NFL Player News

Ekeler sat out of Saturday's 24-14 preseason win over the Seahawks with a sore calf, Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com reports.

Williams added that coach Anthony Lynn said Ekeler could've played if it were a regular season game, meaning the Chargers were just practicing caution with their dual-threat running back. Ekeler had 47 carries for 260 yards and two touchdowns while hauling in 27 passes for 279 yards and three scores in his rookie campaign. He's the clear handcuff to Melvin Gordon.

Pumphrey (leg) won't practice this week or play in Thursday's preseason game against the Browns, Chris McPherson of the Eagles' official site reports.

Pumphrey is battling for the No. 4 RB role in Philly, so missing the first three preseason games leaves him with little relevant game film to prove his worth. If he can return for the final exhibition contest against the Jets, it'll be against their reserve defense and leave much to the imagination.

The knee injury Sims suffered Saturday against the Titans shouldn't jeopardize his Week 1 status, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Sims can help out in the Bucs' passing game to the point that he can make a ripple in PPR formats, but Peyton Barber and Ronald Jones II are ahead of him on the team's RB depth chart, a reality reflected by the trio's current ADPs. Sims still needs to fend off Jacquizz Rodgers and Shaun Wilson to lock down a role on passing downs.

Hill signed with the Packers on Sunday, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

With Jamaal Williams nursing a minor ankle injury, Hill was brought in along with LeShun Daniels for depth in the Packers' backfield. Hill suited up for five games over the last two seasons, rushing three times for nine yards.

Henry rushed three times for seven yards and secured his only target for seven yards in the Titans' 30-14 preseason loss to the Buccaneers on Saturday.

The second-year back saw limited action for the second straight week, matching his number of rushing touches from last week's opener against the Packers. Henry is slated for ample volume as the Titans' lead back during the coming season, so there's not much inclination on the part of head coach Mike Vrabel to overwork him during the exhibition slate. However, Henry should see an uptick in playing time during next Saturday night's "dress rehearsal" game against the Steelers in preparation for the regular-season opener.

Jones rushed four times for two yards and failed to come up with his only target in the Buccaneers' 30-14 preseason win over the Titans on Saturday.

For the second time in as many preseason games, Jones couldn't get much going on the ground, although he had the misfortune of seeing a seven-yard run called back due to an offensive holding call against tight end O.J. Howard. Jones logged time in the second and third quarters -- giving him plenty of reps against the Titans' second- and third-team defenders -- making his overall numbers particularly disappointing. Current starter Peyton Barber enjoyed significantly more success versus Tennessee's first-team defense, further widening the gulf between the two backs for the moment. Jones will look to put together his first solid game as a pro during next Friday's night's exhibition tilt against the Lions.

Mixon gained eight yards on four carries and caught his only target for a one-yard gain during Saturday's 21-13 preseason win over the Cowboys.

Mixon found the going extremely tough, contributing a long gain of four yards while totaling five yards on his other four touches. None of the other Bengals runners fared well either, so perhaps Mixon's struggles can be chalked up to a sound performance by an improved Dallas defensive unit. He figures to handle a sizable workload regardless of his preseason performance, but it would be reassuring for perspective fantasy owners to see him perform well in an exhibition contest. He'll likely get the opportunity to do so next week against the Bills before sitting out the final preseason contest.

Murray had six carries for 12 yards and fumbled twice (losing one) in Saturday's preseason loss to Jacksonville.

After an explosive performance in the first preseaon game (four carries for 48 yards), Murray struggled Saturday against a better defense. His fumbles likely are not a worry since he's never had a history of turnovers. His playing time early in the season will likely depend on whether the Vikings want to ease Dalvin Cook back into action after returning from an ACL injury.

Freeman rushed six times for 20 yards and one touchdown during Saturday's preseason game against the Bears.

Freeman continued to split first-team work with Devontae Booker, and the rookie continued to outshine his counterpart en route to Freeman's second rushing touchdown in as many games. It'll be interesting to see how the Broncos dole out snaps during the team's third preseason game next Friday against the Redskins, when the starting offense is expected to get it's longest run of the preseason before presumably sitting out the preseason finale.

Thomas had five carries for 25 yards in Saturday's preseason loss to Jacksonville. Meanwhile, Mike Boone had 13 carries for 91 yards and a touchdown.

The competition for the No. 3 RB role remains close. Thomas had the big game in the first preseason contests (eight carries for 29 yards and three receptions for 109 yards and two touchdowns), and Boone had a big outing in the second. Thomas still averaged five yards per carry and played later in the game with the second- and third-string offenses, so he held his own. The battle for the No. 3 role will likely be decided late in camp, and only Mack Brown has fallen behind due to a poor first game and missing the second game with an injury.