NFL Player News

Freeman will not play in Thursday's preseason finale against the Cardinals, Kyle Fredrickson of The Denver Post reports.

Freeman, who will finish his first preseason having carried 15 times for 84 yards and three touchdowns over three games, will rest in advance of the Sep. 9 regular season opener. The rookie running back has been a major bright spot for the Broncos in training camp, and while it looks like he will be splitting work with Devontae Booker to start the year, more performances like the ones he has put forth this preseason would earn him a lion's share of the backfield soon enough.

Michael (concussion) was cleared to return to Thursday's preseason contest at Cincinnati, Andrew Walker of the Colts' official site reports.

Initially ruled out with a concussion, Michael was in fact under evaluation for a head injury and didn't exhibit any symptoms. His night may be over, though, if the Colts' medical staff opts for caution. During the lengthy absence of Marlon Mack (hamstring), Michael was impressing in both practices and games, seemingly locking down a 53-man roster spot in the process. Roster cuts on Saturday ultimately will determine if Michael has found a home.

Michael has been ruled out of Thursday's preseason game in Cincinnati due to a concussion, Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis reports.

Michael had taken advantage of injuries in front of him on the Colts' depth chart, namely to Marlon Mack (hamstring). The momentum continued Thursday, when Michael racked up five carries for 41 yards before his departure. Michael likely has done enough to secure a spot on the 53-man roster along with Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines, but a concussion leaves his next appearance in question.

Chubb took five carries for 30 yards and a touchdown in Thursday's preseason game against Detroit.

With Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson predictably held out, Chubb got the start and saw all his work on the opening drive before handing things over to Matt Dayes. The rookie second-round pick bounced back strong after opening the preseason with a 15-carry, 11-yard performance, taking 30 carries for 129 yards and two TDs over the final three games. Chubb will enter Week 1 in the third spot on the depth chart, but he's next in line to serve as the lead runner if Hyde gets injured or demoted.

Zenner (back) has been ruled out of Thursday's preseason game versus the Browns, Justin Rogers of The Detroit News reports.

With a roster spot on the line, Zenner was knocked from the contest due to a back injury, finishing exhibition season with nine carries for 16 yards and one reception for 11 yards. Thursday's development may have been enough to determine his fate in his competition with Ameer Abdullah and Dwayne Washington (undisclosed).

Zenner is questionable to return to Thursday's preseason game against the Browns due to a back injury, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports.

Zenner is firmly on the roster bubble along with fellow Lions running backs Ameer Abdullah and Dwayne Washington (undisclosed). Through three exhibitions, Zenner boasted a dismal 17 yards on eight carries (2.1 per) and one 11-yard catch. Before picking up the injury Thursday, he didn't help his cause, taking one rush for minus-one yard and failing to haul in his only target. With perhaps one opening on the line, he'll play the waiting game until Saturday's 4:00 p.m. ET cut-down date.

The Buccaneers have waived Sims (knee) with an injury settlement, the team's official site reports.

With Sims no longer in the mix, the Bucs' 2018 backfield will be headed by Peyton Barber, Jacquizz Rodgers and Ronald Jones. Once Sims is healthy, he'll be free to catch on with another team, and in the right context it's conceivable that the 27-year-old could re-surface on the PPR radar.

Mack (hamstring) "might come down to the wire" for Week 1, according to Andrew Walker of the Colts' official site.

The running back suffered his hamstring injury back on Aug. 9 and though he's made "good progress," per coach Frank Reich, Mack's Week 1 availability is not considered a slam dunk. In the event that he isn't ready for the Colts' Sept. 9 contest against the Bengals, Jordan Wilkins profiles as the frontrunner to start in his place.

Penny will have the cast removed from his broken finger Wednesday, keeping him on track to suit up for the season opener Sept. 9 in Denver, Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Given that his injury allows for normal running and conditioning, Penny probably doesn't need to get much work in during full-team practice sessions before he's cleared for game action. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has even said the rookie could play in Thursday's preseason contest against Oakland, and while that seems rather far-fetched, it can at least be taken as a sign that Penny is making good progress. The situation will still require close monitoring in the coming days, as Penny is only two weeks removed from a surgical procedure that carried an initial recovery estimate of 3-to-4 weeks. Either way, Chris Carson is expected get the Week 1 start and will be the safer bet to lead the team in carries in that contest.

Breida (shoulder) did conditioning drills in full uniform at Tuesday's practice, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

The same goes for Jerick McKinnon (calf), the team's projected starter in the backfield. Despite missing most of the preseason, Breida is locked in as the No. 2 back and has potential to see consistent involvement in an up-tempo Kyle Shanahan offense that distributed 351 carries and 123 targets to tailbacks in a 10-loss campaign in 2017. A more competitive team would likely yield even more touches for the backs, and there hasn't been any indication of reserve runners Alfred Morris or Jeremy McNichols posing serious threats to McKinnon and Breida. On a more pessimistic note, San Francisco opens the regular season with a nightmare Week 1 matchup in Minnesota.