NFL Player News

Stevenson rushed 15 times for 66 yards and two touchdowns and secured one of two targets for eight yards in the Patriots' 35-0 preseason win over the Eagles on Thursday night.

The rookie fourth-round pick is making things interesting in the Patriots backfield this summer, as he managed to follow up a spectacular 127-yard, two-touchdown effort in the exhibition opener against Washington with his pair of scores Thursday night. The 6-foot, 231-pound Stevenson has no shortage of competition in a crowded running back depth chart, but the Oklahoma product may lock in a solid role to start the campaign if he's able to shine again in the Sunday, Aug. 29 preseason finale versus the Giants.

Sanders rushed two times for 13 yards in the Eagles' 35-0 preseason loss to the Patriots on Thursday night.

One of Sanders' runs went for 10 yards, making up the bulk of his production during his brief time on the field. The third-year back reportedly has re-solidified his grip on the starting job after opening training camp splitting some first-team reps with Boston Scott, but given quarterback Jalen Hurts was a late scratch due to illness Thursday, Sanders may not have an opportunity to play with the second-year signal-caller until Philadelphia's regular-season opener against the Falcons on Sept. 12.

Harris rushed six times for 14 yards and a touchdown in the Patriots' 35-0 preseason win over the Eagles on Thursday night.

Harris turned in an inefficient performance from a yards-per-carry perspective, but he did cash in with a five-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter following an Eagles turnover. The third-year back wasn't targeted for the second straight exhibition Thursday, and Harris also saw rookie fourth-round pick Rhamondre Stevenson thrive again with another pair of rushing touchdowns. Therefore, the exact pecking order in New England's backfield may be in flux heading into the Sunday, Aug. 29 preseason finale against the Giants, considering Sony Michel is naturally also in the mix.

Sanders is in line to play in Thursday's preseason contest against the Patriots, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

It's unclear exactly how many snaps Sanders and the rest of the starting offense will handle, but for the running back it'll mark his first (and perhaps only) appearance of exhibition season. While he opened training camp splitting first-team reps with change-of-pace option Boston Scott, Sanders has taken the majority of them in recent practices, indicating he remains the Eagles' unquestioned No. 1 back. During his first two pro campaigns, Sanders averaged 85.4 yards from scrimmage per game and scored 12 touchdowns in 28 outings.

Barkley (knee) is suited up for Thursday's joint practice with the Browns, but coach Joe Judge said the running back won't take any live snaps, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

This falls in line with reports earlier this month suggesting the Giant would wait for the final week of the preseason to really ramp up Barkley's workload. That doesn't mean he'll play in an exhibition, but we could see a return to full-team drills as soon as next week, once the Giants resume practicing after Sunday's preseason tilt in Cleveland. Former teammate Odell Beckham seems to be a step ahead of Barkley in the ACL rehab process, though the wideout still figures to miss Sunday's reunion.

Swift (groin) will get some reps in team drills Thursday, but he's ruled out for Saturday's preseason game against Pittsburgh, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Swift previously was expected to resume practicing Tuesday, which might've given him a chance to be cleared for the game this weekend. In any case, he could make an appearance in the final week of the preseason, or the Lions could wait until Week 1 to unleash their lead back. It's still unclear how much work Swift will lose to offseason addition Jamaal Williams, who took all the first-team reps in the exhibition opener. Swift has been dealing with a groin injury since the first week of August.

Nwangwu (knee) will miss Minnesota's final two preseason games, but he's expected to recover from a hyperextended left knee in time for Week 1, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

The rookie fourth-round pick was injured while returning the opening kickoff of his first preseason game. It's a tough break, but he didn't figure to have much of role in the team's Week 1 offense anyway, slotting in behind Dalvin Cook, Alexander Mattison and possibly even Ameer Abdullah. With 4.32 speed in a 210-pound frame, Nwangwu could help out on on special teams on Sundays while using the practice field during the week to work on his development as a running back. The Vikings tentatively expect him to be ready for Week 1.

Hill (ankle) hasn't practiced since Saturday's preseason win over New Orleans, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Hill sprained his ankle, likely during the exhibition. He finished with six touches for only 12 yards and now figures to miss Baltimore's second preseason contest Saturday against Carolina. With Hill being the favorite for the No. 3 spot at running back, his absence should give Ty'Son Williams more chances to make his own case for the role.

Freeman carried the ball five times for 33 yards, while also catching both of his targets for 14 yards in Saturday's 33-6 win over Minnesota.

Freeman was active with limited touches in both the rushing and passing game. The veteran running back has been the beneficiary of a quadriceps injury suffered by Denver's presumed No. 3 running back Mike Boone, as he could take on more of a workload in Boone's absence. With starter Melvin Gordon sitting Saturday, Freeman and rookie Javonte Williams handled most of the carries early in the contest. Although the 25-year-old didn't exactly turn heads with his performance, he didn't do anything to hurt his cause for retaining the third spot on the depth chart while Boone is out. Either way, Freeman appears on track to serve as a complementary back behind Gordon and Williams to start the season, a context that limits his fantasy upside.

Elliott has been 100 percent healthy in camp and appears to be in excellent shape, but he's not likely to suit up during either of the Cowboys' final two exhibition games, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports. "I feel really good," he said Wednesday. "I feel healthy. I feel like I'm in good shape. I like where my speed and my quickness is. I like how comfortable I am in the offense. So I think I'm ready to go."

Coach Mike McCarthy said early in training camp that the team was going to keep a close eye on Elliott's workload, and the last time the running back saw preseason action was in 2017, so him not seeing any exhibition snaps wouldn't be a big surprise. The 26-year-old is looking to bounce back from a disappointing campaign in which he recorded career lows in rushing yards and yards per carry.