NFL Player News

Brooks (hand) underwent surgery Wednesday to fix a broken hand, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Brooks reportedly broke his hand in practice and is set for a three-week recovery period. The special teams ace will be a large loss to a Texans roster looking to maintain players with multiphase upside. Players like fellow running back Noah Whittington or wide receiver Justin Watson will have a chance to step up and prove their versatility can merit a 53-man roster spot in 2026.

Larison led the second-team offense Wednesday, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports.

It seems that Terrell Jennings has the early lead for the No. 3 running back position, but Larison might be his closest competition. While Jennings took snaps with the first-team offense Wednesday, Larison led the second. There could be a situation in the future where Larison earns the right to test the first-team waters behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.

Jaylen Warren is listed ahead of Dowdle on the Steelers' initial posted depth chart ahead of the preseason, Brian Batko of the team's official site reports.

That said, Batko suggests that coach Mike McCarthy is seeking a balanced backfield approach featuring a 1-2 punch, and Dowdle will no doubt see his share of touches along with Warren this coming season. Kaleb Johnson, Lew Nichols, Travis Homer and rookie Eli Heidenreich are currently in the mix for slotting behind the top duo, but from a fantasy standpoint, the Warren and Dowdle combo, a potential 1A/1B scenario, are the players to note in the Pittsburgh's backfield ahead of Week 1.

Warren is listed ahead of free-agent addition Rico Dowdle on the Steelers' initial depth chart ahead of the preseason, Brian Batko of the team's official site reports.

As the incumbent starter, it's not surprising to see Warren's name atop the team's first posted depth chart, but Batko notes that coach Mike McCarthy is looking for a balanced backfield approach with a 1-2 punch, and Dowdle will no doubt see his share of touches in tandem with Warren. Also in the mix for depth slotting behind the top duo are Kaleb Johnson, Lew Nichols, Travis Homer and rookie Eli Heidenreich, but from a fantasy perspective, Warren and Dowdle, while working in what could turn into a 1A/1B situation are the names to know in the team's backfield ahead of Week 1.

Broncos coach Sean Payton named Coleman as one of the team's pleasant surprises at training camp so far, Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post reports.

When asked Wednesday about pleasant surprises at camp, Payton began his answer with Coleman's name. The coach even said that Coleman "doesn't feel like a rookie," per Troy Renck of Denver 7 News. Then again, Payton has also made glowing comments about RB J.K. Dobbins and half of the wide receivers on the camp roster. A rookie fourth-round pick, Coleman is perhaps making his case to force a three-way backfield split with Dobbins and RJ Harvey.

Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel said Wednesday that Hampton has arguably shown "the most growth of any player" since the start of the offseason, Alex Insdorf of BoltBeat.com reports.

McDaniel also mentioned that he's trying to get Hampton to stop his feet less often and instead rely on power to take on defenders. The 220-pounder definitely has that in his bag of tricks, but he does lean toward a finesse approach relative to other RBs his size. There's been a lot of speculation among fantasy players about the specifics of Hampton's 2026 role after the Chargers signed Keaton Mitchell this offseason. They also still have Kimani Vidal, who took 155 carries for 643 yards (4.1 YPC) and three TDs in 13 games last year. Hampton figures to be the starter and lead runner for an improved rushing attack, but it's not yet clear if he'll have a shot at 20 touches per game.

Jennings worked alongside Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson with the Patriots' starting offense during Wednesday's practice, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports.

Meanwhile, fellow RBs Lan Larison, Jam Miller and Myles Montgomery worked on the opposite field with the team's backups, with Callahan suggesting that Jennings, for now, seems to have a head start on the team's No. 3 running back job. That said, Larison and/or Jam Miller could push for the role as training camp progresses. In any case, whichever back claims that spot on New England's depth chart will have limited fantasy value as long as Stevenson and Henderson are available.

Love won't play in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday against Carolina, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Per usual, both teams are holding out most of their starters and many key backups for the first game of the NFL preseason. We should see Love later this preseason, at least briefly, but that won't offer much hint about what his Week 1 role looks like. Love and Tyler Allgeier reportedly have been sharing first-team snaps, while James Conner (foot) remains absent from team drills.

Kamara has been getting most of the third-downs snaps with the starters at training camp, according to Jeff Duncan of Nola.com.

With Travis Etienne signed to be the team's lead runner, Kamara is left with passing downs as his obvious path to playing time, though he could also sub in for carries on early downs if he proves he still has gas in the tank. Last year, Kamara made 11 appearances and finished with career lows for both rushing yards per game (42.8) and receiving yards per game (16.9). The second number was barely more than half of his previous career low (16.9), but early signs suggest that coach Kellen Moore still thinks Kamara can contribute as a pass catcher. The 31-year-old reached an agreement with the Saints in July to alter his contract, with the result being a one-year, $6 million deal that includes $3.5 million guaranteed.

Etienne has taken most of the early down reps at training camp, with Alvin Kamara is getting more of the third-down snaps, according to Jeff Duncan of Nola.com.

The workload split isn't surprising given Kamara's track record as a receiving weapon. We'll likely see a similar arrangement come Week 1, though it isn't yet clear if Kamara will also get some carries on early downs in relief of Etienne. The Saints signed Etienne to a four-year, $52 million contract in March, while Kamara's recent renegotiation leaves him with what's essentially a one-year, $6 million contract ($3.5 million guaranteed), per Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com.