NFL Player News

Artis-Payne rushed five times for 70 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's preseason game against the Titans.

Artis-Payne's total included a team-long run of 43 yards. Overall, that production should help Artis-Payne's case to earn a roster spot, although Fozzy Whittaker remains a formidable competitor for the third-string gig behind Jonathan Stewart and Christian McCaffrey.

Drake remains under the NFL's concussion protocol, but he was allowed to practice Monday, Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.

Drake has been under evaluation since taking a head-to-head hit in an Aug. 14 practice. Although he's yet to receive full clearance, the tailback's participation in drills Monday suggests it may not be long before he takes part in game action. It remains to be seen whether he'll be given the green light to suit up in Thursday's preseason game against the Eagles, however.

Murray (ankle) returned to practice Sunday and stood out in red-zone drills, Mark Craig of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "He saw the cut that he had to make and he lowered his pads and accelerated into the tackler, which I thought was good," head coach Mike Zimmer said.

Murray hasn't played in a preseason game as he works his way back from offseason ankle surgery. While Dalvin Cook has likely won the starting running back job with an impressive preseason, Murray could still have a goal-line and third-down role.

Fowler (thigh) could return to action as soon as this week, Jason Wolf of The Tennessean reports.

The Titans initially thought Fowler's injury was much more significant, but following a medical analysis of his bruised thigh it seems like he'll be back sooner than anticipated. As it currently stands, Fowler projects to be the team's starter for the season opener, but there's still work to be had for the 27-year-old out of Alabama.

Barner (concussion) returned to action during Sunday's preseason loss to the Saints, Eric Williams of ESPN.com reports.

Despite practicing in a limited fashion Thursday, Barner wasn't a candidate to play in preseason Week 2 in the mind of head coach Anthony Lynn on Friday. That said, Barner clearly passed through the final steps of the concussion protocol in the meantime. His performance Sunday was lacking, as evidenced by three carries for minus-one yard and no receptions on one target. His return coincided with RB Kenneth Farrow suffering an ankle injury, though, so the door could be ajar for one of the final spots on the 53-man roster.

Rodgers carried three times for four yards and secured his sole target for two yards in Thursday's 12-8 preseason win over the Jaguars.

Rodgers saw 16 snaps in the contest, but he couldn't get anything going on the ground on his three rushing touches. While his playing time compared favorably with that of Doug Martin (16 snaps) and Charles Sims (13 snaps), Rodgers saw both players outpace him in rushing yardage, although the latter did so by only two yards. Rodgers is still projected to garner at least a slim majority of the work on first and second down while Martin serves out his suspension over the first three games of the season, but Jeremy McNichols (11 rushes, 32 yards) and even Peyton Barber (nine rushes, 42 yards) could push him for playing time if they continue trending upward as well.

Kamara rushed for 61 yards and a touchdown on five carries and added a 22-yard catch in Sunday's preseason contest against the Chargers.

Kamara didn't take long to remind the crowd in Los Angeles why he was hyped coming into the draft, galloping for a 50-yard score in the game's opening minutes. The third-round pick is in an unenviable spot stuck behind established veterans Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson, but if any coach knows how to mix and match running backs of differing skill sets, it's Sean Payton. Kamara might not be a huge factor early on the ground, but his receiving ability could well yield some big plays.

Conner rushed for 98 yards on 20 carries and caught a three-yard pass in Sunday's preseason loss to Atlanta.

Conner's Cinderella story took him to his preseason debut on Sunday and he didn't disappoint. With Le'Veon Bell's contract situation and injury history -- and DeAngelo Williams out of town -- Pittsburgh's backup running back situation is certainly worth monitoring. Conner's performance on Sunday provided reason for optimism, implying there may be hope beyond lackluster options such as Fitzgerald Toussaint. Conner carries plenty of upside, having averaged over five yards per carry in each of his four seasons at Pitt, an impressive feat for a 235-pound power back.

Hicks was waived by the Buccaneers on Sunday.

Hicks was waived after Tampa Bay signed cornerback Mariel Cooper. The Georgia product has a chance to latch on elsewhere but the clock is ticking.

Williams was waived by the Bengals on Sunday.

Though some thought the Bengals found themselves a gem when they signed Williams (who was given a fifth-round grade by ESPN's Mel Kiper) as an undrafted free agent, the rookie always faced long odds of making a roster that already included Jeremy Hill, Giovani Bernard, Joe Mixon and special-teams ace Cedric Peerman. He's now free to sign elsewhere.