NFL Player News

Conner is in line to serve as the Steelers' lead back Week 2 against the Chiefs after Le'Veon Bell (contract dispute) failed to report to the team Wednesday ahead of its first practice of the week, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

In addition to his ongoing absence from the team, Bell was officially removed from the Steelers' unofficial depth chart Tuesday, suggesting Pittsburgh is preparing to proceed without the three-time Pro Bowler until further notice. That should pave the way for Conner to see another hefty three-down workload after he was on the field for all but seven of the Steelers' 84 offensive snaps in their season-opening 21-21 tie against the Browns, with the second-year player finishing with 192 total yards and two touchdowns on 36 touches (31 carries, five receptions). The other two running backs who were active in the Week 1 contest, Stevan Ridley and Jaylen Samuels, both logged zero offensive snaps.

Coach Pete Carroll said Chris Carson took the lead over Penny in the tailback battle, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.

Carroll went on to say Penny looked "rusty" after having just one full week of practice under his belt leading up to the season opener. Penny was simply outperformed, rushing for eight yards on seven carries while Carson produced 51 yards on as many chances. The Seahawks won't neglect Penny at this time, but the rookie first-round pick needs to prove himself soon in order to keep getting touches.

Martin rushed for 20 yards on four carries and caught two passes on as many targets for a loss of three yards in Monday's loss to the Rams.

Martin accounted for eight less touches than fellow backup running back Jalen Richard, who was heavily involved in the Raiders' aerial attack as he saw 11 targets from quarterback Derek Carr to go along with five carries. Marshawn Lynch led the backfield with 11 carries for 41 yards and a score, so Martin's fantasy value is still restrained to deeper leagues heading into a Week 2 matchup against the Broncos. Martin logged just 10 offensive snaps out of a possible 74 to open the season, compared to 37 for Richard and 27 for Lynch.

The Patriots signed Barner on Tuesday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Barner will likely play a depth role at running back, but is more likely to make an impact as a punt returner. While Patrick Chung is the current Patriot in that role, Barner could potentially get some looks.

Edmonds notched four carries for 24 yards and gathered in all four passes for another 24 yards during Sunday's 24-6 loss to the Redskins.

Edmonds didn't receive a touch until the game was out of hand in the second half, but among his 17 offensive snaps, he was utilized on nearly half of them, finishing third in yards from scrimmage behind Larry Fitzgerald and David Johnson. In a closer contest, Edmonds likely will be hard-pressed to wrench touches from the workhorse that is Johnson. No matter, Edmonds' pro debut is an encouraging sign for his potential in the event a bigger workload is presented to him.

Kelley took three carries for seven yards in Sunday's 24-6 win over the Cardinals.

Kelley played eight snaps on offense and nine on special teams, serving as the No. 3 running back behind Adrian Peterson and Chris Thompson. It isn't clear that Washington would turn to Kelly in the event of a Peterson injury, as Samaje Perine's inactive status theoretically could be attributed to his lack of value on special teams.

Williams rushed only once for no gain and played just seven offensive snaps in Week 1 against the Chargers.

Williams is slated to be the No. 3 back for the Chiefs this season, but it appears that won't result in much playing time behind both Kareem Hunt and Spencer Ware. Williams has proven to be a capable replacement should either of the two backs suffer an injury.

Anderson rushed seven times for 35 yards in Sunday's 16-8 win over the Cowboys.

Anderson played just 12 of 67 offensive snaps despite starting tailback Christian McCaffrey fumbling early on. It's clear McCaffrey will lead Carolina's rushing attack this season, with quarterback Cam Newton another dynamic runner himself. Knowing that, Anderson, a former starter with the Broncos, will likely have to settle for complementary touches with his new team. Although Anderson is especially useful in short-yard situations, fullback Alex Armah was called upon for a one-yard touchdown plunge late Sunday. That represented a missed opportunity for Anderson, but his pedigree and productivity should often make him the top alternative to McCaffrey and Newton on the ground.

Abdullah (coach's decision) is inactive for Monday's game against the Jets, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

The Lions will thus rely upon a trio of LeGarrette Blount, Kerryon Johnson and Theo Riddick to shoulder the workload out of the backfield. With Brandon Powell also a healthy scratch, look for Jamal Agnew to handle returns on both punts and kickoffs.

Rodgers carried twice for one yard and hauled in his only target for two yards in the Buccaneers' 48-40 win over the Saints on Sunday.

Although he was technically listed as the No. 2 running back behind Peyton Barber, Rodgers saw a scant workload over his 15 snaps. Game flow may have played a large part in Rodgers' minimal usage, as the passing game took center stage in the high-scoring affair. While Rodgers figures to see a bump in opportunity in subsequent games, that could certainly be affected by the status of second-round pick Ronald Jones II, who was inactive to open his pro career Sunday.