NFL Player News

Philadelphia expects Sanders (hamstring) to be available before the team's Sept. 11 season opener against the Lions, Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Sanders hasn't practiced since the team's preseason opener against the Jets, but the Eagles don't view his hamstring injury as overly serious and are merely taking a cautious approach with the fourth-year running back. While that's encouraging news, hamstring injuries are notorious for having a high re-injury risk, and Sanders' absence from practice is allowing second-year running back Kenneth Gainwell to continue making his case for more first-team playing time.

Sanders (hamstring) remained sidelined at Friday's practice, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Zangaro relays via coach Nick Sirianni that Sanders is getting better, but it's unclear when he'll return to the field, with the Eagles proceeding with caution with their top running back. With that in mind, Sanders presumably will be held out of Sunday's preseason game against the Browns.

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

Both Brightwell and Matt Breida (undisclosed) will be held out against Cincinnati, so Antonio Williams and Jashaun Corbin should have increased opportunities in the Giants' backfield. Brightwell will try to return for the team's final game of the preseason Aug. 28 against the Jets.

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.