NFL Player News

Mason (hip) took eight carries for 42 yards and a touchdown in Friday's preseason finale against the Raiders.

Mason returned from a minor hip issue that cost him the 49ers' previous preseason game. The 25-year-old started the contest with Christian McCaffrey (calf) and Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) sitting out with minor injuries. This is the second strong showing from Mason this preseason, as the veteran backup continues to build a case to challenge Mitchell's status at No. 2 on the RB depth chart. This will be McCaffrey's show once the regular season kicks off, but Mason is a name to remember in the event the starter is unable to go at any point this year.

Wilson rushed four times for minus-1 yard and caught two of three targets for 21 yards in Friday's 24-14 preseason loss to the Buccaneers.

It was revealed during the game that Wilson broke his nose earlier in August, per Alain Poupart of Sports Illustrated, which explains his absence from Miami's second preseason game. Wilson didn't do much in this preseason finale, but he scored a touchdown in the preseason opener against the Falcons. Miami will definitely keep Raheem Mostert, De'Von Achane and rookie fourth-round pick Jaylen Wright on the roster at running back, so Wilson's at risk of being a surprise cut prior to the Sept. 8 regular-season opener against the Jaguars.

Wright (undisclosed) rushed seven times for 36 yards and caught four of six targets for 41 yards in Friday's 24-14 preseason loss to the Buccaneers.

Wright was held out of the previous preseason game against the Commanders due to an undisclosed injury, but the rookie fourth-round pick's sizable workload Friday suggests he's back to full health. He's the latest speedster to join a Dolphins backfield led by Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane, but Wright could struggle to earn playing time early in his career while those other two running backs are healthy. Wright will get a chance to make his NFL regular-season debut Sept. 8 against the Jaguars.

White rushed four times for 16 yards and a touchdown while catching his only target for 17 yards in Friday's 24-14 preseason win over the Dolphins.

White opened the game with three consecutive carries for a combined 12 yards, caught a 17-yard pass two plays later, then scored a four-yard rushing touchdown two plays after that. The starting running back was highly effective in what ended up being the only drive Tampa Bay's starters played all preseason. Despite the offseason addition of Bucky Irving in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, White's set to reprise his role as the top option in the Buccaneers' backfield in the Sept. 8 season opener against the Commanders.

McClellan rushed the ball four times for 12 yards in Friday's 31-0 preseason loss to the Jaguars. He added one reception on one target for 11 yards.

McClellan followed Carlos Washington into the game with both Tyler Allgeier and Bijan Robinson resting. He has flashed some ability throughout the preseason, particularly in last week's matchup against the Ravens when he totaled 55 yards on the ground. That appears to be enough to have McClellan fourth on the depth chart, putting him on the roster bubble heading into cutdown day.

Washington recorded four rushes for seven yards in Friday's 31-0 preseason loss to the Jaguars. He added one reception on one target for seven yards.

It wasn't an impressive stat line for Washington, but he was again the first running back on the field with neither Bijan Robinson nor Tyler Allgeier suiting up. Washington joined the Falcons as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 season and spent last year on the team's practice squad. Heading into 2024, he looks to be the favorite for the third spot on the depth chart.

Etienne rushed the ball seven times for 46 yards in Friday's 31-0 preseason win over Atlanta. He added one reception on one target for three yards.

Etienne and the majority of the Jaguars' starters took the field for two drives and experienced plenty of success. More interesting than the stat line was Etienne's usage, as he tallied seven carries to Tank Bigsby's three on the opening two possessions. Bigsby came on the field for a pair of short-yardage situations -- he was stuffed on the first -- but Etienne handled the vast majority of the workload. Jacksonville's coaching staff has discussed the desire to lighten Etienne's usage in 2024, but he'll be the clear lead back and could shoulder a very significant workload until Bigsby proves he can have success in the NFL.

Mitchell isn't in line to play in Friday's preseason game in Las Vegas, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

A strained hamstring sidelined Mitchell for the first two exhibitions, and even though he returned to practice Wednesday, the 49ers will opt to keep him in street clothes two days later. He'll thus turn his focus to Week 1, when he's expected to serve as the primary backup to All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey (calf). In 27 regular-season games in his three-year career, Mitchell has averaged 4.7 YPC while scoring 10 total touchdowns.

The Bengals waived Cain on Friday, according to the team's official site.

Cain will hit the road as the running back room for the Bengals starts to slim down. He has not yet seen the field in an NFL game.

Reynolds left Thursday's practice with a leg issue but avoided a serious injury, Jared Ramsey of Detroit Free Press reports.

While Reynolds reportedly did avoid a serious injury, his leg problem could keep him out of Detroit's final preseason game against the Steelers this Saturday. The 5-foot-11 running back is looking to secure the RB3 spot over rookie fourth-round pick Sione Vaki ahead of the season, but Reynolds will need to stay healthy if he wants to be a part of the backfield at any capacity this season.