NFL Player News

Mike Tomlin confirmed Harris won't play in Saturday's preseason game against Jacksonville, Missi Matthews of the Steelers' official site reports.

Harris dealt with a minor foot injury earlier in August, but he might be sitting out Saturday even if that weren't the case, as he's a rock-solid bet to rank among the NFL leaders in touches per game. He was able to handle a massive workload without missing any games as a rookie, leading all NFL backs in snaps (980) and touches (381). Running backs coach Eddie Faulkner suggested the Steelers would like Harris to play about seven fewer snaps per game this season, though perhaps without much sacrifice in terms of carries and targets (the idea being to take him off the field more on snaps where he's unlikely to see the ball).

Cook and most other starters are not expected to play in Saturday's preseason game against the 49ers.

Cook might be held out even if the other starters were playing given his injury history and importance to the team. The Vikings have four options behind Cook at tailback, though Alexander Mattison might not see much work if the team is using this game to look at guys at the back end of the roster or on the bubble.

Moss ran for 19 yards and two touchdowns on four carries in Buffalo's preseason game against Denver on Saturday.

Moss was largely written off earlier in the offseason, especially following Buffalo's second-round selection of James Cook, but the former Utah star has seemingly done well for himself in training camp and preseason. Tentatively expected to establish himself as Buffalo's third runner behind Cook and Devin Singletary, Moss could especially carve out usage in short-yardage and passing-down situations. Consistency and volume don't figure to be his strong suit, however.

Cook ran for 38 yards on four carries and caught a 12-yard reception on one target in Buffalo's preseason game against Denver on Saturday.

The explosive running Cook demonstrated at Georgia has so far carried over to the NFL, and he appears ready for whatever role the Bills might have for him -- seemingly a pass-heavy role off the bench behind starter Devin Singletary. Singletary (four carries for 39 yards) and Zack Moss (four carries for 19 yards and two touchdowns) did some flexing of their own against Denver, which is a useful reminder that this backfield might rotate often.

Singletary ran for 39 yards on four carries in Buffalo's preseason game against Denver on Saturday.

Singletary started and played effectively with his four carries, though every other Buffalo running back also ran wild in the game. Backfield competition like James Cook (four carries for 38 yards, one 12-yard reception on one target) and Zack Moss (four carries for 19 yards and two touchdowns) were effective as well, and even fringe players like Duke Johnson (nine carries for 55 yards and two touchdowns) and Raheem Blackshear (five carries for 58 yards) got hot against Denver. The Buffalo backfield is a favorable one for whatever player is on the field, and Singletary should be its primary heir despite the presence of Cook and Moss.

Reynolds rushed seven times for 37 yards and caught his only target for five yards in Saturday's 27-26 preseason win over the Colts.

Each of Reynolds, Justin Jackson, Godwin Igwebuike and Jermar Jefferson got seven carries in this game, as Detroit got an extended look at each of the four running backs competing for the third spot on the depth chart behind D'Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams. Reynolds is leading that competition, according to Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site, but Jackson could be closing the gap after churning out 54 yards on his seven attempts Saturday. Both Reynolds and Jackson will likely get significant playing time in the Lions' preseason finale, Aug. 28 in Pittsburgh.

Sermon will test out his injured ankle ahead of Saturday's preseason contest against the Vikings, but the expectation is the second-year running back should play, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Provided Sermon is good to go, the 2021 third-round pick could see a plethora of first-team reps with Elijah Mitchell sidelined due a hamstring injury. Sermon is in a complicated battle for the No. 2 RB role with rookie third-rounder Tyrion Davis-Price and long-standing veteran Jeff Wilson, although both of the latter options could be relegated to situational roles if the Ohio State product is able to build on what has been a positive training camp thus far.

Goodson had 10 carries for 42 yards and one reception for 10 yards in Friday's exhibition contest against the Saints.

After starting the preseason opener, Goodson worked behind Patrick Taylor on Friday, but the former wound up with more touches and yards from scrimmage and also showed a bit more burst. Unless fellow running back Kylin Hill (knee) returns to action in the next week or so, either Goodson or Taylor will open the season as the third option in the Packers' backfield, and it's a tight race with one audition to go.

Brown injured his ankle in Friday's loss to the Patriots and was ultimately unable to return, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

The severity of Brown's injury is unknown at this time. He is currently firmly planted at No. 4 on the team's depth chart at running back behind Christian McCaffrey, Chuba Hubbard and D'Onta Foreman. Thus, he projects to be a fringe candidate for the final 53-man roster assuming his health is up to par.

Swift is not expected to suit up in Saturday's preseason contest against the Colts, Justin Rogers of The Detroit News reports.

Head coach Dan Campbell suggested Friday most of the team's key offensive starters would not play, so this isn't much of a surprise. Jamaal Williams also appears to be among the group of players not playing Saturday, meaning Justin Jackson, Craig Reynolds and Godwin Igwebuike should see extended workloads as the trio competes for one of the team's final roster spots.