NFL Player News
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Jakob Johnson RB | HOU
Jakob Johnson: Reverts to practice squad
Johnson reverted to the Texans' practice squad Tuesday, per the NFL's transaction log.
Johnson saw an extensive offensive role in the Texans' loss to the Bucs, seeing action on 20 of 49 offensive snaps while playing another 10 snaps on special teams. Johnson recorded a blocked punt in the contest.
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Jaylen Wright RB | MIA
Dolphins' Jaylen Wright: Logs limited practice Tuesday
Wright (knee) was a limited participant at practice Tuesday, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.
Head coach Mike McDaniel stated Tuesday that the running back was "real close" to returning last week, and that he's optimistic about Wright's chances of suiting up in Week 3, according to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network. Additionally, McDaniel said that the team will "see how the rest of the week goes," and that the running back is "putting his best foot forward." Wright's status on Wednesday's injury report of the week will provide more clarity regarding his status for Thursday Night Football in Buffalo.
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Dylan Laube RB | LV
Raiders' Dylan Laube: Could see more work on offense
Laube finished Monday's 20-9 loss to the Chargers with two catches on as many targets for 17 yards and a solo tackle on special teams.
Both of Laube's catches came late in the second quarter while the Raiders attempted to put points on the board in a two-minute drill. Laube split his 24 snaps evenly between offense and special teams, but head coach Pete Carroll relayed Tuesday that the 2024 sixth-rounder could see more playing time on offense moving forward, per Anthony Galaviz of The Fresno Bee. Laube is currently listed as the Raiders' RB3 behind rookie first-rounder Ashton Jeanty and Zamir White.
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Kaleb Johnson RB | PIT
Steelers' Kaleb Johnson: Relieved of return duties
Head coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Johnson "probably" won't be returning kickoffs against the Patriots in Week 3, Brooke Pryor of ESPN reports.
Johnson saw just six snaps (two on offense, four on special teams) during the Steelers' 31-17 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday. Despite the limited playing time, he made a big impact in a bad way by failing to retrieve a kickoff return into the end zone, which led to George Holani recovering the ball for a Seattle touchdown. Johnson has turned two carries into minus-1 yard over the first two games of the regular season, and depsite plenty of preseason hype, the 2025 third-round pick is far from being relevant in the Steelers' offense behind Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell on the backfield depth chart.
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Aaron Jones RB | MIN
Vikings' Aaron Jones: IR bound, out at least four games
The Vikings plan to place Jones (hamstring) on injured reserve Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Head coach Kevin O'Connell had already indicated that Jones was on track to sit out Sunday's game against the Bengals after straining his hamstring in the Week 2 loss to the Falcons, but the veteran running back will now have to miss at least four games while he heads to IR. Minnesota added Cam Akers to its practice squad Tuesday to bolster its backfield depth, but Jordan Mason looks set to operate as the Vikings' clear No. 1 running back in Jones' absence. Over the first two games of the season, Jones had been part of a timeshare with Mason, playing fewer than half the offensive snaps in both contests while carrying 13 times for 46 yards and adding three catches for 44 yards and a touchdown on four targets.
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Cam Akers RB | SEA
Cam Akers: Joins Minnesota's practice squad
Akers agreed to a contract with the Vikings' practice squad Tuesday, Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
Though Akers will begin his third stint in the Vikings organization as a member of the practice squad, he could be elevated to the 53-man roster for Sunday's game versus the Bengals due to Aaron Jones (hamstring) looking unlikely to play Week 3. Akers was most recently with the Saints during the preseason, but he was unable to win a roster spot after New Orleans opted to enter the regular season with Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller and Devin Neal as its backfield options. In 2024, Akers saw action in 17 games between stops with the Texans and Vikings during the regular season, carrying 104 times for 444 yards (4.3 YPC) and two touchdowns while adding 14 receptions for 68 yards and three more scores.
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Brashard Smith RB | KC
Chiefs' Brashard Smith: Tallies first career carry
Smith accrued one rush for two yards and failed to gather his lone target during Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Eagles.
Smith is a clear No. 3 on the depth chart for the Chiefs at running back, with Isiah Pacheco tallying 35 offensive snaps and Kareem Hunt logging 24 -- Smith saw the field for only five. Still, that puts him ahead of Elijah Mitchell in the pecking order should an opportunity present itself in the future. Until then, Smith will likely serve primarily as a returner on special teams with the potential for a touch or two on offense each game.
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Najee Harris RB | LAC
Chargers' Najee Harris: Big jump in usage in Week 2
Harris carried eight times for 28 yards and added two receptions for 20 yards on two targets in Monday's 20-9 win over the Raiders.
After getting in limited practice reps in training camp and the preseason while recovering from a superficial eye injury, Harris took on a light role in Week 1, playing just 18 percent of the offensive snaps and logging two touches (one carry, one catch). However, the veteran poached more work from rookie first-round pick Omarion Hampton in Monday's victory. While Hampton continued to pace the Chargers backfield in playing time with a 62 percent snap share, he mustered just 24 yards on eight carries and had one catch for one yard while also committing a late fumble as the Bolts tried to ice the game. Harris wasn't much more efficient, but he still nearly doubled up his snap share from the season opener, taking the field for 20 plays (34 percent). Hampton will likely continue to lead the backfield during Sunday's game against Denver, but Harris could see his snap share tick up a little more.
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Justice Hill RB | BAL
Ravens' Justice Hill: Makes three grabs Sunday
Hill had three carries for seven yards and caught all three of his targets for 18 yards Sunday against the Browns.
Baltimore's run game was uncharacteristically shut down by the Browns on Sunday as Hill and Derrick Henry combined for 14 carries and 30 yards. Hill managed to contribute in the passing game with three grabs after being held to just one three-yard reception in the opener. His playing time remained in line with his Week 1 total as he played 22 snaps. His usage can vary week-to-week, but Hill's snap share sits in the 40 percent range.