NFL Player News

Head coach Ron Rivera said Gibson (hamstring) was held out of practice Wednesday due to "an abundance of caution," with the Commanders planning to ramp up his workload on the side field before he joins his teammates for drills, Matthew Paras of The Washington Times reports.

Gibson injured his hamstring at OTAs and missed some of the later sessions. His absence from early training camp practices leaves more reps for passing-down specialist J.D. McKissic, third-round pick Brian Robinson and second-year pro Jaret Patterson. The Commanders may be extra cautious after last year's experience with Curtis Samuel picking up a soft-tissue injury during the offseason.

Edwards-Helaire (undisclosed) is participating in Wednesday's training camp session, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports.

Edwards-Helaire was added to the active/PUP list Tuesday, but it looks like his stay on the list will be a brief one. The Chiefs haven't yet officially activated Edwards-Helaire, but his participation in practice is a likely indication that such a move is coming. The 2020 first-round pick's fantasy prospects would stand to benefit if he's able to stay healthy and impress during training camp.

Gibson (hamstring) was spotted working out on a side field Wednesday during the first day of Washington's veteran training camp, Pete Hailey of NBC Sports Washington reports.

Gibson may still be nursing the hamstring injury which caused him to miss a bit of time during OTAs, an issue which coach Ron Rivera downplayed at the time. The Commanders aren't yet practicing in pads, so it's too early to raise any alarms, but Gibson's status will warrant monitoring as training camp continues. In the meantime, rookie third-round pick Brian Robinson could continue to see an uptick of first-team reps.

Dallas is expected to compete with Travis Homer for a third-down role following Tuesday's report that Chris Carson (neck) will retire, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.

Dallas rushed 33 times for 138 yards and two touchdowns and reeled in 21 of 23 targets for 133 yards last season. However, he was out-snapped by Homer, with the latter player's greater reliability in pass protection earning him more work. Until one of the two emerges as the clear-cut top option on passing downs, Homer and Dallas will likely rotate snaps in those scenarios, though neither running back should be counted on for fantasy purposes as long as Rashaad Penny and Kenneth Walker are active and available.

Homer is expected to compete with DeeJay Dallas for a third-down role following Tuesday's report that Chris Carson (neck) will retire, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.

After the Seahawks picked Kenneth Walker in the second round of April's draft, Homer might have been on the roster bubble if Carson managed to gain medical clearance for the start of training camp. However, with Carson now out of the picture, Homer has a much better chance at securing a spot on the roster. Homer is a skilled special-teams player and the Seahawks' best pass protector, while Dallas is considered the better receiver of the two. It wouldn't be surprising for either Homer or Dallas to run away with the third-down job outright, but neither player will be much of a factor on the ground as long as Walker and Rashaad Penny are healthy.

Penny will compete with Kenneth Walker for the starting running back job following Tuesday's report that Chris Carson (neck) will retire, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.

Penny, Carson and Walker, a rookie second-round pick, had all been viewed as candidates for the gig heading into training camp. While Penny's strong finish to the 2021 campaign made him the favorite to remain the top option on the depth chart, Carson's presence as a bruiser with pass-catching capabilities could have cut into Penny's workload. Now, Walker -- who may need time to develop his skills on passing downs -- will be Penny's main competition during the preseason. Of course, Penny's health is a concern of his own, considering he played only 23 games over the last three seasons. However, he finished the past season with 671 rushing yards (7.3 per carry) and five touchdowns over the final five games, showcasing the elite upside he brings to the table when he's available.

Walker has signed his rookie contract, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

The same applies to fellow 2022 second-round pick Boye Mafe and fourth-rounder Coby Bryant, meaning that Seattle's entire nine-player draft class is now under contract. With Chris Carson planning to retire from the NFL because of a neck injury, Rashaad Penny and Walker top the Seahawks' running back depth chart, with Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic noting that the duo are in line to work as the team's primary early-down options. DeeJay Dallas and Travis Homer are expected to share third-down duties. Though Walker has plenty of long-term upside, it may take him some time to become a steady fantasy producer, with ESPN's Brady Henderson indicating that Penny (who led the NFL in rushing over the final five weeks of last season) projects as Seattle's primary running back to begin the coming season.

Edwards-Helaire (undisclosed) could come off the PUP list within the next few days, according to Nate Taylor of The Athletic.

Though the nature of Edwards-Helaire's injury has yet to be clarified, Taylor relays that he's been told the running back's issue is nothing major. For now, Ronald Jones, Jerick McKinnon, Isiah Pacheco, Derrick Gore and Tayon Fleet-Davis are slated to handle Kansas City's backfield reps at the start of training camp.

Edwards-Helaire (undisclosed) has been placed on the active/physically unable to perform list, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Added clarity on what injury or issue Edwards-Helaire is dealing with could come as soon as Wednesday, when coach Andy Reid is slated to address reporters, per Herbie Teope of The Kansas City Star. With Edwards-Helaire sidelined, Ronald Jones, Jerick McKinnon, Isiah Pacheco, Derrick Gore and Tayon Fleet-Davis are available to handle Kansas City's backfield reps.

Patterson said he plans to return kickoffs this year, hoping to set an NFL record of nine career kick return touchdowns, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.comreports.

The 31-year-old former wideout is coming off his best NFL season on the offensive side of the ball, where he managed 1,166 total yards and 11 TDs in a struggling Atlanta offense. He's currently tied for the all-time lead with eight TDs on kickoffs, and Patterson said he'd give up the task once he set the record. For fantasy purposes, it's a minor concern, with the bigger issues being Patterson's workload, health and performance. He shared work with Mike Davis last season even when Davis continued to struggle, and the Falcons now have Damien Williams and fifth-round rookie Tyler Allgeier joining Qadree Ollison as competition for backfield snaps. Patterson is still the best athlete of the bunch at age 31, but his role is hardly airtight after he averaged only 31. 8 total yards over the final five games of last season.