NFL Player News
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Dylan Sampson RB | CLE
Browns' Dylan Sampson: Gets start against Rams
Sampson carried the ball twice for three yards and caught his only target for 14 yards in Saturday's 19-17 preseason win over the Rams.
The 2025 fourth-round pick got the first carry of the afternoon for the Browns, and Sampson split the backfield workload with Jerome Ford over the first two drives before exiting the game. That figures to be the arrangement to begin the regular season, but how snaps are actually divided between the two, and in what situations, remains to be seen. Quinshon Judkins, a second-round pick in 2025 who has yet to sign a contract with Cleveland due to off-field issues, remains a wild card but could be added to the backfield later in the year.
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Kendre Miller RB | NO
Saints' Kendre Miller: Three touches to close preseason
Miller rushed three times for 15 yards and failed to bring in his only target in the Saints' 28-19 preseason loss to the Broncos on Saturday afternoon.
Miller handled the first running back opportunity for the Saints and rattled off gains of eight and seven yards on his first two carries, with the second one wiped out by an offensive holding call. The oft-injured 2023 third-round pick is getting a fresh start with the new coaching staff in New Orleans, and he seems to be locked into the No. 2 role behind Alvin Kamara heading into a Week 1 home matchup against the Cardinals.
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Jaylen Wright RB | MIA
Dolphins' Jaylen Wright: Not slated to play Saturday
Wright (leg) isn't suited up for Saturday's preseason contest against the Jaguars, Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald reports.
Wright walked slowly off the practice field Thursday due to an undisclosed injury. While he isn't slated to play Saturday, he was wearing a compression sleeve on his right leg without crutches, indicating that the health concern isn't a serious one. With No. 1 RB De'Von Achane also sidelined at the moment with a calf injury, rookie sixth-rounder Ollie Gordon and veterans Mike Boone and Aaron Shampklin are the Dolphins' healthy options at the position.
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RJ Harvey RB | DEN
Broncos' RJ Harvey: Four touches in preseason start
Harvey started the Broncos' 28-19 preseason win over the Saints on Saturday afternoon and rushed three times for four yards while securing his only target for one yard.
Harvey was the first running back to record a carry, and he was in on Denver's first three possessions overall with the rest of the first-team offense. The rookie second-round pick got some solid work in during preseason, finishing Denver's three-game exhibition slate with a 13-47 rushing line and three receptions for seven yards on four targets. Harvey heads into his first NFL season set to operate in tandem with veteran J.K. Dobbins atop the Broncos' running back depth chart.
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Jarquez Hunter RB | LAR
Rams' Jarquez Hunter: Little running room Saturday
Hunter carried the ball seven times for 14 yards in Saturday's 19-17 preseason loss to the Browns.
The 2025 fourth-round pick got the start due to both Kyren Williams and Blake Corum being held out of the Rams' exhibition finale, and Hunter worked the team's first three drives before handing the backfield over to Cody Schrader. Hunter's role as the No. 3 RB seems secure, but the rookie is unlikely to see a lot of action in the regular season barring injuries ahead of him -- Corum, a third-round pick last year, saw only 65 touches over 17 games in his first NFL campaign.
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Elijah Dotson RB | ATL
Elijah Dotson: Doesn't make roster cut
The Falcons waived Dotson on Saturday, Terrin Waack of the team's official site reports.
Dotson ranked second on Atlanta with 77 rushing yards during the three-game preseason slate, but he averaged only 3.9 yards per carry, and most of his yardage came on one 41-yard scamper. Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier should log the vast majority of the Falcons' carries this season, but with Dotson out of the picture, the No. 3 RB battle appears to be between Carlos Washington (hamstring), Nathan Carter and Jashaun Corbin.
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DJ Giddens RB | IND
Colts' DJ Giddens: Six carries in preseason win
Giddens rushed six times for 22 yards in the Colts' 41-14 preseason win over the Bengals on Saturday afternoon.
Giddens served as the starting running back and handled the Colts' first touch from scrimmage, gaining six yards on that carry. The rookie fifth-round pick is thought to have a decent path to the No. 2 role behind Jonathan Taylor, and the fact his primary competition for that job, Tyler Goodson, missed Saturday's game with an elbow injury only figures to strengthen Giddens' chances.
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Tyler Badie RB | DEN
Broncos' Tyler Badie: Sees time with first team Saturday
Badie rushed four times for 14 yards and brought in four of five targets for 31 yards in the Broncos' 28-19 preseason win over the Saints on Saturday afternoon. He also returned two kickoffs for 72 yards.
Badie logged his first touch on Denver's second possession with 10:25 remaining, sharing time with RJ Harvey on that drive. Badie, a third-year back, would go on to particularly make an impact as both a receiver and returner, and it remains to be seen if his in-game slotting Saturday is indicative of a potential move up the depth chart to open the campaign. Badie has logged four regular-season appearances with the Broncos over the last two campaigns, and his 33.0-yard average on three kickoff returns this preseason may serve to give him a path to the 53-man roster.
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Audric Estime RB | NO
Broncos' Audric Estime: Strong showing to wrap up preseason
Estime rushed eight times for 45 yards and a touchdown and brought in one of two targets for eight yards in the Broncos' 28-19 preseason win over the Saints on Saturday afternoon.
The second-year back led the Broncos in rush attempts and rushing yards while also recording a five-yard TD run with three minutes remaining in the third quarter. Estime's primary competition for the No. 3 running back job, Jaleel McLaughlin, did not log a carry or target, which could very well mean he's locked into his spot on the depth chart. However, Estime did enter the game after both rookie RJ Harvey and Tyler Badie, with the latter's in-game slotting certainly noteworthy. Nevertheless, assuming Estime makes it through final cuts, he could work his way into some reps across all three downs as the season unfolds, and Saturday's performance certainly did nothing to harm his chances of such.
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Dameon Pierce RB | KC
Texans' Dameon Pierce: Early work in preseason finale
Pierce had seven carries for 17 yards in Saturday's 26-7 preseason win over the Lions.
While Pierce getting work in the final preseason game might suggest the veteran is on the wrong side of a roster bubble, it's understandable given the quadriceps injury that impacted his first two weeks of camp. This was his lone preseason appearance, as Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans may have wanted to see him in game action, given the nebulous state of No. 1 back Joe Mixon, who is on the active/non-football injury list with an ankle injury and not a lock to be ready for Week 1. Mixon's health leaves Pierce and Nick Chubb as co-leaders in the backfield. Chubb made one preseason appearance last week against the Panthers, when Pierce was held out as a precaution.