NFL Player News

Mack's main personal goals for the season are to stay healthy and reach 1,000 yards rushing, Jim Ayello of The Indianapolis Star reports. "I'll keep it brutally honest," Mack said. "I want to stay healthy. That's the big one. My health is my future. Stay healthy and just going out there and get over 1,000 yards this year and help this team win.

He shouldn't have too much trouble with the second goal if he achieves the first, considering he averaged 16.3 carries for 75.7 yards in 12 regular-season games last year, later adding a 33-194-1 rushing line in two playoff appearances. Touchdowns may be harder to come by with Andrew Luck retired, but rushing volume won't be an issue if the Colts stay competitive. Mack will open his season with a Sunday road matchup against the Chargers.

Williams (ribs) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Chargers.

Williams was held out of practice all week while recovering from a broken rib he suffered in the team's second preseason game, so his absence doesn't come as much of a surprise. Jordan Wilkins (ankle) is considered questionable and would be the No. 3 back for the Colts if active for Week 1.

Though listed as full practice participant Friday, Wilkins (ankle) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Chargers.

The fact that he practiced fully Friday suggests that Wilkins has a decent shot to play this weekend, but at this stage he's not really a fantasy option, given that he works behind both Indy starter Marlon Mack and top change-of-pace back Nyheim Hines.

Singletary is an option in the return game for Week 1 with teammate Andre Roberts already being ruled out. "We've got some options there," coach Sean McDermott told the Bills' official site. "Whether it's (Robert) Foster, Devin Singletary, (Isaiah) McKenzie, (Micah) Hyde. We've got some guys who have some experience there."

Singletary may have the best moves of all those candidates, but the Bills may also be hesitant to put a rookie back there, one that didn't have a return in the preseason -- or since his freshman year in college, for that matter. He remains a true wild-card upside play until the offense sorts itself, as the Bills say they're rolling out a committee to start between Singletary, Frank Gore and T.J. Yeldon. Singletary has by far the most upside of the three backs, so if he can get past the inexperience issue and prove he can block, he could be seeing a meaningful number of carries quickly.

Williams (foot) is thought to be a week or two away from returning to action, Tyler Dragon of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Look for the rookie running back to be officially ruled out for Sunday's season opener against the Seahawks once the Bengals' final Week 1 injury report is released later Friday. Even when he's available, however, Williams figures to initially slot in behind Joe Mixon, Giovani Bernard and Samaje Perine.

Williams had five carries for zero yards and two receptions for 15 yards in Thursday's victory over the Bears.

Williams and Aaron Jones were the only two active running backs for the Packers on Thursday, and they shared the backfield duties to some degree, with Jones tallying 14 touches while playing 59 percent of the snaps and Williams getting seven touches while being on the field for 41 percent of the plays. Those splits make it clear Jones is still the top back in Green Bay, but they do show that Williams will have a role as well. Just how much work each back receives on a weekly basis could be fluid, though, based on the fluctuations in snap counts when Jones and Williams split the running back duties between Weeks 9-14 a year ago.

Patterson caught one pass for three yards while losing two yards on his lone carry in Chicago's 10-3 loss to Green Bay on Thursday.

Patterson was the only running back on the field on a third down and short, and surprisingly, he was given the ball on an inside run, which is not considered to be his area of strength. He also was used in three-receiver packages when the Bears were trying to mount a late comeback, but his opportunities turned into very little production. It's unlikely he sees enough regular touches to be a serious fantasy factor as the season goes on, though he'll have elevated fantasy value in leagues that include points for kick-return yardage.

Clement will mix into the passing game when matchups dictate, Mike Kaye of NJ.com reports.

Clement almost certainly won't see the same volume as Jordan Howard or Miles Sanders, but it sounds like he will be involved, and coach Doug Pederson has been known to ride the hot hand. At the start of the season, the 24-year-old will mix in behind those latter two backs and alongside veteran Darren Sproles. The undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin has averaged 447.5 total yards and four touchdowns over his two NFL seasons and projects similarly this year.

Montgomery rushed six times for 18 yards and brought in his only target for 27 yards in the Bears' 10-3 loss to the Packers on Thursday.

The rookie's much-anticipated regular-season debut left much to be desired in terms of his final line, but the blame could hardly be placed at the talented feet of Montgomery. The Iowa State product ran decisively on his few carries despite dealing with stacked fronts, showing off the tackle-breaking acumen that became a signature during his college career. Montgomery also displayed his ability in space on his 27-yard reception in the third quarter that took the ball down to the Packers' 33-yard line. Naturally, Montgomery's seven-touch workload was far from what coach Matt Nagy would have envisioned going into the contest, so getting the 2019 third-round pick into a rhythm early is likely to be a priority in the Bears' Week 2 matchup against the Broncos a week from Sunday.

Jones rushed 13 times for 39 yards and brought in his only target for no gain in the Packers' 10-3 win over the Bears on Thursday.

Like all of the running backs on either squad, Jones put together an inefficient performance on the ground overall. However, the third-year pro did find a couple of lanes in the second half, gaining 15 of his yards on the night on back-to-back carries to open a third-quarter series. Otherwise, Jones' quiet effort was a microcosm of the generally poor offensive environment during the contest, and he'll look to boost his production in a Week 2 battle against Vikings a week from Sunday.