NFL Player News

Washington started Saturday's 13-12 preseason loss at Baltimore and took nine carries for 39 yards.

With Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier rested, Washington was busy for much of the first half while working ahead of rookie sixth-round pick Jase McClellan for a second straight week. Adnan Ikic of The Falcoholic believes Washington, a 2023 UDFA, has the inside track to the No. 3 RB job, but McClellan did come on strong at the end of Saturday's game to finish with an 11-55-1 rushing line (scoring his TD in the final minute). Either way, the winner of the battle isn't likely to get Week 1 touches unless Robinson or Allgeier gets injured or Atlanta's game ends up being a blowout.

Herbert started Saturday's preseason win over the Bengals and took five carries for 31 yards in the first half.

D'Andre Swift was held out entirely after playing just two snaps in the preseason opener. It's a signal that the Bears consider Swift important and want to protect him, but Herbert at least has taken advantage of his extended playing time with the first-string offense this preseason, taking 17 carries for 97 yards in three appearances (including the Hall of Fame Game). He hasn't seen any targets, in part because Travis Homer has replaced him for some of the clear passing downs (Roschon Johnson didn't play the past two weeks, perhaps because of a minor injury). The way things have played out so far makes it a bit tricky to get a read on Chicago's backfield, apart from Swift being the lead guy. There have been rumors about the Bears showcasing Herbert for a potential trade, but it might just be that they like him to mix in behind Swift on early downs.

Ford isn't expected to play in Saturday's preseason game against Minnesota, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Ford started Cleveland's preseason opener and took two carries for four yards, but for this one he's on the long list of players expected to sit out, joined by QB Deshaun Watson, TE David Njoku and a handful of wide receivers. With fellow running backs Nick Chubb (knee) and Nyheim Hines (knee) still unavailable, Cleveland is left with Pierre Strong, D'Onta Foreman and Aidan Robbins as the backfield options.

Jones and most other starters aren't expected to play in Saturday's preseason game against the Browns, Mark Craig of The Star Tribune reports.

The Vikings played some starters in their preseason opener against Las Vegas, but Jones wasn't one of them and may now be joined by a longer list of resting players for the second exhibition. Jones is locked in as as the lead back in Minnesota, with the main question at this point being how much work Ty Chandler will get off the bench.

Mixon isn't in uniform for Saturday's preseason game against the Giants, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

It sounds like coach DeMeco Ryans had a change of heart after saying Thursday that Mixon would play. Mixon missed the first two and a half weeks of training camp with a quad injury, but he returned to practice last weekend and still has three weeks to prepare for the start of the regular season. His absence Saturday leaves Dameon Pierce as the probable starter at RB.

Robinson and most of Atlanta's other key players aren't in uniform for Saturday's preseason game in Baltimore, Terrin Waack of the Falcons' official site reports.

The list of players sitting out also includes QBs Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix, RB Tyler Allgeier, WRs Drake London, Darnell Mooney, KhaDarel Hodge and Ray-Ray McCloud and TEs Kyle Pitts, Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley.

The Giants' healthy starters, a group that includes Singletary, are expected to play about a half in Saturday's preseason game against the Texans, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

It is possible Singletary plays less than a lot of the other starters given the demanding nature of his position, but he'll likely be out there in some capacity early in the game, if nothing else. He was held out of the preseason opener last Thursday against Detroit, giving Eric Gray, Tyrone Tracy (ankle) and Dante Miller (hamstring) an opportunity to shine on a strong night for the Giants' running game. Tracy and Miller appear in danger of missing the upcoming exhibition with Houston, potentially setting up Gray for significant work off the bench.

McIntosh is competing with undrafted rookie George Holani for the Seahawks' No. 3 running back spot, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.

McIntosh seemed like the front-runner for the role heading into the offseason, but Holani has stood out in preseason as a rusher and a blocker and could claim the job. Last season, Mcintosh didn't play an offensive snap as he was stuck behind Kenneth Walker, Zach Charbonnet and DeeJay Dallas. The No. 3 role isn't expected to provide much fantasy utility as long as Walker and Charbonnet are healthy.

Holani is competing with Kenny McIntosh for the Seahawks' No. 3 running back spot behind Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.

The undrafted rookie out of Boise State has impressed in training camp and preseason, both as a rusher and a blocker. The 23-year-old running back recorded 3,596 yards on 685 carries (5.2 YPC) through his five-year college career, and he chipped in 777 yards and a score as a receiver. Meanwhile, McIntosh showcased a strong skill set at Georgia but didn't play an offensive snap as a rookie in 2023. Neither player will provide much fantasy utility as long as Walker and Charbonnet are healthy, though.

Abdullah is competing with rookie sixth-round pick Dylan Laube for a third-down role behind starting running back Zamir White, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports.

Abdullah has handled a key special-teams role across two seasons with the Raiders, which he figures to reprise in 2024, but he could also contribute more on offense if he's able to secure regular pass-catching snaps. White and backup Alexander Mattison figure to dominate carries for Las Vegas, but one of Abdullah or Laube could emerge as a somewhat reliable target this season. Last year, Abdullah secured 19 of 24 targets for 131 yards in 17 regular-season games.