James (ribs) will not play in Thursday's preseason opener against the Titans, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
James fractured his rib in late July and has still not recovered from the issue. The running back is set to be the primary relief back behind Christian McCaffrey (undisclosed), but if he can get healthy may see starting snaps depending on McCaffrey's outlook for the season. Running back Kaelon Black (thigh) is also not participating in Thursday's game, leaving Patrick Taylor, Sincere McCormick, Khalil Herbert and Zamir White to absorb all of Thursday's carries in an effort to climb a depth chart littered with injuries before cutdown day.