NFL Player News

Pumphrey will miss Tuesday's practice with a hamstring injury, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Pumphrey has been mixing in with the first-team offense dating back to the offseason program, with the Eagles apparently impressed by his receiving ability. It seems he could enter Week 1 with a real role, though he's unlikely to surpass Darren Sproles as the primary pass-catching back. Pumphrey's strong offseason and start to training camp could make it tough for Wendell Smallwood to earn a role.

McNichols could see some extra opportunities during the first three weeks of the regular season while Doug Martin serves a suspension, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

General manager Jason Licht's recent comments that the Bucs are leaning toward a committee approach while Martin is sidelined is good news for McNichols, who will still have to prove himself in training camp that he's ready to take on some responsibilities in the run game right away. The 21-year-old rookie has drawn a number of comparisons to Martin, and his pass-catching acumen could potentially allow him to vulture some snaps from Charles Sims if he can prove adequate in protection.

Sims is likely to see a slight boost in snaps during the first three games of the regular season while Doug Martin finishes serving his suspension, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

General manager Jason Licht commented that the Bucs are leaning toward taking a committee approach at running back for the first three weeks of the season, meaning Sims could be in for added touches along with the likes of Jacquizz Rodgers and fifth-round pick Jeremy McNichols. Sims is primarily renowned for his pass-catching prowess, though he did log double-digit carries in Weeks 3 and 4 last season when Martin was sidelined with a hamstring injury. Coach Dirk Koetter has emphasized that Sims' pass-blocking skills are another trait that makes him particularly valuable on third downs, but with the team apparently striving for a true timeshare in the backfield while Martin is out, the fourth-year back projects for slightly more work than usual as a runner on first and second down as well.

Hightower picked up the first snap at running back during Monday's practice, Cam Inman of The Mercury News reports.

With Carlos Hyde just more than seven months removed from a torn MCL, the 49ers coaching staff could be doing their due diligence with the running back, who arrived at training camp in "tremendous" shape, according to general manager John Lynch. However, in addition to getting superseded by Hightower in Monday's practice, Hyde also fumbled on a toss play. Contrary to popular opinion, the competition between Hyde and Hightower is closer than initially expected, but in-game performances in the preseason may actually hold more weight in the end.

Conner (shoulder), who was evaluated Monday at a Pittsburgh hospital, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, was spotted sporting a sling on his left arm by Dave Lolley of the Washington Observer-Reporter.

While the Steelers have not outlined a timetable for Conner's return, the sling probably points more to a week-to-week scenario than a day-to-day concern. Any time Conner (who had impressed with his work early on) misses is a lost opportunity, given that top back Le'Veon Bell has yet to report to training camp. In their absence, extra practice reps have opened up for the likes of Knile Davis and Fitzgerald Toussaint.

Kelley was limited at Monday's practice due to neck soreness, Master Tesfatsion of The Washington Post reports.

The injury comes on the heels of entering training camp as the Redskins' No. 1 running back. Although his ability to practice implies that the issue isn't major, he must maintain a modicum of health in order to hold off rookie Samaje Perine.

Elliott is not expected to receive a decision this week on whether he'll be disciplined by the league following its investigation into his personal conduct, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports.

The running back's case, which centers on a year-long investigation into multiple incidents allegedly involving Elliott, including a domestic violence accusation, is reportedly being reviewed by a panel of four outside advisers to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The independent advisers were present when Elliott met with league officials earlier this month, but they've yet to finish their work regarding his case, thus explaining the wait for a decision on the running back's status. With a ruling not expected this week, Elliott will continue to practice as usual and could play in Thursday's preseason opener against the Cardinals. As it stands, there's no definitive timetable for when Goodell could potentially announce discipline for Elliott, but a decision is expected to be known before the regular season starts.

Mathews' (neck) future with the Eagles is not expected to be determined until he's 100 percent healthy again, but he remains away from the team while continuing his rehab for the time being, NFL.com's Conor Orr reports.

Mathews is working his way back from a herniated disk in his neck that required surgery and ended his 2016 campaign after 13 games. Although Mathews has been plenty impactful since arriving in Philadelphia in 2015, evidenced by his 1,200 rushing yards on nearly 4.6 yards per carry and 16 total touchdowns, his lengthy injury history as well as the Eagles' depth at running back casts doubt over his future with the team. Furthermore, by releasing Mathews, Philly could save roughly $4 million in cap space. While that seemingly leaves the organization with a straightforward decision to make, Mathews' fate ultimately won't be determined until he can take a physical and prove he's fully healthy again.

Conner was forced into an early exit from Sunday's practice due to a shoulder injury, Joe Rutter of the Tribune-Review reports.

Conner missed most of Pittsburgh's offseason program while carrying a hamstring injury, and although he was able to put that behind him to impress during his opening days of training camp, he'll now have to overcome a shoulder issue before taking the field next. At the moment, it's unclear how long Conner's availability could be impacted by the ailment. Nonetheless, with Le'Veon Bell still not in camp, the rookie second-rounder will hope to return as soon as possible to steal more first-team reps.

Murray (ankle) remains without a timetable for his return, according to coach Mike Zimmer.

Murray is stationed on Minnesota's PUP list while still recovering from a March procedure to remove bone spurs from his ankle. Since he was initially expected to be cleared for training camp, his continued absence, and the fact that it remains unclear when he'll be back, is a frustrating development to start the campaign. Until Murray gets the green light from the Vikings' training staff, rookie Dalvin Cook figures to gobble up extra reps in his quest to earn the team's starting tailback position.