NFL Player News

Abanikanda won't return to Saturday's preseason contest against the Buccaneers due to a thigh injury.

Abanikanda appeared to suffer a knee-to-knee injury with one of his offensive linemen, but the Jets confirmed its nature not long after he was helped off the field and carted to the locker room. Considering he couldn't put any weight on his right leg, the rookie fifth-round pick seems slated for an absence of some type. New York held Breece Hall (knee), newcomer Dalvin Cook (shoulder) and Michael Carter out Saturday, which leaves Zonovan Knight and Travis Dye as the team's only healthy and available running backs.

Mostert rushed six times for 30 yards and a touchdown and was not targeted out of the backfield in Saturday's 28-3 preseason win over Houston.

Mostert made his preseason debut with the rest of the key offensive starters after sitting out the exhibition opener last Friday. The 31-year-old was a key part of a 93-yard scoring drive that culminated in his two-yard touchdown run. Mostert figures to head Miami's backfield rotation in a manner similar to last season, when he posted a career-high 891 rushing yards with five total touchdowns across 16 games. Jeff Wilson (undisclosed) will serve as the primary backup despite not appearing in a preseason game to date. Rookie De'Von Achane was vying for touches as well, but the rookie third-round pick suffered an apparent shoulder injury of unknown severity Saturday. If the rookie is forced to miss significant time, Mostert's hold on the starting job would tighten as Week 1 approaches.

Reynolds rushed the ball eight times for 13 yards in Saturday's 25-7 preseason loss to the Jaguars. He added four receptions on six targets for 29 yards.

With both Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery sitting out, Reynolds was the first back on the field for the Lions. He wasn't effective as a rusher but did manage to show his ability as a pass catcher. Reynolds will be looking to lock in the third spot on the running back depth chart for the remainder of the preseason.

Carter didn't dress for Saturday night's preseason game against the Bucs, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

While Carter gets the night off, both Zonovan Knight and rookie Israel Abanikanda are dressed and playing versus Tampa Bay. It's a signal from the coaching staff that Carter is firmly ahead of both for the Jets' No. 3 running back job behind Breece Hall and newcomer Dalvin Cook.

Pierce made his preseason debut Saturday, rushing six times for 15 yards in a 28-3 loss to Miami.

It was a rough go of things for Houston's entire backfield, as none of Pierce, Mike Boone or Devin Singletary could muster more than three yards per carry. Pierce started with the first-team offense and also received the Texans' first carry, which shouldn't be surprising after his standout rookie campaign. The 23-year-old may not see the hefty workload he logged in 2022 when he averaged 19.2 combined touches following the offseason additions of Boone and Singletary. That said, Pierce is the back to target out of Houston in fantasy drafts ahead of the 2023 campaign.

McCaffrey isn't in uniform ahead of Saturday's preseason game against the Broncos, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

During his 14-game stint with the 49ers last season (including playoffs), McCaffrey racked up 263 touches for 1,509 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns, hearkening back to his heyday with the Panthers in 2018 and 2019. As such, he doesn't necessarily need any reps to be ready for San Francisco's Week 1 road matchup with the Steelers.

Strong (undisclosed) is not in uniform for Saturday's preseason game against the Packers, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.

Strong has been missing practice time this week with an undisclosed injury. With Ty Montgomery (undisclosed) also sidelined, we should expect to see plenty of J.J. Taylor and Kevin Harris in Saturday's exhibition. Rhamondre Stevenson and newcomer Ezekiel Elliott could also make cameos.

Coach Mike McDaniel confirmed that Achane sustained a shoulder injury during Saturday's preseason game against the Texans, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.

Per Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins expect to find out more about the running back's injury Sunday, but at a minimum Achane's status for the team's preseason finale is unclear. Prior to his injury, the 2023 third-rounder logged six carries for 27 yards.

Johnson carried the ball six times for 36 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 25-7 preseason win over the Lions. He added two receptions for seven yards.

Johnson finished second on the team with six carries and he was effective, punching in scores from 15 yards and one yard away. However, he was the third back on the field even with Travis Etienne sitting out, and he didn't tally a carry until the second half. Johnson has 11 carries for 67 yards across two contests this preseason, but he appears to be fourth on the depth chart despite his effectiveness.

Achane (undisclosed) was carted to the locker room during Saturday's preseason game against the Texans, Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald reports.

Prior to that, Achane had logged six carries for 27 yards. Per Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com, Achane left the field under his own power, but was clearly in pain with what could be a possible shoulder issue.