NFL Player News

With fellow running back Damien Williams having decided to opt out of the 2020 NFL season, Edwards-Helaire appears on track to see added touches in Kansas City's backfield, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports.

DeAndre Washington, Darrel Williams and Darwin Thompson are also in the mix for added reps, but Damien's absence leaves Edwards-Helaire -- whom the team selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft -- is the current favorite to head the team's rushing attack. That said, there's a chance the Chiefs might elect to add further depth and sign a veteran free agent to compete with Edwards-Helaire.

The Chiefs announced Wednesday that Williams will opt out of the 2020 season.

Several players have already chosen to opt out of the 2020 season, but no player's decision to date has as significant fantasy implications as Williams'. With Williams slated to be unavailable this season, rookie first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire is now on track to serve as the undisputed top running back in the Chiefs' high-powered offense.

Edwards signed his exclusive rights tender with the Ravens on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Edwards has impressed with his reps through two seasons, averaging 25.5 offensive snaps per game en route to consecutive 700-yard campaigns on the ground. Overall, he's averaged 5.3 YPC and earned 29 red-zone carries in 27 contests. The Ravens nonetheless nabbed J.K. Dobbins in the second round of April's draft, creating a three-headed monster with Justice Hill in the backfield behind starter Mark Ingram. Edwards' experience and production could help him remain in the RB rotation, but he may be hard-pressed to match his pro workload (10 carries per game) to date.

Cook reported to training camp Tuesday, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

Per Cronin, Cook arrived early in the day to get his first COVID-19 test. The running back will then presumably participate in the team's virtual meetings in the afternoon. Though Cook reported to camp on time, his contract issues have not been resolved, with Chad Graff of The Athletic noting that it remains unclear "how involved Cook will be in the actual on-field part of training camp if he remains without a new deal."

Conner intends to play this upcoming season, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

With fellow cancer survivor Marcus Cannon opting out of the 2020 season for New England, there'd been some speculation about Conner doing the same in Pittsburgh. The fourth-year pro intends to play out the final year of his rookie contract however, potentially looking at a big payday next spring if he can pull off a repeat of his 2018 breakout. After missing six full games and the majority of two others last season, Conner took some time to let his body rest and then focused on a healthier lifestyle that he hopes will help him stay on the field. Pelissero reports the running back is in "phenomenal" shape as the Steelers prepare for the start of training camp.

Bolden will opt out of the 2020 season, ESPN's Mike Reiss reports.

Bolden is one of five Patriots -- so far -- intending to skip the upcoming campaign. The 30-year-old running back has played 2,016 career snaps on special teams and only 806 on offense, so his absence won't demand much of an adjustment from offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

Vaughn has been placed on the Buccaneers' reserve/COVID-19 list, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

As Auman notes, the list "can reflect a positive test or close contact with someone who has, requiring quarantine." The Buccaneers selected Vaughn in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and the running back is viewed as a candidate to see a key complementary role in the team's backfield this coming season in tandem with returnee Ronald Jones.

The 49ers and Mostert have restructured his contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

In early July, Mostert requested a trade from 49ers, citing dissatisfaction with the three-year extension he signed last offseason. As the month went on, the two sides worked to amend the situation, and it appears the running back has scored a pay raise on what was a $2.58 million base salary for 2020, as intimated by Mostert's agent, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. Mostert enters the season after emerging as San Francisco's go-to back in the second half of 2019 and through the team's Super Bowl run. Overall, he led NFL running backs in YPC (5.6) while pacing the 49ers with 1,108 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground (including playoffs) last year. Despite his standing, Mostert is expected to yield some reps to Tevin Coleman and maybe even Jerick McKinnon on a weekly basis.

McKinnon's surgically repaired knee has responded well to strenuous workouts, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

After missing the past two seasons with knee injuries, McKinnon agreed to reduce his 2020 base salary from $6.5 million to $910,000. The new number gives him a much better shot to stick on the 53-man roster, though he will face some competition from Jeff Wilson and undrafted rookies JaMycal Hasty and Salvon Ahmed. Meanwhile, presumed lead back Raheem Mostert has submitted a trade request, apparently frustrated with a lack of progress toward his desired pay raise. The 49ers also have Tevin Coleman in the backfield, while Matt Breida was traded to Miami in April. The team should be able to work things out with Mostert, but if not, McKinnon could open training camp in the second spot on the depth chart.

Cooks' agent, Zac Hiller, refuted a report indicating that Cook told running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu he was planning to report to training camp Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Saturday has been a mess of miscommunication between Cook and the team through the media, which started with coach Mike Zimmer saying in the morning that Cook told him he would be reporting to camp Tuesday, which Hiller refuted later in the day. Another report indicated Cook relayed said information to Polamalu instead of Zimmer, which Hiller also says did not happen. Cook previously indicated he would hold out until he receives a "reasonable" extension, but Saturday's back and forth has been an unexpected curveball with training camp on the horizon. We'll find out Tuesday if Cook plans to follow through on the holdout.