NFL Player News

Williams recorded a team-leading 19 rushing yards on just two carries in Friday's preseason contest versus San Diego.

The Cardinals puzzlingly ran the ball just 21 times, compared to 30 passing attempts, but Williams was able to rip off an 18-yard run for the bulk of his production. He is unlikely to make a significant contribution in the rushing department when the regular season begins, as David Johnson, Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington are still in the mix, but Williams should continue to serve as a quality backup and will cement his place on the roster if he continues to perform when given the opportunity.

Pead gained 48 yards on four rushes and totaled 30 yards on his sole reception in Friday's 41-14 preseason loss to the Cowboys.

Fighting for a backup role behind Arian Foster, the former Ram and Steeler made a strong case for himself for the second straight game. Pead ripped off an impressive 45-yard run off left tackle late in the third quarter, which was preceded by a 30-yard catch-and-run in the latter stages of the second period when Ryan Tannehill found him all alone in the right flat. Pead now has 98 yards on 14 rushes over his first two preseason games and appears to have the edge over fellow young veteran Daniel Thomas for a spot alongside Arian Foster and Jay Ajayi in the Dolphins backfield.

Jones was forced out of Friday's preseason matchup with the Dolphins after suffering an AC sprain.

After gaining 31 yards on seven carries Jones was forced out of the game to undergo X-rays on his shoulder. He has since returned to the sideline in a sling. There is currently no time frame on how long this injury will keep him out of action.

Jones left Friday's matchup with the Jets due to a shoulder injury, Brian McNally of 106.7 The Fan reports.

Jones had gained 31 yards on seven carries prior to exiting. He is currently undergoing X-rays on his ailing shoulder. Expect an update on his status when more information is made available.

Richardson totaled 15 yards on 10 carries, and caught one pass for six yards in Pittsburgh's 17-0 loss to Philadelphia.

This was a definite step backwards for Richardson, who looked much better in the preseason opener against Detroit. Then again, the entire Steeler offense failed to show up, managing just 207 total yards. Fortunately for Richardson, his competition for Pittsburgh's third running back spot on the roster, Fitzgerald Tousaint, looked only slightly better, rushing for 26 yards on eight carrries. Both will get another opportunity to show why they deserve to be behind Le'Veon Bell (suspension) and DeAngelo Williams on the depth chart when they face New Orleans on Friday.

Toussaint ran for 26 yards on eight carries on Thursday. He also had two receptions for 16 yards.

Playing to win Pittsburgh's third running back spot on the roster, Toussaint did little to distinguish himself from his main compeition, Daryl Richardson. On the bright side, the Steelers learned that their star running back, Le'Veon Bell, had his suspension reduced from four to three games, making whomever wins the RB3 job even less of a factor, especially in terms of fantasy value.

Rodgers had six rushes for seven yards Thursday against the Patriots.

Rodgers was an effective receiving option in the preseason opener, but he had a brutal performance as a runner after Jeremy Langford was taken out of the contest. He played in both the second and fourth quarters against the Patriots' backup defenders, but struggled to make any tacklers miss. Despite the poor performance, he's primarily competing with Langford to play as a receiving back in passing situations. However, he's far less likely to earn much of the early-down work.

Drake (hamstring) won't play Friday versus the Cowboys, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald reports.

This is not a surprise as Drake hasn't practiced in almost two weeks since suffering the injury. Drake never had much of chance to win the starting job anyway as he is more of a change of pace back but missing this much of training camp could reduce any role he will have in his rookie season.

Mathews ran the ball five times for 18 yards during Thursday's preseason win over the Steelers.

Mathews had less carries than both Byron Marshall (eight) and Kenjon Barner (six) as the Eagles don't need to risk the health of their projected starting running back. Mathews' value in PPR formats figures to be reduced due to Darren Sproles' role on passing downs, who didn't carry the ball Thursday but recorded three receptions for eight yards. Fellow running back Kenjon Barner also impressed against Pittsburgh with six carries for 41 yards and a touchdown, but he shouldn't cut into too many of Mathews' touches by the time the regular season rolls around, given he remains healthy.

Brown (hamstring) did not play in Thursday's preseason game against the Bears.

Brown and undrafted rookie D.J. Foster continue to miss time, with the duo's chances of making a run at sticking with the Patriots hinging on their ability to get back into action in short order.