NFL Player News

Chandler (ankle) will not practice Thursday but hopes to play in Saturday's preseason game against San Francisco, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Chandler had an impressive preseason debut with 50 yards rushing last Sunday. However, it looks like he could be sidelined for the second game which could hinder his battle to win the No. 3 running back role.

Coach Doug Pederson said Thursday that he expects Robinson (Achilles) to be ready for Week 1 against Washington, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.

Pederson did also say the team wants to be cautious, which perhaps explains why Robinson hasn't yet progressed to full-speed 11-on-11s in practice. He'll be held out of Saturday's preseason game against Pittsburgh, but don't be surprised if the running back is back to full practice participation as soon as next week. It's hard to say what Robinson's Week 1 role will look like if he's deemed ready, as 2021 first-round pick Travis Etienne is poised to lead the Jacksonville backfield after missing his rookie year with a Lisfranc injury.

The Browns list Felton as their top return man for punts and kickoffs on the unofficial depth chart for Sunday's preseason game against the Eagles.

Ja'Marcus Bradley handled both chores in last week's preseason opener against the Jaguars, but it now looks as though it'll be Felton's turn to replace the injured Jakeem Grant (Achilles) on special teams. Felton was the primary punt returner and the second kick returner behind Anthony Schwartz in 2021. Since Grant went down with a season-ending injury, the Browns have used multiple returners in practice, including Felton, Bradley, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Ronnie Harrison.

Walker's upcoming procedure involves repairing a hernia, and the running back is targeting a return to full activity in time for Week 1, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Per Rapoport, Walker wasn't dealing with what is sometimes called a "sports hernia" or core-muscle injury, but either way, the rookie looks like he has a chance to avoid missing any regular-season games. Once he's back to full strength, Walker will resume his quest to carve out a key early-season role in Seattle's backfield behind presumptive No. 1 option Rashaad Penny.

Harris said Wednesday that he's not in line to play in Saturday's preseason game against the Jaguars, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The report notes that if Harris -- who has been managing a foot issue in training camp -- does play at all in the preseason, it will be in the Steelers' exhibition finale against the Lions on Aug. 28. In any case, Harris is entrenched as the team's top back, with Benny Snell (knee), Anthony McFarland, Jaylen Warren, Mataeo Durant and Master Teague (ankle) currently in the mix for depth-chart slotting behind him.

Jacobs didn't practice Wednesday due to an unspecified issue, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports.

Per Reed, Jacobs has been sidelined since Aug. 12, but at this stage it's unclear what's keeping the running back off the field. With that in mind, Jacobs' status for Saturday's preseason game against the Dolphins is unclear.

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday that Walker is having "a procedure" that's not related to a sports hernia, Curtis Crabtree of Sports Radio 950 KJR Seattle reports.

Per Crabtree, Carroll previously suggested that Walker was a dealing with a minor hernia issue, but evidently there's another injury in play for the rookie. Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports that Carroll noted Walker doesn't have a core-muscle injury, but the exact nature of the running back's upcoming procedure is still a mystery. No matter the case, Walker is slated to miss some time in the preseason, but the Seahawks remain hopeful that he'll be ready to go for Week 1.

Williams won't play in Friday's preseason game against the Texans, Cameron DaSilva of USA Today reports.

Williams was activated from the PUP list last week, and it appears the team is exercising caution as he makes his way back from a broken foot he suffered in the offseason. The Rams traded up in the fifth round to select the 21-year-old running back for his ability as a pass catcher. With both Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson sidelined with soft-tissue injuries, both Williams and Jake Funk have received valuable practice reps this week. Coach Sean McVay said the rookie has done "a really good job," and there's a chance that he could play against the Bengals in Week 3 of the preseason. In the meantime, Williams and Funk will compete for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart for the 2022 campaign.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday that it's too early to know if Dobbins (knee) will play Week 1, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

Harbaugh's unwillingness to commit to Dobbins' availability for the start of the season isn't overly surprising, though it shouldn't necessarily be taken as a sign that the running back is trending in the wrong direction as Week 1 approaches. The coach still acknowledged that Dobbins is making good progress, albeit with significant hurdles remaining in his recovery from the ACL tear he suffered last August, including a return to contact work in practice. A preseason appearance seems highly unlikely for the 23-year-old, who has thus far been limited to individual work since he was activated from the PUP list earlier this month.

Ebner is expected to receive plenty of reps in Thursday's preseason game against the Seahawks, Alyssa Barbieri of USA Today reports.

After scoring a touchdown and turning seven touches into 43 yards in last week's preseason opener, Ebner will continue to make a push to secure the No. 3 running back role behind David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert. Ebner could also be a factor on special teams after posting 53 yards in the return game last week against the Chiefs.