NFL Player News

Breida (undisclosed) won't play in Sunday's preseason matchup against the Bengals, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports.

Breida is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will be forced to miss a second consecutive preseason game. His final chance to take the field during the preseason will be Aug. 28 against the Jets.

With the Patriots starters expected to play some Friday night against the Panthers, per Evan Lazar of the CLNS Media Network, Harris, who didn't see action in the team's preseason opener last week, is a candidate to log some snaps against Carolina.

In the Patriots' exhibition opener, the bulk of the team's key skill players didn't log any action, but this time around it appears as though the starters will get some work in against the Panthers. As the 2022 season approaches, Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson are expected to handle the bulk of New England's early-down responsibilities, while Ty Montgomery and 2022 fourth-rounder Pierre Strong are the top candidates to help fill the pass-catching void created by the retirement of James White. Also looking to secure depth roles in the team's backfield are 2022 sixth-rounder Kevin Harris and J.J. Taylor.

Thompson rushed six times for 34 yards and a touchdown and caught his lone target for seven yards in Thursday's 27-11 preseason loss to the Bears.

Thompson didn't play until the third quarter, as he's still firmly behind Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas in the fight for a roster spot. Nevertheless, Thompson was quite effective with his reps, showing a good ability to break tackles en route to the Seahawks' only touchdown of the evening. Thompson may be able to sneak onto the 53-man roster if Kenneth Walker (hernia) ends up missing time to start the regular season.

Dallas rushed five times for 15 yards and caught four of five targets for 52 yards in Thursday's 27-11 preseason loss to the Bears.

Dallas couldn't get going on the ground like his backfield mate Travis Homer, who carried five times for 44 yards. The two both have a good chance to make the roster, especially because Kenneth Walker (hernia) is suddenly uncertain for Week 1. However, Homer has been handling more reps with the first-team offense during the preseason, and his pass-blocking acumen gives him the edge over Dallas.

Homer rushed five times for 44 yards and caught his lone target for four yards in Thursday's 27-11 preseason loss to the Bears.

Homer's highlight of the evening was a slashing run where he broke at least four tackles and gained 33 yards, which was perhaps the play of the game. He led the team in rushing while fellow running back DeeJay Dallas led the team in receiving with four catches for 52 yards. Homer is more effective than Dallas as a runner and a pass-blocker, though, so he likely still has the edge in the competition. The duo may be battling for an increased role in Week 1 if Kenneth Walker (hernia) isn't ready.

Felton has taken carries at running back the last two days of practice after spending most of training camp at wide receiver, Anthony Poisal of the Browns' official site reports.

Out of necessity due to several wideout injuries, the Browns had Felton focused on running routes rather than running the ball. With the return of players from injury, the Browns can allocate more of Felton's time to the backfield. Cleveland's ground attack took on a new level of significance Thursday following the increase in Deshaun Watson's suspension from six to 11 games. The backs figure to be paramount in offensive game plans while the team adjusts to life without its No. 1 quarterback.

Evans rushed eight times for 39 yards and a touchdown while catching two passes for seven yards in the Bears' 27-11 preseason win over the Seahawks' on Thursday.

Evans got into the game after both Khalil Herbert and Trestan Ebner saw action. At that point, Evans and Ebner rotated series until Ebner left with an ankle injury. Evans saw work as late as the fourth quarter. He had his best production when seeing four straight carries that resulted in the Bears moving the chains. He'll likely remain in a battle with Evans for the No. 3 running back role.

Houston head coach Lovie Smith has not named a lead back and will continue to evaluate Pierce among several candidates Friday when the Texans face the Rams in Los Angeles, Drew Dougherty of the Texans' official site reports. "I think you let guys play," Smith said. "They kind of tell you who should start, who should be on the roster, how many plays they should get. They all have a certain strength, and we'll let it play out."

Pierce was the lead story coming out of last week's preseason opener against the Saints, bolting for 20 yards on his first rushing attempt and finishing with 49 overall on five carries. He also showed up well in pass protection. Jonathan M. Alexander and Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle talked about Pierce and the team's RB1 situation heading into Friday's contest. The hype in Houston has started, but it should be noted that Pierce's production came against New Orleans' second-unit defense. The Texans will need to evaluate him against a team's top unit; when the Saints defensive ones were on the field, Marlon Mack was stuffed on a pair of runs and Houston's offense went three-and-out on two drives. The major difference this week, however, will be Houston having most of its starting offensive line on the field.

Herbert rushed once for seven yards and caught both of his targets for two yards in Thursday's 27-11 preseason win over the Seahawks.

Herbert got the start with David Montgomery getting the night off, but the second-year running back only played one possession himself before being removed along with fellow skill position starters Justin Fields, Darnell Mooney and Cole Kmet. While Montgomery remains the favorite for most of the regular season playing time in Chicago's backfield, Herbert's usage Thursday suggests he has solidified himself as Chicago's No. 2 running back heading into the team's Aug. 27 preseason finale in Cleveland.

Ebner suffered an ankle injury during Thursday's preseason game in Seattle, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.

It's unclear exactly how Ebner picked up the issue, but he was the second Bears running back on the field in the team's second exhibition behind Khalil Herbert with David Montgomery (undisclosed) sidelined. Prior to his departure in the second quarter, Ebner took nine carries for 29 yards.