NFL Player News

Both Mixon and Giovani Bernard will be available for Thursday's preseason game, but it's uncertain whether they'll play, Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com reports.

There's no injury here, but there's some line of thought that coach Zac Taylor, much like his former boss Sean McVay in Los Angeles, would prefer not to use his top running backs much if at all in the preseason.

Barner (undisclosed) did not practice Tuesday, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Barner suffered an undisclosed injury during the latter portions of Monday's practice and has yet to retake the field. A timetable for his return isn't known. As long as Barner remains sidelined, Brian Hill and Tony Brooks-James stand to see increased opportunities.

Coach Brian Flores hopes to see Drake (lower body) back at practice Wednesday, Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post reports.

Drake sustained what appeared to be a lower-body injury at Tuesday's practice, but it seems as though the issue is not a major concern. That notion would be reinforced by a quick return to practice on his part, come Wednesday.

Williams looked sharp at Tuesday's practice, with his workload including goal-line carries, Brooke Pryor of The Kansas City Star reports.

Rookie sixth-round pick Darwin Thompson was the only other running back to get work in goal-line drills, and Brandon Kiley of 610 Sports Radio reports that Williams got the vast majority of reps with the starting offense. Williams also took the first snap at Monday's practice, stepping right in as the No. 1 back after missing two weeks with a hamstring injury. Coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy both made multiple offseason comments supporting Williams as their starter, with Bieniemy reinforcing the sentiment Aug. 4 when the 27-year-old was still on the shelf, per Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star. "Obviously he's the starter," Bieniemy said. "We need to make sure that Damien continues to do the things he needs to do in order to help him be ready when called upon. But right now we're not worried about him."

Jones took part in 11-on-11 drills Tuesday, the first time he's done so since missing some action due to hamstring tightness, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Jones, who sits atop the Packers' running back depth chart, is thus getting back into gear, while top backup Jamaal Williams continues to deal with a hamstring issue of his own. It's unclear if Jones will see action in Thursday's preseason game against the Ravens, but if he sits that contest out, we'd expect him to see some reps in Green Bay's third exhibition tilt, barring any setbacks.

General manager Tom Telesco said the Chargers have maintained contact with Gordon's representatives, Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com reports.

Both sides remain open to an extension, but the Chargers don't want to budge too far from their offer of approximately $10 million per season, while Gordon presumably wants something closer to the range of Todd Gurley, Le'Veon Bell and David Johnson ($13+ million per year with more than $20 million guaranteed). Gordon's trade request hints at a lack of confidence in the two sides bridging the gap, though he could soften his stance given that there's no obvious partner for a trade. His agents said in July that the running back will consider sitting out regular-season games if he doesn't get his desired contract.

Drake left Tuesday's practice with a trainer at his side, Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald reports.

Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports Drake was limping off the field before he left for the locker room. The 25-year-old otherwise has been healthy throughout training camp, and he took four carries for 12 yards in a preseason win over the Falcons last Thursday. Backfield mate Kallen Ballage had a 6-23-1 rushing line in the contest, but he was held without a catch on two targets.

Thomas (suspension) reverted to the Jaguars' injured reserve after clearing waivers Sunday, according to the NFL's official transaction log.

Thomas signed a contract with the Jaguars earlier this month after having been let go by Minnesota and will now spend the remainder of the season on IR barring an injury settlement. The second-year running back is also facing a three-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

Bohanon signed a contract with the Packers on Monday.

Bohanon's spot on the roster coincides with Danny Vitale (calf) and Malcolm Johnson (groin) both nursing injuries. As the lone healthy fullback on the Packers' roster, at least for the time being, Bohanon stands to see immediate reps in practice.

Kevin Duffy of the Boston Herald notes that "we've seen very little from Harris this summer. Just not getting many reps." The running back did not play in this past Thursday's preseason opener against the Lions.

Duffy adds that it's "pretty clear that Sony (Michel) is the No. 1 RB right now." That's a reasonable assumption, but given Michel's history of knee issues, it's not hard to imagine a scenario in which Harris has a chance to make a fantasy splash as the upcoming season rolls along. The 2019 third-rounder has, at times, impressed with his running between the tackles in training camp practices, so it's possible that Harris could see some action in short-yardage situations early on, even when Michel is available. In any case, the Alabama product is a roster lock and still a player to keep an eye on, considering the often unpredictable carry distribution seen in New England's backfield.