NFL Player News

Penny rushed nine times for 34 yards and failed to bring in his only target in the Eagles' 20-19 preseason loss to the Ravens on Saturday night.

Penny paced the Eagles in carries and received seven more rushing touches than fellow offseason arrival D'Andre Swift while playing on Philadelphia's first four possessions. Penny appears fully recovered from the fractured fibula he suffered in Week 5 of last season with the Seahawks, but come the regular season, it's likely the disparity in carries between him and Swift is not as expansive. Given his ongoing acclimation to a new offensive system, Penny is likely to once again log a solid workload by preseason standards in Thursday night's home exhibition battle versus the Browns.

Swift rushed twice for 24 yards in the Eagles' 20-19 preseason loss to the Ravens on Saturday night.

Making his in-game debut with his new team, Swift ripped off a team-long 22-yard run on his second and final carry of his brief night. Swift got the first running back touch of the night for Philadelphia ahead of fellow offseason acquisition Rashaad Penny, although the latter ultimately saw action on the first four possessions. Swift was uncharacteristically left out of the passing game, yet his limited time in the game helps explain that outlier. Given he's still acclimating to a new offense, Swift could well see action again in Philadephia's second preseason game Thursday night against the Browns.

Ekeler isn't in line to play in Saturday's preseason game versus the Rams, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Ekeler is among a number of starters not suiting up for the Chargers' exhibition opener. With the team's top running back sidelined, all of Joshua Kelley, Isaiah Spiller, Larry Rountree, Elijah Dotson and Tyler Hoosman can be expected to get some work out of the backfield. Ekeler's next opportunity for preseason action arrives Sunday, Aug. 20 against the Saints.

Cook started the Bills' preseason opener against the Colts on Saturday, rushing for 20 yards and a touchdown on four carries before exiting with the rest of the first team.

Cook got to work quickly after the Bills' defense gifted the offense with excellent field position by picking off rookie QB Anthony Richardson in Colts' territory. The 23-year-old handled all three rushing attempts on the ensuing drive, with the third being punched in for an eight-yard score. Cook was not targeted as a passer, but he may be forced to show us that part of his game following the announcement that Bills receiving back Nyheim Hines (knee) will miss the entire 2023 season. The other veteran back the front office brought in to compete with Cook, Damien Harris (knee), did not play Saturday and the team has yet to update the status of his knee injury. What once looked like a crowded backfield has suddenly opened up for Cook, which boosts his fantasy value as leagues are gearing to kick off.

Hubbard rushed four times for nine yards and caught his only target for three yards in Saturday's 27-0 preseason loss to the Jets.

Hubbard worked with the first-team offense in the absence of Miles Sanders (groin). None of the team's starters looked particularly impressive in this one, but Hubbard's usage here suggests he's viewed as the primary backup to Sanders. The Panthers are likely to take a cautious approach with Sanders' injury prior to the regular season, so Hubbard's may draw another start in Carolina's second preseason game against the Giants.

Abanikanda rushed 12 times for 56 yards and caught all three of his targets for 31 yards in Saturday's 27-0 preseason win over the Panthers.

Abanikanda came in on the Jets' third possession after Michael Carter and Zonovan Knight split the first two. Abanikanda, a rookie fifth-round pick, is gaining on Knight for the third-string spot, as Abanikanda has impressed in each of the Jets' first two preseason games; he scored a 10-yard touchdown in the Hall of Fame Game the previous week. Abanikanda will have two more preseason games to make his case for surpassing Knight, starting with an Aug. 19 home game against the Buccaneers.

Knight rushed four times for 13 yards and caught one of two targets for three yards in Saturday's 27-0 preseason win over the Panthers.

Knight was almost charged with a fumble at the end of a three-yard catch on New York's opening drive, but he was ruled down on replay. He and Michael Carter both mixed in on New York's first two drives, but Carter was far more effective, with 53 scrimmage yards on six touches. Rookie fifth-round pick Israel Abanikanda played the majority of the game after that point and impressed with 87 yards between 12 carries and three catches. The Jets may keep only one of Knight or Abanikanda on the 53-man roster behind Breece Hall (knee) and Carter, though all four running backs could make the team if Hall's recovery from ACL surgery threatens to impact his regular-season availability.

Carter rushed four times for 19 yards and caught both of his targets for 34 yards in Saturday's 27-0 preseason win over the Panthers.

Carter got the start, but Zonovan Knight (16 yards on five touches) also mixed in on the team's first possession as both running backs made their respective preseason debuts after sitting out the Hall of Fame Game. A 25-yard catch on the opening possession accounted for almost half of Carter's yardage, which was accrued across the Jets' first two drives. In the event that Breece Hall's (knee) absence lingers into the regular season, Carter and Knight would likely open the season in a timeshare, but Carter's superior receiving skills should allow him to carve out a change-of-pace role even once Hall is healthy. Rookie fifth-round pick Israel Abanikanda is also vying for playing time, but he's likely more of a threat to Knight's role than Carter's.

Walker (groin) returned to practice Saturday, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.

Sidelined since the first day of Seahawks training camp due to a minor groin strain, Walker didn't suit up for the team's first preseason contest Thursday, which allowed rookie second-rounder Zach Charbonnet to get some run. Walker was contained to individual work Saturday, so he may need to progress to team drills in order to gain clearance to play in one of the final two exhibitions, the first of which comes Saturday, Aug. 19 against the Cowboys.

Spears ran for 32 yards on six carries in Tennessee's preseason game against Chicago on Saturday.

The third-round pick out of Tulane started for the Titans, adding a four-yard reception on one target in addition to the solid rushing output. Spears might have volume limitations at around 200 pounds and with a concerning knee injury history, but his ability with the football is beyond questioning. Fellow backup prospect Julius Chestnut also did well for himself (seven carries for 46 yards), but given Spears' better pedigree he remains the favorite to back up Derrick Henry in 2023.