NFL Player News

Rivers "seemingly has the best chance to be the No. 3 running back" for the Rams, according to Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire.

Rivers was the No. 2 back at times last season but now figures to fall behind rookie third-round pick Blake Corum, who reportedly has been impressive at training camp. With Corum profiling as Kyren Williams' backup, Rivers and Boston Scott are the favorites for back-end roster spots, which might mean more playing time on special teams than offense.

Edwards-Helaire (illness) is not practicing Tuesday, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Edwards-Helaire looks to primarily be competing with 2023 UDFA Deneric Prince for the No. 2 role behind starter Isiah Pacheco, so having to miss further reps could be significant. The fifth-year veteran landed on the active/non-football illness earlier in camp, and he missed a few days late in July due to sickness, but it remains to be seen whether his current ailment is a related issue.

Tyrone Tracy is leading the training-camp battle to be the Giants' No. 2 running back behind Devin Singletary, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, which would push Gray to third on the depth chart.

Roles are far from set in stone at this point in camp, especially among a Giants running-back corps that will have an entirely different look without the presence of Saquon Barkley. Singletary was brought in during the offseason to take over the lead-back role, but he may not be used as a workhorse to the same extent that Barkley was and hasn't yet demonstrated Barkley's pass-catching acumen. As such, the team's No. 2 back could get considerably more opportunities this season than Matt Breida (who has since moved on) did in the role last year. Gray was a fifth-round pick by New York in 2023 and got his feet wet last year but struggled with 17 carries for just 48 yards. He's listed as second at the running-back position on the team's initial depth chart, per Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site, but according to Dunleavy, Tracy has developed the upper hand for the spot in training camp. Tracy's experience as a wide receiver (he was a wideout during most of his time in college) could be particularly useful in a Brian Daboll offense that could look to use the short pass as an extension of the running game.

Freeman left Monday's practice with what appeared to be a groin injury, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

The veteran running back was having a good camp, but any lengthy absence for Freeman could cost him standing in Dallas' backfield. Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott remain the favorites to handle the biggest roles in a potential committee. Freeman's availability for Sunday's preseason game against the Rams should become clear over the next few days.

Luepke has been used more often as a tight end or H-back so far in training camp, Nick Harris of DallasCowboys.com reports.

An undrafted rookie out of North Dakota State last season, Luepke surprisingly won a spot on the 53-man roster and played in all 17 regular-season games plus the Cowboys' wild-card loss to the Packers, but he saw most of his action on special teams rather than at fullback. With the Dallas backfield likely to be a committee in 2024, Luepke could find more snaps as a lead blocker, pass catcher and occasional short-yardage option, but he's still unlikely to provide much fantasy production.

Edmonds (undisclosed) has missed nearly two weeks of practice and won't participate Tuesday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

Edmonds has been nursing an undisclosed injury since the early days of training camp. He was expected to compete with rookie Bucky Irving and others for backup roles behind starting running back Rachaad White, who played 78.1 percent of Tampa Bay's snaps on offense during the 2023 regular season.

Brieda has agreed to a deal with the 49ers, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Breida spent his first three seasons in San Francisco before stints with Miami, Buffalo and the Giants. His most productive years were those he spent with the 49ers, and he will now look for another opportunity to showcase his talents in the Bay Area. Isaac Guerendo (hamstring) was selected by the team in the fourth round of this year's draft and was expected to back up Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell in the backfield, but he is now expected to be sidelined for multiple weeks. As a result, Breida will compete with the likes of Jordan Mason, Patrick Taylor and Cody Schrader for a depth running back role heading into the season.

Allen is listed second at running back on the unofficial depth chart released by the Jets ahead of Saturday's preseason opener against the Commanders.

Allen has impressed the coaching staff throughout spring practices and the early portion of training camp, showing strong pass blocking and receiving skills for a rookie. The 2024 fourth-round draft pick out of Wisconsin heads into the preseason as Breece Hall's top backup, ahead of 2024 fifth-round pick Isaiah Davis and 2023 fifth-rounder Israel Abanikanda. While the depth chart could still shift based on preseason results, Allen is well positioned to have a role in the Jets offense come the regular season, though Hall's in no danger of relinquishing the starting role after compiling 1,585 yards from scrimmage in 2023.

Williams has been taking some practice snaps with the first-team offense, per Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com.

While Alvin Kamara remains the lead back, Williams seemingly has a chance to rebound from his disappointing first season in New Orleans, in part because 2023 third-round pick Kendre Miller (hamstring) has failed to make a good impression. Coach Dennis Allen even criticized Miller's inability to stay healthy, telling reporters that "it's hard to make the team from the training room." The Saints probably won't give up on a third-round pick after just one season, but it does sound like Williams may enter Week 1 as the No. 2 running back despite averaging only 3.0 yards on 124 touches last year.

Sermon appears to be the clear frontrunner for the backup role to Jonathan Taylor, Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star reports. "He's doing some really good things here," head coach Shane Steichen said. "Really good in pass pro, I've been impressed with that, with the third-down stuff, and also, running and seeing the hole has been good."

The Colts showed their confidence in Sermon by not drafting a running back or signing a prominent undrafted free agent to compete for the backup role. He's competing with Evan Hull and Tyler Goodson for playing time behind Taylor. Hull and Goodson may be competing for a limited third-down receiving role, and it's not clear both will make the final roster.