NFL Player News

Washington (undisclosed) wasn't present for the Lions' walkthrough Thursday, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.

The details behind Washington's absence aren't known, but it's likely he's dealing with an unspecified injury. If that's the case, Washington could be withheld from the Lions' second preseason game Friday against the Giants, denying the running back an opportunity to impress the coaching staff while he remains in a tight battle for a roster berth. Washington seems to be competing with LeGarrette Blount and Zach Zenner for one spot as a bigger, short-yardage back.

Mixon left Wednesday's practice early due to an undisclosed issue, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.

Per the report, as Mixon left the field, he "was walking slowly, but he wasn't limping or anything." The Bengals should soon issue another update indicating whether the running back is dealing with an injury or something more harmless, such as cramping.

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll relayed Wednesday that surgery to repair Penny's broken finger went "beautifully," Curtis Crabtree of Sports Radio 950 KJR Seattle reports.

Moreover, the running back's pointer finger on his left hand won't need to be encased by a cast, per Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. With that in mind, the Seahawks believe that Penny can be ready for the start of the regular season. In the meantime, Chris Carson profiles as Seattle's top back, but given the draft capital invested in Penny -- he was the 27th overall pick this past April -- it's suspected the rookie will have an opportunity to immediately contribute upon his return. If Penny ends up becoming the hot hand in the team's backfield, it's not hard to imagine him overtaking Carson.

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said he doesn't know if Cook (knee) will play in Saturday's preseason game against Jacksonville, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Despite making it back for parts of the offseason program and the start of training camp, Cook is being managed carefully leading up to Week 1. Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune relays that he doesn't expect the running back to play in Saturday's exhibition, and Cook has already acknowledged that he isn't sure if the Vikings will let him play at any point this preseason. The second-year back still seems to be on track for Minnesota's regular-season opener against the 49ers on Sept. 9, at which point he'll be more than 11 months removed from the ACL tear he suffered last year.

McNichols has been the first running back through every drill at Wednesday's practice, suggesting he could get the start in Saturday's preseason game against Houston, Matt Barrows of The Athletic Bay Area reports.

With Matt Breida (shoulder) and Jerick McKinnon (calf) likely to miss the rest of the preseason, the 49ers signed Alfred Morris to compete with McNichols, Raheem Mostert, Joe Williams and Jeffery Wilson. Mostert's value on special teams probably gives him the best overall odds to earn a roster spot, but McNichols, Williams and Morris all offer more potential on the offensive side. After taking three carries for 15 yards and a touchdown in last week's preseason opener, McNichols appears to be in line for some work with first-team offense Saturday.

Penny (finger) is expected to be back to full strength ahead of the Seahawks' Week 1 matchup with the Broncos, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

After breaking his finger during Monday's practice, Penny flew to Philadelphia to have surgery Wednesday. A previous report put his recovery timeline at 3-to-4 weeks, with the surgery taking place 25 days before the Sept. 9 season opener. Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano reportedly only needed three weeks to make a full recovery from the same procedure earlier this year, though he didn't actually return to MLB game action because he was suspended at the time. While Penny may be back for the beginning of the regular season, his absence for the rest of the preseason likely kills any chance he might have had to unseat Chris Carson for the starting job in Week 1. The two running backs are still likely to battle for carries throughout the campaign.

Rogers has been signed by Buffalo, Chris Brown of the Bills' official site reports.

The 2017 sixth-round pick of the Rams, who spent the season on the team's practice squad, has little chance of making Buffalo's final squad unless starting fullback Patrick DiMarco were to get injured.

Penny will have surgery Wednesday to repair a broken finger, with his recovery timeline estimated at 3-to-4 weeks, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

This timeline will take Penny right up to the regular-season opener against the Broncos on Sept. 9. Without any solid preseason film -- the Seahawks are most concerned about his pass-blocking skills -- Penny has all but lost his chance to be the Week 1 starter. The rookie first-round pick should still have the No. 2 job behind Chris Carson, with a chance to surpass him as the year rolls on.

Oliver (hamstring) didn't practice Tuesday, Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis reports.

After spending four seasons with the Chargers, Oliver was brought aboard to fight for a depth role with the Colts. He's a long shot to make the roster, as he's seen his yards per carry slip each year, finishing with 2.4 YPC in 2017.

Penny has a hand injury that includes a broken finger, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

The Seahawks were clearly high on Penny being their backfield staple after picking him in the first round of this year's draft. The last week has been rough for Penny, however, as he logged eight carries for 16 yards in his preseason debut and suffered this injury during Monday's practice. Chris Carson already seemed to have an advantage in a battle for the starting job, and his prospects only improve with Penny now uncertain for Week 1.