NFL Player News

McKinnon missed Thursday's preseason game and practice earlier this week with an undisclosed injury, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

It's likely a minor ailment and he wouldn't have played in the final preseason game even if healthy, but it's something to monitor ahead of Week 1. McKinnon had a strong preseason and there's been talk of him being used more this season as a third-down back. However, we won't get a full read on his usage once he plays with Adrian Peterson, as Peterson did not play in the preseason as the Vikings played it safe with their franchise star.

Williams (knee) compiled 19 carries for 57 yards and one reception for four yards during Thursday's preseason victory against the Broncos.

Boasting a career 4.8 YPC mark, Williams was unable to make much headway Thursday against second- and third-stringers, but a lingering knee injury may have been at fault. To make matters worse, fellow reserve running back Elijhaa Penny dashed for 113 yards and a touchdown on 23 rushes. In the end, the presence of special-teams maven Stepfan Taylor (knee) was likely enough to make their upcoming fates on cut-down date inevitable.

Abdullah (shoulder) is pushing for a feature back role in Detroit, Dirk Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Abdullah split time in 2015 with Theo Riddick, Zach Zenner, and Joique Bell. The Lions appear ready to take a running back by committee approach once again, but Abdullah, the team's second-round pick in 2015, thinks he can take the bulk of the workload. His role does figure to increase in 2016 but it appears unlikely that he sees a large uptick in redzone carries, where Zenner and Riddick look to see a bulk of the work.

McFadden (elbow) feels ready to return to practice, The Ft. Worth Star-Telegram reports. "Oh, yeah, definitely," McFadden said Thursday. "It's one of those things I'm working with the trainers. They have me on the right track, keep me going."

He's missed all of training camp and the preseason as he recovers from elbow surgery, but McFadden is finally ready to begin getting back into game shape. Whether he gets back onto the field with the Cowboys is another question though, as Ezekiel Elliott and Alfred Morris are locked into the top two spots on the depth chart, Lance Dunbar will resume his pass-catching specialist role after last year's knee injury, and sixth round pick Darius Jackson has looked good when given the opportunity during preseason action. There simply may be no room for McFadden on the roster.

Hunt scored two touchdowns Thursday in Houston's win over Dallas in preseason Week 4.

Hunt entered the game looking to nail down the fifth spot in the backfield and did his most to earn the job. He scored on a three-yard run, pushing his way through the pile, then later showcased his quickness while scoring on a 10-yard reception. He outplayed Kenny Hilliard, the other back competing for the final backfield spot, who gained a team-high 86 yards Thursday, but lost a fumble in the red zone. The decision as to who stays and who goes may come down to the type of back head coach Bill O'Brien prefers. Hunt is the quick back and is repetitive to third-round pick Tyler Ervin, while HIlliard is the power back, capable of breaking tackles. But if ball security influences O'Brien, that favors Hunt based on Thursday's game.

Hightower gained 24 yards on eight carries in Thursday's preseason game against the Ravens and, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Hightower is still likely second in line for carries behind Mark Ingram once the regular season begins.

With Hightower looking pedestrian this preseason, there was some chatter that his roster spot could be in jeopardy. However, the 30-year-old veteran tailback had a better night than his stats suggest, and his performance appears to have restored confidence among Saints' beat reporters that he will once again be Ingram's top backup. As such, should Ingram get injured, Hightower would likely see the bulk of the carries, but C.J. Spiller, who is looking much improved this preseason, would also get some more work.

Wilder was hurt on a special teams play in the preseason finale against the Lions and was forced to leave in the first half, BuffaloBills.com reports. The running back has been placed in the league's concussion protocol.

This is awful timing for a guy trying to land a final roster spot. We'll see how things shake out when the Bills make their final cuts.

Watson rushed for five yards on two attempts and caught four passes (four targets) for 17 yards against Chicago on Thursday night.

Watson has been battling with Raheem Mostert (hamstring) for the third-string running back position throughout the preseason and has been able to gain some ground while his opponent is on the mend. He showed his versatility Thursday by hauling in all four targets that were directed his way, although his ground attack was unremarkable. If Watson doesn't make the 53-man roster, look for a team in need of depth to snag him.

Edwards rushed for 34 yards on four attempts and also caught a pass for five yards in a losing effort versus the Bears.

The undrafted rookie, currently listed among the fourth-string running backs, was fighting for his roster life on Thursday and was able to make a strong impression, although it might be too little, too late. Edwards had just one rush for two yards in Cleveland's first three preseason games. The odds of him making the final cut are extremely low.

Mostert (hamstring) will not play in Thursday's preseason finale against the Bears, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal reports.

Mostert didn't play in the Browns' third preseason game and wasn't expected to play Thursday. He's battling for the team's No. 3 and possibly final running back slot, and missing time won't help his cause. Terrell Watson figures to see some extra snaps while Mostert is out.