NFL Player News

Jennings worked alongside Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson with the Patriots' starting offense during Wednesday's practice, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports.

Meanwhile, fellow RBs Lan Larison, Jam Miller and Myles Montgomery worked on the opposite field with the team's backups, with Callahan suggesting that Jennings, for now, seems to have a head start on the team's No. 3 running back job. That said, Larison and/or Jam Miller could push for the role as training camp progresses. In any case, whichever back claims that spot on New England's depth chart will have limited fantasy value as long as Stevenson and Henderson are available.

Love won't play in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday against Carolina, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Per usual, both teams are holding out most of their starters and many key backups for the first game of the NFL preseason. We should see Love later this preseason, at least briefly, but that won't offer much hint about what his Week 1 role looks like. Love and Tyler Allgeier reportedly have been sharing first-team snaps, while James Conner (foot) remains absent from team drills.

Kamara has been getting most of the third-downs snaps with the starters at training camp, according to Jeff Duncan of Nola.com.

With Travis Etienne signed to be the team's lead runner, Kamara is left with passing downs as his obvious path to playing time, though he could also sub in for carries on early downs if he proves he still has gas in the tank. Last year, Kamara made 11 appearances and finished with career lows for both rushing yards per game (42.8) and receiving yards per game (16.9). The second number was barely more than half of his previous career low (16.9), but early signs suggest that coach Kellen Moore still thinks Kamara can contribute as a pass catcher. The 31-year-old reached an agreement with the Saints in July to alter his contract, with the result being a one-year, $6 million deal that includes $3.5 million guaranteed.

Etienne has taken most of the early down reps at training camp, with Alvin Kamara is getting more of the third-down snaps, according to Jeff Duncan of Nola.com.

The workload split isn't surprising given Kamara's track record as a receiving weapon. We'll likely see a similar arrangement come Week 1, though it isn't yet clear if Kamara will also get some carries on early downs in relief of Etienne. The Saints signed Etienne to a four-year, $52 million contract in March, while Kamara's recent renegotiation leaves him with what's essentially a one-year, $6 million contract ($3.5 million guaranteed), per Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com.

The Lions signed Blackshear on Tuesday.

Blackshear spent time on the practice squads of the Titans, Steelers and Jets last year but didn't end up playing in a regular-season game. He'll now have the chance to compete for a spot on the Lions' 53-man roster as a depth backfield option and contributor on special teams.

Benson (knee) returned to practice Tuesday, Bo Brack of GoPHNX.com reports.

Benson sat out Monday's session due to discomfort in his left knee, which stems back to the concern that sidelined him after Week 4 last season. The "little flair-up [sic]," as coach Mike LaFleur described it, probably won't keep Benson off the field long, but it remains to be seen if the third-year pro will be cleared to play in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Panthers. Benson is vying for slotting with James Conner (foot) behind rookie first-round pick Jeremiyah Love and offseason pickup Tyler Allgeier in the Cardinals backfield.

Kevin Bowen of 1075thefan.com notes that he continues to be impressed by what McGowan is showing at running back thus far in training camp.

At this stage, McGowan, whom the Colts took in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL, is competing with DJ Giddens for slotting behind undisputed top back Jonathan Taylor. While the player who emerges as the team's No. 2 backfield option will hold limited fantasy lineup appeal as long as Taylor is healthy, his backup situation is worth monitoring ahead of Week 1 in the event Taylor misses time this season for any reason.

Vaki suffered a broken nose in Monday's practice, Justin Rogers of DetroitFootball.net reports.

Vaki was poked in the eye in the same practice and will now need some time to deal with the injuries. He's competing for a role in the backfield behind Jahmyr Gibbs (back) and Isiah Pacheco this summer. A 2024 fourth-round pick, Vaki has seven career regular-season carries for 18 empty yards.

Brooks won't play in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

The Panthers are holding out starters and key backups, leaving most of the snaps to players who won't end up on the 53-man roster. For Brooks, the question at this point is what his workload split with Chuba Hubbard will look like. Hubbard remains the favorite to start Week 1, but summer buzz around Brooks suggests the Panthers have a significant role for him in mind.

Brown has been taking some reps out wide at practice, Charlie Clifford of NBC 5 Cincinnati reports.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow said Brown has improved his pass-catching skills since last year. Already known as one of the league's better receiving backs, Brown has mostly been used on dump-offs and screens but may be able to exploit slower linebackers on other routes. Either way, he appears set for large workloads and plenty of catches after the Bengals failed to improve their backup RBs this offseason. Samaje Perine seemingly remains second on the depth chart.