NFL Player News

Herbert had six carries for 38 yards and three catches for 11 yards in Saturday's 20-13 preseason win over Miami.

The rookie sixth-round pick was the third running back through the rotation, behind only David Montgomery (who left after one snap) and Damien Williams. Herbert took advantage, and he was the primary running back during a mid-game stretch where rookie QB Justin Fields led the Bears to 17 points in a span of three drives. The roster numbers for Herbert are still tough if Tarik Cohen (knee) ever makes it back from the PUP list, but so far the rookie is doing his part to convince the team to keep four tailbacks even after Cohen returns.

Ahmed (lower body) took six carries for 40 yards and two catches for 31 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 20-13 preseason loss to Chicago.

Ahmed looked healthy after dealing with an unspecified lower-body injury earlier this month. He was the third running back into the game -- behind Malcom Brown and Myles Gaskin, in that order -- and finished as the team leader in total yards and the scorer of Miami's lone TD (from 22 yards out on a wheel route). Further down the depth chart, Patrick Laird and Gerrid Doaks combined for 13 yards, losing ground on Ahmed in the competition for the No. 3 role. That job looks a little more interesting after Brown worked ahead of Gaskin on Saturday, perhaps hinting at a competitive backfield rather than Gaskin being the clear starter.

Gaskin came off the bench in Saturday's 20-13 preseason loss to Chicago, taking four carries for 19 yards and one catch for three yards.

Gaskin's performance wasn't an issue, but fantasy managers might be nervous to see free-agent addition Malcom Brown getting the start at RB as well as the first four carries. Brown finished with eight carries for only nine yards and was even stuffed on a 3rd-and-goal from the 1-yard line, but while his stat line may be ugly, the usage/role was promising. It was the other way around for Gaskin, who seemed on track for the lead role in Miami's backfield after his quasi-breakout in 2020. The snap division in Saturday's game suggests that's no sure thing, with Gaskin playing well into the second quarter and sharing shaps with Salvon Ahmed for the second-string offense after Brown and starting QB Tua Tagovailoa were done for the afternoon. Miami's backfield will be closely watched in the second week of the preseason when the team faces Atlanta on Sat., Aug. 21.

Gordon isn't warming up for Saturday's preseason game against Minnesota, Ryan O'Halloran of The Denver Post reports.

Most of the Broncos' healthy starters are expected to play, but it wouldn't be unusual to make an exception for a veteran running back. Rookie second-round pick Javonte Williams should get plenty of work on the first-team offense Saturday afternoon, and with Mike Boone (quad) also unavailable, the Broncos are left with Royce Freeman, Damarea Crockett and LeVante Bellamy as their other running backs.

Cook won't play in Saturday's preseason game against the Broncos, Chad Graff of The Athletic reports.

The Vikings have a list of 30 players who won't play, including Cook, QB Kirk Cousins and all the other usual suspects. Cook could be held out of the preseason even if other starters get playing time the next couple weeks, as he's sure to handle another huge workload once the games start to count.

Coach Mike Vrabel said Evans (knee) is day-to-day after his early exit from Friday's preseason win over Atlanta, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Evans got the start and took four carries for 26 yards, working ahead of Jeremy McNichols, Brian Hill and Mekhi Sargent. The Titans then used McNichols and Sargent throughout the second quarter, followed by Hill and Sargent after halftime. Only Evans topped 3.6 YPC, though Sargent (16 carries for 58 yards) and Hill (12 for 43) did handle far more volume. Assuming the knee injury isn't serious, Evans remains the favorite for the No. 2 RB spot behind workhorse Derrick Henry. It's a job that likely includes third-down snaps, though the Titans could use one player for that role and another as the backup on early downs. Evans appeared capable of both assignments Friday night, albeit in a brief appearance before the knee injury forced him out.

Montgomery limped off the field after taking a carry on Chicago's first offensive play Saturday against the Dolphins, Adam Hoge of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Montgomery walked off the field without assistance and was standing on the sideline without a helmet thereafter, per Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com. It doesn't look like a serious injury at first glance, but Montgomery is likely done for the afternoon. Damien Williams replaced Montgomery in the Chicago backfield.

Ollison was in uniform for Friday's preseason game against Tennessee but didn't actually play, Tori McElhaney of The Athletic reports.

Fantasy managers with interest in Ollison might've liked to see him play, but it's actually a good sign for his standing with the team to be a healthy scratch on a night where the Falcons rested their top players. Of course, projected starter Mike Davis was also held out, as was RB/WR Cordarrelle Patterson. Recent reports out of camp put Ollison in the lead for the No. 2 backfield job, and he's arguably in even better shape after fellow RBs Javian Hawkins, D'Onta Foreman and Caleb Huntley combined for only 46 total yards on 16 touches in Friday's preseason loss. Ollison should get some work next week in a preseason game against the Dolphins on Sat., Aug. 21.

Huntley is listed as day-to-day with a ribs injury, Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com reports.

Huntley evidently injured his ribs during Thursday's preseason loss to the Eagles, but the second-year back still managed to touch the ball five times, not including a 30-yard run that was called back due to penalty. The fact that he's listed as day-to-day is certainly a good sign as he competes with a number of other backs for one of the team's final roster spots.

Reynolds rushed six times for 49 yards and a touchdown during Friday's 16-15 preseason loss to the Bills.

After trying out for Detroit on Thursday, Reynolds didn't take long to begin making a name for himself with his 24-yard touchdown scamper Friday. While the Kutztown product was largely playing against third-stringers by the time he checked into the game -- fellow depth running back Dedrick Mills (five carries, 32 yards) also made some plays -- Reynolds is at least making a strong case for a spot on the practice squad.