is extremely poor for even a healthy human. Assuming the game doesn't get postponed, McKinnon would stand to benefit the most if Coleman is held out of the contest. Head coach Kyle Shanahan routinely uses a tandem backfield approach, so whichever player backs up Raheem Mostert should see touches in the low double-digits. McKinnon hasn't logged an official snap since signing a big free-agent contract with San Francisco in 2018, but the 28-year-old could flourish in Shanahan's zone-run scheme that utilizes speedy backs who can catch. Expect a final decision on Coleman's status between now and kickoff Sunday.