NFL Player News

Williams (foot) is thought to be a week or two away from returning to action, Tyler Dragon of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Look for the rookie running back to be officially ruled out for Sunday's season opener against the Seahawks once the Bengals' final Week 1 injury report is released later Friday. Even when he's available, however, Williams figures to initially slot in behind Joe Mixon, Giovani Bernard and Samaje Perine.

Williams had five carries for zero yards and two receptions for 15 yards in Thursday's victory over the Bears.

Williams and Aaron Jones were the only two active running backs for the Packers on Thursday, and they shared the backfield duties to some degree, with Jones tallying 14 touches while playing 59 percent of the snaps and Williams getting seven touches while being on the field for 41 percent of the plays. Those splits make it clear Jones is still the top back in Green Bay, but they do show that Williams will have a role as well. Just how much work each back receives on a weekly basis could be fluid, though, based on the fluctuations in snap counts when Jones and Williams split the running back duties between Weeks 9-14 a year ago.

Patterson caught one pass for three yards while losing two yards on his lone carry in Chicago's 10-3 loss to Green Bay on Thursday.

Patterson was the only running back on the field on a third down and short, and surprisingly, he was given the ball on an inside run, which is not considered to be his area of strength. He also was used in three-receiver packages when the Bears were trying to mount a late comeback, but his opportunities turned into very little production. It's unlikely he sees enough regular touches to be a serious fantasy factor as the season goes on, though he'll have elevated fantasy value in leagues that include points for kick-return yardage.

Clement will mix into the passing game when matchups dictate, Mike Kaye of NJ.com reports.

Clement almost certainly won't see the same volume as Jordan Howard or Miles Sanders, but it sounds like he will be involved, and coach Doug Pederson has been known to ride the hot hand. At the start of the season, the 24-year-old will mix in behind those latter two backs and alongside veteran Darren Sproles. The undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin has averaged 447.5 total yards and four touchdowns over his two NFL seasons and projects similarly this year.

Montgomery rushed six times for 18 yards and brought in his only target for 27 yards in the Bears' 10-3 loss to the Packers on Thursday.

The rookie's much-anticipated regular-season debut left much to be desired in terms of his final line, but the blame could hardly be placed at the talented feet of Montgomery. The Iowa State product ran decisively on his few carries despite dealing with stacked fronts, showing off the tackle-breaking acumen that became a signature during his college career. Montgomery also displayed his ability in space on his 27-yard reception in the third quarter that took the ball down to the Packers' 33-yard line. Naturally, Montgomery's seven-touch workload was far from what coach Matt Nagy would have envisioned going into the contest, so getting the 2019 third-round pick into a rhythm early is likely to be a priority in the Bears' Week 2 matchup against the Broncos a week from Sunday.

Jones rushed 13 times for 39 yards and brought in his only target for no gain in the Packers' 10-3 win over the Bears on Thursday.

Like all of the running backs on either squad, Jones put together an inefficient performance on the ground overall. However, the third-year pro did find a couple of lanes in the second half, gaining 15 of his yards on the night on back-to-back carries to open a third-quarter series. Otherwise, Jones' quiet effort was a microcosm of the generally poor offensive environment during the contest, and he'll look to boost his production in a Week 2 battle against Vikings a week from Sunday.

Williams (foot) didn't practice Thursday, Curtis Crabtree of Sports Radio 950 KJR Seattle reports.

Despite taking part in some drills on a side field Wednesday, Williams was listed as a non-participant on the Bengals' first Week 1 injury report, which extended into Thursday. It's unclear if he's trending toward inactive status Sunday in Seattle, but the Bengals should be able to get by with the trio of Joe Mixon, Giovani Bernard and Samaje Perine as long as Williams' health is compromised.

On Thursday, executive vice president Stephen Jones wouldn't touch on Elliott's snap count for Sunday's game against the Giants, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports. "He came in in really good shape. Hats off to him," Jones added. "I think he's going to be ready to go ... barring something unforeseen."

Jones didn't exactly shed light on the situation as the Cowboys announced Elliott's extension Thursday. Elliott wasn't listed on the first two injury reports of Week 1, so there's no indication he's dealing with a health concern. On the other hand, Jane Slater of NFL Network reported Wednesday that Elliott will get approximately 20-to-25 snaps this weekend, indicating a split of the RB reps with rookie Tony Pollard may come to pass. Whatever the case, Elliott will be involved in the game plan as long as he's active.

Washington (concussion/ankle) was a full participant in Thursday's practice, Luke Johnson of USA Today reports.

Washington exited the Saints' third preseason game with a concussion and apparently picked up an ankle injury at some point within the last two weeks, but his full activity Thursday suggests he's moved past both issues. The 25-year-old will enter the season third on the depth chart at running back, a role that won't afford him many offensive snaps while both Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray are at full strength.

Murray (undisclosed) wasn't listed on the Saints' initial Week 1 injury report, Luke Johnson of USA Today reports.

Murray missed practice and preseason Week 3 for an unknown reason, but it turned out to be a non-story in the end. Set to serve as the second piece in a backfield that employs Alvin Kamara, Murray should have a healthy dose of snaps on a weekly basis, like Mark Ingram received both of the past two seasons.