NFL Player News

Strong was released from the hospital Wednesday after being diagnosed with a rib contusion, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.

Strong left Wednesday's practice in an ambulance as a precaution after experiencing shortness of breath as a result of the injury, according to a statement provided by the Browns. Strong, who could open the season as the No. 2 running back behind Jerome ford, looks to have avoided a serious injury, but he could still be held out of Saturday's preseason finale against the Seahawks.

Edwards-Helaire (illness) remains in line to fill a depth role out of the backfield behind Isiah Pacheco to begin the regular season, Jesse Newell of the Kansas City Star reports.

Edwards-Helaire, who revealed last month that he deals with post-traumatic stress disorder, has missed a number of practices in training camp. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said Tuesday that despite the missed time, the Chiefs "know who Clyde is and what he's done" and "know now what his strengths are" and "how to use him." Along with Edwards-Helaire, Deneric Prince and Carson Steele are also in the team's running back mix behind Pacheco.

Strong left Wednesday's practice in an ambulance after suffering a rib injury, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

According to Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, Strong was able to head into the team facilities with a trainer by his side, and he now looks set to go the hospital for further evaluation. With Nick Chubb (knee) still sidelined, Strong appears in good position to begin the regular season as the No. 2 running back behind Jerome Ford, but he may now be dealing with a serious injury.

Mixon is taking part in team drills Wednesday, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Head coach DeMeco Ryans changed his mind last week after suggesting Mixon would play in this past Saturday's preseason win over the Giants, but the Texans were seemingly exercising caution with the running back. Mixon returned to practice Aug. 11 after missing the first two and a half weeks of training camp with a quadricep injury and has seemingly steered clear of any setbacks. Meanwhile, backup running back Dameon Pierce has done nothing to alleviate concerns about his fit in a zone-blocking scheme, taking eight carries for nine yards in two preseason games.

Head coach Matt LaFleur said Wednesday that the Packers will be cautious with Dillon (neck) because "anytime you have a repeated injury there's concern," Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Dillon missed Week 18 and two playoff games last season with a neck stinger, and he's now dealing with the same injury less than three weeks before Green Bay's Week 1 contest Sept. 6 against the Eagles in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Meanwhile, rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd is still recovering from a hamstring strain, leaving Emanuel Wilson, Ellis Merriweather and Nate McCrary as the depth backs behind Josh Jacobs. Wilson appears in good shape to clinch a spot on the Week 1 roster, and he might even get some carries if Dillon and Lloyd aren't available.

Miller (hamstring) may be placed on injured reserve to start the season, which would rule him out for the first four games, Jeff Nowak of The Big 870 New Orleans reports.

Placing Miller on IR would allow the Saints to keep him around without dedicating a 53-man roster spot on a young player that hasn't practiced at all this summer. The 2023 third-round pick had issues with his knee, hamstring and ankle as a rookie, and he's now been sidelined by another hamstring injury since making an early exit from the first practice of training camp. Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams are likely to open the season atop the depth chart at running back, with the No. 3 role likely going to either Jordan Mims, James Robinson or a post-cutdown addition. Saints head coach Dennis Allen has been critical of Miller's struggles to stay healthy this summer, removing much of the luster from a young back that was a popular sleeper pick for fantasy not long ago.

Kamara (back) returned to practice Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

While it was a lighter practice, according to Matthew Paras of NOLA.com, Kamara's return is certainly a positive sign. Kamara had been sidelined since Aug. 13 with back tightness. Given the veteran's status as the team's No. 1 option in the backfield, it would not be surprising to see head coach Dennis Allen continue to exercise caution with his availability going forward in preseason competition.

Johnson carried the ball once for six yards in Saturday's preseason win over the Steelers. He was not targeted in the passing game.

Johnson was and perhaps still is in the running to be James Cook's primary backup, but he hurt his hamstring in late July and missed the first preseason game, then finally returned to practice last week and played just seven snaps Saturday. Rookie Ray Davis looks like the favorite for the job now, though the Bills could mix and match when Cook needs a breather due to the differing skill sets of Johnson and Davis. It's worth noting that undrafted rookie Frank Gore ran well Saturday, logging eight carries for 41 yards, while veteran Darrynton Evans ran seven times for 37 yards.

The Texans signed Bawden to a contract Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Bawden was let go by the Jets on July 30, one day after being reinstated from the active/PUP list due to an undisclosed injury. He appeared in 16 regular-season games for the Jets last year, finishing with two carries for four yards and one touchdown while catching three passes for 21 yards. Bawden will provide Houston depth at fullback with Andrew Beck sidelined with a calf injury.

Hines is making progress in recovering from the ACL injury that kept him out for the entire 2023 season, Kelsey Russo of the Browns' official site reports.

Hines hasn't suited up for game action since the 2022 season, and there's still no concrete timetable for his return. But Coach Kevin Stefanski struck an optimistic tone Tuesday, saying, "He's doing well and progressing well." Even when he's at 100 percent though, he'll have to fight to earn a spot on Cleveland's running back depth chart.