NFL Player News

Dowdle rushed eight times for 15 yards and brought in two of five targets for six yards in the Steelers' 20-13 win over the Falcons on Sunday.

Dowdle trailed backfield mate Jaylen Warren by only two carries and a sole target, but the former was outgained in total scrimmage yards by a 73-21 margin. Dowdle is virtually certain to have better days on the ground this season, yet Warren's efficient performance as both a runner and receiver served as a reminder of his value to the offense. Consequently, Dowdle could continue narrowly trailing his teammate in overall opportunity during a Week 2 road matchup against the Patriots next Sunday.

Gainwell rushed five times for 15 yards and brought in his lone target for three yards in the Buccaneers' 33-27 loss to the Bengals on Sunday. He also returned one kickoff for 22 yards.

Gainwell worked in the No. 2 role as expected, and with Sean Tucker (hamstring) unavailable Sunday, the former saw a sizable share of the Buccaneers' 13 running back touches. The ground attack took a back seat overall due to game script, but next Sunday's Week 2 home matchup against the Browns could certainly see pretty drastic change for the better in that regard, a development that would particularly benefit Gainwell if Tucker remains sidelined.

Brooks notched four carries for 14 yards and one catch (on two targets) for 48 yards during Sunday's 59-37 loss to the Bears.

Brooks initially missed practice Sept. 1 due to general soreness before opening Week 1 prep with back-to-back limited practices due to a groin injury. A full practice Friday resulted in no designation for Sunday's game, but he played a distant second to Chuba Hubbard (13 touches, 87 yards from scrimmage and two total TDs) out of the Panthers backfield in the season opener. Perhaps by putting his recent health concern further in the rearview mirror, Brooks will be more involved in the offense next Sunday in Atlanta.

Barkley carried 15 times for 83 yards and caught one of two targets for minus-3 yards in Sunday's 24-22 victory against Washington.

The highlight of Barkley's performance was easily his 42-yard, tackle-breaking scamper midway through the second quarter. Beyond that, the star running back was mostly contained on the ground, recording just 41 yards on his other 14 totes. Barkley also was a non-factor in the passing game, hauling in just one pass for a three-yard loss. That may be a particularly concerning stat for Barkley's fantasy managers considering his dwindling usage as a pass catcher at the end of last season -- over his final five regular-season games, Barkley caught just two of nine targets for a meager 14 yards and was shut out entirely through the air in four of those contests. Barkley does have a favorable Week 2 matchup, as he'll face a Tennessee team that often looked inept in a Week 1 loss to the Jets.

Harris (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Cowboys, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Harris signed with the Giants in mid-August to add depth to the backfield. He'll be a healthy scratch for Week 1, while the Giants roll with three active running backs in Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy and veteran Devin Singletary. Harris' next chance to suit up is Week 2 against the Rams on Monday, Sept. 21.

Gibbs carried the ball 29 times for 156 yards and two touchdowns and caught all five of his targets for 30 yards in Sunday's 31-30 overtime win over the Saints.

He did lose a fumble, but there wasn't much to criticize about Gibbs' performance otherwise. The star running back opened the scoring with a one-yard plunge in the first quarter, then added another one-yard TD on the Lions' first possession of the second half. Gibbs set a career high with 320 touches in 2025 (243 carries and 77 catches), but he could be headed for even bigger volume this season with David Montgomery no longer in Detroit to siphon away reps. Gibbs will look to keep rolling in Week 2 on the road against the Bills.

Tuten rushed 15 times for 66 yards and brought in his only target for 22 yards in the Jaguars' 34-10 win over the Browns on Sunday. He also recovered a fumble.

Any questions surrounding the potential workload split in the Jaguars' ground attack were definitively answered for the time being Sunday, as Tuten put together an impressively efficient performance and outpaced backfield mate Chris Rodriguez by nine carries despite seeing his day come to an early end due to the lopsided score. Tuten was able to consistently generate productive runs, but he'll have a much stiffer test on the road against the Broncos in a Week 2 matchup next Sunday.

Judkins rushed 12 times for 33 yards and brought in both targets for 17 yards in the Browns' 34-10 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday.

Judkins operated as the unquestioned lead back for the Browns as expected, yet his opportunities on the ground were limited overall thanks to a game script that saw Cleveland already down 24-0 at the half. Judkins unsurprisingly found running room difficult to come by when he did carry the ball, but he was efficient with his pair of receptions. Judkins could face loaded defensive fronts most weeks if the Browns' quarterback play doesn't improve, and a Week 2 road matchup against the Buccaneers next Sunday doesn't offer much promise on paper.

Etienne carried the ball nine times for 46 yards and caught seven of nine targets for 32 yards in Sunday's 31-30 overtime loss to the Lions.

The former Jaguar didn't see a lot of work on the ground, but Etienne set a new career high in receptions in his Saints debut as Tyler Shough attempted 56 passes as part of a big second-half comeback to force OT. Etienne has flashed real pass-catching upside in the past, posting a 58-476-1 line on 73 targets in 2023, so this usage in New Orleans may not have been purely due to the game situation. Etienne will look to make his first trip to the end zone of the year in Week 2 on the road against the Ravens.

Warren rushed 10 times for 46 yards and brought in five of six targets for 27 yards in the Steelers' 20-13 win over the Falcons on Sunday. He also lost a fumble.

Sunday offered the first look at the division of labor between Warren and new backfield mate Rico Dowdle, and by game's end, the former had outpaced the latter by two carries and one target. Warren was by far the more efficient of the two while averaging 4.6 yards per carry to Dowdle's 1.9, and he also was the more effective receiver. Warren's lost fumble was the one blemish on his day, as it was recovered at the Steelers' 25-yard line and led to the Falcons' sole touchdown. Warren should have a solid chance of remaining the narrow leader of the ground attack in a Week 2 road showdown against the Patriots next Sunday.