NFL Player News

Henry rushed eight times for 29 yards and added one reception for zero yards on two targets in Saturday's preseason opener against the Jets.

Henry failed to find much room against the stout New York front, but it was encouraging to see him suit up after tweaking his foot/ankle Thursday. He'll serve as DeMarco Murray's backup as long as the veteran stays healthy, but the 2016 second-rounder is one Murray injury away from inheriting one of the league's most desirable running back positions behind Tennessee's tremendous offensive line.

Sims rushed three times for 23 yards and wasn't targeted in the passing game in Friday's 23-12 preseason loss to the Bengals.

Sims got work in behind Doug Martin and Jacquizz Rodgers, ripping off back-to-back gains of 13 and eight yards on a late second-quarter drive. The versatile fourth-year back ceded work to the likes of Peyton Barber and Jeremy McNichols after that point, but his effort during limited time mirrored the caliber of performances Sims has typically turned in thus far in camp. He'll look to see more touches in next Thursday's tilt versus the Jaguars.

Morris (shoulder) is expected to play in Saturday's preseason opener against the Titans.

Last summer with the Jets, Morris carried 11 times for 27 yards (2.5 YPC) before getting cut prior to the third preseason game. He'll have his opportunities again this time around but will need to be much more effective in order to secure a roster spot ahead of Week 1.

Carey (thigh) didn't practice Saturday.

Carey went down with some sort of thigh injury during Thursday's preseason opener against the Broncos and wasn't able to return to the game. His timetable for a return isn't clear.

Hill agreed to a contract with the Vikings on Saturday, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports.

Hill was most recently waived by the Jaguars in May. The Vikings were in the market for running back depth after Bishop Sankey (knee) got knocked out for the year. Hill played in just three games for the Jaguars this season, and figures to have a long shot at landing on the Vikings' final roster.

Hunt returned two kickoffs for 36 yards in Houston's preseason-opening loss to the Panthers on Wednesday.

Tyler Ervin was the main return man last season but had some problems with his handle, fumbling five times and losing two of them. The Texans aren't necessarily moving on from Ervin, but will give others opportunities, particularly early in the preseason. Hunt and Ervin are similar backs and there seemingly would be redundancy if both were given roster spots.

Mostert logged 15 rushes for 89 yards in Friday's 27-17 preseason win over the Chiefs.

The 25-year-old easily outpaced all rushers Friday while helping to drain the clock in the fourth quarter, racking up 10 of his carries on the next-to-last possession of the game. Mostert appears to have a legitimate opportunity to secure a roster spot and see snaps as a tailback for the first time in his career, as all of the stats he's compiled in his first two seasons during stops in Cleveland, Miami and Chicago have come as a returner. The Purdue product certainly made a solid opening case and will look to build on the effort against the Broncos next Saturday.

Mixon gained 31 yards on six rushes and secured his only target for 11 yards in Friday's 23-12 preseason win over the Bucs.

The talented Oklahoma product is expected to push incumbent Jeremy Hill, and the battle for the starting tailback job got off to a rousing start from the opening possession. Head coach Marvin Lewis notably had Mixon begin rotating in on that first drive, one in which Hill also saw multiple carries. Both players also remained in the game for the team's second drive helmed by A.J. McCarron. As per Geoff Hobson of the team's official site, Mixon had the benefit of playing behind the first-team offensive line, as that unit remained in the game for the entirety of the first half. The 21-year-old certainly made a strong opening statement in his first taste of NFL game action, a performance he'll try build on next Saturday versus the Chiefs.

Hightower (knee) was held out of action in Friday's preseason opener against Kansas City, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The veteran running back has been dealing with a minor knee injury and it was bothering him enough to keep him sidelined for Week 1 of the preseason. The 49ers haven't provided specifics in regard to the severity of the injury, but Hightower's participation in practice this upcoming week should give us a better idea as to when he's expected to make his debut in red and gold. The 31-year-old is currently listed as the primary backup to Carlos Hyde, but he will have to fend of rookie Joe Williams for touches as the regular season approaches.

Williams ran the ball seven times for 60 yards in Friday's preseason opener against the Chiefs.

The 23-year-old took advantage of his limited opportunities by gashing the defense for significant gains every time he touched the ball. Williams hit the holes hard and also displayed speed on the edge on a couple of toss plays. His most-impressive run came on a play that had a disastrous start when the rookie dropped a toss, but he picked the ball up and burned the defense for an 11-yard gain despite starting the run from a complete stop. Carlos Hyde is the lead dog in San Francisco's backfield, but a strong preseason could earn Williams enough touches to make an impact in his rookie campaign.