NFL Player News

The Patriots signed Martin to a contract Sunday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Martin's latest stop was with the Giants this offseason, but he found a new home as training camp winds down. The Rutgers product faces an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster but could make an appearance in the final two preseason games.

Coach Kyle Shanahan expects McKinnon (knee) to practice this week, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

When he suffered a setback in early August, McKinnon received a platelet-rich plasma injection, which was intended to relieve discomfort in the right knee that sustained a torn ACL last Sept. 1. There was an expectation he'd return to drills within a couple weeks, and he seemingly will do just that in the near future. The tougher prediction is whether McKinnon will be available for a Week 1 visit to Tampa Bay. Even if he is, the 49ers likely will place RB reps in the hands of healthier bodies like Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida.

The Raiders placed Martin on injured reserve Sunday due to a shoulder injury, Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.

Coach Jon Gruden didn't acknowledge Martin's injury until Sunday, with the move to IR implying some degree of severity. After rushing for 723 yards in his first year with Oakland in 2018, Martin looked in line for the No. 2 role in the Oakland backfield behind Josh Jacobs, but he'll now be sidelined for at least the first half of the upcoming campaign. If the Raiders are comfortable with Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington as depth options behind Jacobs, it's possible Martin receives an injury settlement that would allow him to pursue work elsewhere.

Perine worked out on the side of Sunday's practice due to an undisclosed injury, Kareem Copeland of The Washington Post reports.

Perine hadn't shown any sign of injury prior to Sunday. The team has not expressed much concern over the running back's health and it may just be a minor issue. Perine is currently fighting for a depth spot with Washington and any prolonged absence will hurt his chances at the regular-season roster.

Abdullah (shoulder) had one carry for seven yards and two punt returns for 27 yards in Saturday's preseason win over Arizona.

Abdullah had missed practice time with a shoulder injury, but it doesn't look like a worry for the start of the regular season. Abdullah has been competing with Mike Boone and De'Angelo Henderson for the No. 3 role at the running back position, but he may make the roster in any scenario since he's likely to be the team's primary kick and punt returner.

Mattison had six carries for 18 yards in Saturday's preseason win over Arizona.

Mattison and the first-team offense didn't do much in the third preseason game, but he's done enough this preseason to secure the No. 2 RB role. He's also shown enough promise that he could gain a significant role off the bench and emerge as the goal-line back.

Ekeler rushed four times for 11 yards and brought in two of three targets for 22 yards in the Chargers' 23-15 preseason loss to the Seahawks on Saturday.

Ekeler was thoroughly stymied on the ground save for one carry, a nine-yard run. However, he also notched an impressive 17-yard grab in what was likely his final tune-up for the regular season. The third-year pro increasingly appears set to start the season as the Chargers' No. 1 running back with Melvin Gordon still holding out, although backfield mate Justin Jackson should also see a solid complementary workload while Gordon remains out.

Breida ran for 44 yards on seven carries, adding two receptions for 31 yards and a touchdown during Saturday's 27-17 preseason win against the Chiefs.

The 24-year-old back made his 2019 preseason debut last week against the Broncos, but didn't make the offensive impact we grew accustomed to seeing last year when he racked up 1,075 scrimmage yards and five total touchdowns. Breida's former Georgia Southern teammate, Jerick McKinnon, continues to battle his way back from an ACL injury suffered last summer, leaving early season first-team carries up for grabs between him and free-agent signee Tevin Coleman. Breida's grown tremendously more efficient from his rookie campaign, when he averaged an already-respectable 4.4 yards per carry, picking up his output to 5.4 yards per rush over his past 16 regular and preseason contests.

Penny rushed eight times for 22 yards and a touchdown and brought in all three of his targets for 15 yards in the Seahawks' 23-15 preseason win over the Chargers on Saturday.

All of the Seahawks' healthy running backs saw time Saturday, with Penny checking in behind only Travis Homer in carries. While the 2018 first-round pick wasn't efficient on the ground by any stretch, he did make a solid impact in the passing game. Chris Carson seemingly has a firm hold on the lead-back role to start the season, but Penny is certainly projected for a notable boost in the 85 carries and 12 targets he logged across 14 games in his rookie season.

Kelly rushed 10 times for 32 yards and brought in his only target for 12 yards in the Rams' 10-6 preseason win over the Broncos on Saturday.

Kelly saw six more touches overall than Justin Davis, his primary competition for the No. 4 running back job. While he wasn't very efficient on the ground, he did double up Davis in rushing attempts. The job battle appears headed for a final chapter in Thursday's preseason finale versus the Texans.