NFL Player News

The Buccaneers waived Jefferson on Sunday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

Jefferson signed with the Bucs in May as an undrafted free agent out of Kentucky. He appeared in all three preseason games, accumulating 13 rushing yards on seven carries and three catches for 31 yards. Jefferson will likely go unclaimed off waivers, after which he'll look to catch on with a team's practice squad.

The Rams released Scott on Sunday, Jordan Schultz of BleacherReport.com reports.

Scott signed with the Rams in April after spending the first six years of his career in Philadelphia, where he primarily played as a third-down back. The 29-year-old's playing time hit a career low during his final campaign with the Eagles, tallying just 20 carries for 86 yards across 15 regular-season appearances. He also dealt with a minor leg injury this preseason, though he had strong showings in all three of the Rams' preseason contests. Nevertheless, it appears he was left on the outside looking in, as, according to Schultz, the Rams plan to stick with three running backs for the regular season. This should leave Ronnie Rivers and Zach Evans as the likely candidates to back up Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. Scott should now look to land as a reserve running back elsewhere ahead of the regular season.

The Giants waived Lingard on Sunday, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

Lingard signed with the Giants on Aug. 12 after being let go by the Jaguars in early August. He rushed for 13 yards on two carries in the Giants' second preseason game against the Texans, but he did not record a carry in Saturday's contest against the Jets. Lingard will be on the lookout for new opportunities should he clear waivers.

The Giants released Kelley on Sunday, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

Kelley was a free agent for most of the offseason after playing in all 17 regular-season games for the Chargers in 2023, finishing with 405 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 107 carries. He caught on with the Giants on Aug. 15, and in his last preseason outing Saturday against the Jets, he rushed for 40 yards on eight carries. Kelley will look to sign with another team in need of backfield depth.

Kamara isn't suited up for Sunday's exhibition contest against Tennessee, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.

Kamara returned to practice Tuesday after dealing with back tightness for about a week. The running back missed the Saints' second preseason game against San Francisco last weekend and won't play in the finale of the exhibition slate Sunday, so he'll finish the preseason with the two carries for three yards he tallied in New Orleans' opener against Arizona on Aug. 10. All signs point to Kamara being ready to go as the Saints' No. 1 running back Week 1 against Carolina on Sunday, Sept. 8.

Robbins gained a team-high 38 yards on eight carries and caught four of five targets for 25 yards in Saturday's preseason game against the Seahawks.

Robbins, a 2024 undrafted free agent, was expected to get a lot of work and led the Browns backfield with 48 snaps. His long-shot path to a roster spot received a boost when Cleveland watched D'Onta Foreman leave the game after injuring his ribs. That adds another injury to the backfield, which includes Nick Chubb (knee, PUP), Nyheim Hines (knee, NFI) and Pierre Strong (ribs). As of Sunday, the three healthy backs on the roster are Robbins, Jerome Ford and Jacob Saylors. It's unlikely the Browns, who entertain postseason goals, would head into the regular season like that.

Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans said Thursday that the blocking in front of Pierce has contributed to his 1.1 yards-per-carry average during two preseason games, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 Houston reports.

Pierce's adjustment to a new zone-based scheme was slow, perhaps non-existent, in 2023, but he's been comfortable during camp. Ryans reiterated the good work Pierce has done in practice, but the results in game action have not been there. The coach indicated the back needs to get more opportunities carrying the ball, but with Joe Mixon projected to start, giving Pierce volume carries will be difficult. Pierce may have a reduced role in the backfield, but the Texans feel he can contribute in the return game.

McIntosh rushed once for a 56-yard touchdown and secured his only target for a nine-yard gain in the Seahawks' 37-33 preseason win over the Browns on Saturday night.

The reserve running back recorded his only carry on the Seahawks' third possession, a drive he closed out with an impressive 56-yard scoring scamper off left guard. The touchdown run was the latest example of impressive play from McIntosh, who put together a strong preseason and appears to have the inside track to open the regular season as the No. 3 back behind Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet (undisclosed).

Ford rushed three times for 11 yards in the Browns' 37-33 preseason loss to the Seahawks on Saturday night.

Ford played on the Browns' first two possessions before bowing out of the contest, closing out the exhibition slate with just five carries overall across two games. The light usage isn't surprising, considering Ford is in line to open the regular season as Cleveland's top backfield option while Nick Chubb goes through the final stages of his recovery from last season's devastating knee injury. Ford flashed plenty of encouraging play in a lead role last season following Chubb's injury, but in the early portion of the coming campaign, he'll contend with D'Onta Foreman for touches.

Irving rushed six times for 26 yards and brought in his only target for five yards in the Buccaneers' 24-14 preseason win over the Dolphins on Friday night.

The rookie had drawn the start in the first two preseason games, but Rachaad White saw his first and only action of the exhibition slate Friday and was the first running back in. Irving checked in on the second possession and put together another solid performance relative to opportunity, and he appears set to start the regular season as the clear-cut No. 2 back behind White.