NFL Player News

Black rushed 14 times for 65 yards and brought in his only target for five yards during the 49ers' 27-7 Week 1 win over the Rams in Melbourne, Australia.

The rookie third-round pick opened the season as Christian McCaffrey's primary backup, but he actually ended up outpacing his star backfield mate by four carries as the 49ers progressively took control in the second half. Black earned the touches with multiple productive runs that showed off his explosiveness, and his ability to help keep McCaffrey fresh throughout the game should only help lead to more opportunities for the first-year back going forward. Black garnered the No. 2 job thanks to an impressive two-game preseason where he performed similarly to Week 1, lending credence to the notion the Indiana product could maintain his fantasy relevance, particularly in deeper formats, as his first NFL season unfolds.

Williams rushed 11 times for 41 yards and a touchdown and brought in all three targets for 24 yards during the Rams' 27-7 Week 1 loss to the 49ers in Melbourne, Australia.

Williams worked in what was just one carry short of an even timeshare with Blake Corum in terms of rushing work, outpacing the latter by that one rush attempt and gaining 13 fewer yards in the process. However, Williams was the only one of the two to have a pass-game role, and he was the sole Rams player to cross the goal line in an alarmingly poor performance by the offense via a five-yard power run on the first play of the second quarter. It remains to be seen if the Week 1 division of labor will have staying power, with the next opportunity to see how matters play out coming in a Week 2 home matchup against the Giants on Monday night, Sept. 21.

McCaffrey rushed 10 times for 68 yards and brought in five of eight targets for 20 yards during the 49ers' 27-7 Week 1 win over the Rams in Melbourne, Australia.

Coming off a 2025 regular season where he was able to suit up for all 17 games while handling 413 total touches, McCaffrey saw a notable workload reduction to open the new campaign. Rookie third-round pick Kaelon Black actually outpaced McCaffrey by four carries, but it was the latter who edged out his new backfield mate for the team lead in rushing yards. McCaffrey flashed his trademark explosiveness when carrying the ball and should still helm the ground attack on the majority of weeks, although lopsided game scripts in either direction could lead to head coach Kyle Shanahan taking the opportunity to curtail his star running back's volume. McCaffrey will next take aim at what is expected to be a vulnerable Dolphins defense in a Week 2 matchup on Sunday, Sept. 20.

Kiner turned six carries into 11 yards during Wednesday night's 13-10 loss to the Seahawks.

Kiner operated as the Patriots' No. 2 running back behind starter Rhamondre Stevenson with TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) unavailable. Kiner was on the field for eight of the team's 71 total offensive snaps, with Stevenson (60) handling the lion's share. If Henderson is sidelined again in Week 2, Kiner will likely operate in a similar role against the Steelers.

Larison reverted to New England's practice squad Thursday, per the NFL's transaction log.

Larison was elevated for Wednesday's season-opening loss to Seattle and logged three offensive snaps, catching both of his targets for nine yards. The 24-year-old also returned two kickoffs for 49 yards. Larison's opportunity came as a result of TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) missing Wednesday's contest, and Henderson's status for Week 2 will likely factor into Larison's likelihood of being elevated for that game. Even if Larison gets elevated again, though, he'll likely continue to work behind Rhamondre Stevenson (60 snaps Wednesday) and Corey Kiner (eight).

James (coach's decision) is officially inactive for Thursday's game against the Rams, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The 2025 fifth-rounder will not suit up in Week 1, leaving Christian McCaffrey and rookie third-rounder Kaelon Black as the only healthy running backs active for the 49ers on Thursday. James' role moving forward may depend on how effective Black is to start the season.

Estime (thigh) did not participate at practice Thursday.

The thigh injury that landed Estime on the Saints' official injury report Wednesday kept him sidelined Thursday. He'll probably need to practice in some form Friday to have a realistic chance of playing Sunday at Detroit.

Strong, who is on Green Bay's practice squad, is currently managing a hamstring issue, Bill Huber of SI.com reports.

Strong had been a candidate to be elevated for the Packers' season opener Sunday versus Minnesota since Josh Jacobs is on the Commissioner's Exempt List, but that's presumably no longer in play. It's not clear how severe Strong's injury is, and given that Jacobs could be out multiple games, Strong could still be a gameday practice-squad elevation down the line once he gets healthy.

Love (ankle) remained a limited practice participant Thursday, Bo Brack of GoPHNX.com reports.

Love has been tending to a high-ankle sprain since preseason Week 1, and while he displayed small signs of progress in recent weeks, he finally has been able to log back-to-back capped sessions to begin prep for the regular-season opener. Friday's injury report will reveal his chances to suit up for Sunday's game at the Chargers, with the range of possibilities going from full clearance to getting ruled out. More than likely, the Cardinals will list Love as questionable for Week 1 action. If Love is inhibited or sidelined Sunday, Tyler Allgeier would be in line to lead Arizona's backfield, with Bam Knight on hand for most of the remaining RB reps.

Mitchell (hamstring) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

The Chargers put a cap on Mitchell's reps for a second straight day, but his ability to practice in any capacity on consecutive days to kick off Week 1 prep is an encouraging sign for his chances of playing in Sunday's season opener versus the Cardinals. If he's cleared to play against Arizona, Mitchell would likely be in line for a complementary role behind lead back Omarion Hampton.