NFL Player News

Texans coach Bill O'Brien said Foreman will be more involved Thursday against Cincinnati, Drew Dougherty of the team's official site reports.

Even with Alfred Blue (ankle) sidelined, Foreman had just one carry for four yards while playing two snaps in Sunday's 29-7 loss to the Jaguars. He should be a bit more involved if Blue misses another game, but Sunday's usage suggests O'Brien doesn't really trust the rookie. Lamar Miller played 64 of 79 offensive snaps in Sunday's contest and was still in the game during garbage time, while Tyler Ervin handled some passing downs and also took snaps as a receiver.

Head coach Bruce Arians said Monday that Williams will serve as the No. 1 running back during David Johnson's (wrist) upcoming absence, Bob McManaman of The Arizona Republic reports.

Pending a second opinion on his dislocated left wrist, Johnson is tending to the same injury as rookie RB T.J. Logan, which was accompanied by an 8-12 week recovery timeline after surgery. If the preceding comes to pass, Williams is slated for a significant bump in relevance and should be able to uphold his end of the bargain. During brief stints with the Cardinals the past three campaigns, Williams averaged 5.6 YPC and scored four touchdowns on 98 rushes. Because he cannot mimic Johnson as a pass catcher, Andre Ellington will likely be the preferred option on third down and obvious passing situations.

Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said the team will consider re-signing Johnson after David Johnson suffered a dislocated wrist, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Chris Johnson was released at the end of the preseason when the Cardinals elected to keep Kerwynn Williams, Andre Ellington and special teamer Elijhaa Penny for depth behind David Johnson. With Arizona's star running back likely facing an extended absence, the 32-year-old Johnson may soon get a call, though he'd likely have a limited role even if he ends up back with the Cardinals. Williams is the favorite to lead the backfield in Johnson's absence.

Cunningham has been diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain, Larry Mayer of the Bears' official site reports.

Cunningham was carted to the locker room during Sunday's loss to Atlanta, finishing with one kickoff return for 23 yards. He only logged four snaps on offense while serving as the No. 3 running back behind Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen. With Cunningham likely to miss time, undrafted rookie Taquan Mizzell could be active for Sunday's game in Tampa Bay.

Henry rushed six times for 25 yards, but wasn't targeted in the passing game during Sunday's opener against Oakland.

Tennessee never led in this one, so the running game didn't get many opportunities. Starting running back DeMarco Murray averaged 3.7 yards on his 12 carries, so Henry was actually better on a per-carry basis with an average of 4.2 yards. As long as Murray stays healthy, the second-year power back out of Alabama will be more of a complementary piece.

McCaffrey played 47 of 67 offensive snaps in Sunday's 23-3 win over the 49ers, taking 13 carries for 47 yards and catching five passes for 38 yards on a team-high seven targets.

McCaffrey lost a fumble in the fourth quarter and didn't have any big plays or touchdowns, but Sunday's usage was still highly encouraging for his prospects the rest of the season. Consider that power back Jonathan Stewart logged 18 fewer snaps even though the Panthers were ahead by at least 20 points for the final 26 minutes of the game. Stewart had a 7-3 advantage in carries on the meaningless final drive, but McCaffrey held a 15-13 edge in touches prior to that series. The usage suggests McCaffrey's workload could dwarf Stewart's if the Panthers eventually find themselves playing from behind. Of course, a Week 2 home matchup with the Bills should allow both running backs to stay heavily involved. It's also worth noting that Carolina had McCaffrey and Stewart on the field together for at least a handful of plays.

The NFL has filed an appeal in response to Elliott's preliminary injunction, ESPN.com's Todd Archer reports.

The injunction allows Elliott to keep playing for the Cowboys while his legal case plays out in court. Although it's unclear when the NFL's appeal will be heard, Elliott presumably will be available at least for the early part of the season. The league filed a similar appeal two years ago when Tom Brady won an injunction, and Brady didn't end up serving his suspension until the following season. Elliott is still tentatively expected to be eligible for the entire 2017 campaign.

Patterson caught one pass for two yards on one target to go along with one rush for five yards during Sunday's win over the Titans.

Patterson wasn't too involved in the Raiders' Week 1 offensive game plan, while No. 3 receiver Seth Roberts was on the field for 83 percent of the team's snaps compared to 33 percent for Patterson. The explosive free-agent newcomer made his mark on special teams, however, returning a fourth-quarter kickoff 41 yards to give the Raiders solid field position for what would be their final drive. If Oakland is able to build an early lead against the Jets in Week 2, Patterson could be in line for additional opportunities on offense, though Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree and Seth Roberts appear to be solidified at the top of the team's wideout depth chart.

Perine did not log any offensive snaps in Sunday's 30-17 loss to the Eagles, Master Tesfatsion of The Washington Post reports.

Perine did log 10 snaps on special teams, and it wasn't exactly a banner performance for Rob Kelley, who was held to 30 yards on 10 carries. Perine will get his chance if Kelley doesn't improve, but it would be unwise to expect much from the rookie Week 2 against the Rams.

Williams had two carries for nine yards and didn't draw any targets in Sunday's 17-9 win over the Seahawks.

Ty Montgomery operated as an every-down workhorse, barely leaving the field besides a brief stretch in the fourth quarter when he missed a few plays while being evaluated for an injury. Williams clearly is next in line for carries, but it appears he won't get many so long as Montgomery stays healthy. Though he only missed a few snaps, it won't be surprising if Montgomery is on the injury report for Week 2 in Atlanta.