NFL Player News

Hampton rushed twice for nine yards and wasn't targeted during the Chargers' 34-7 preseason win over the Lions in Thursday night's Hall of Fame Game.

Hampton saw his two touches on Los Angeles' opening drive, which was capped by a five-yard touchdown pass from Trey Lance to Will Dissly. Hampton actually saw three carries overall during the possession, but what would have been his first official NFL rush attempt was wiped off the books by a defensive offsides penalty. The rookie first-round pick has been drawing rave reviews since he first stepped on the practice field this offseason, and he's likely to continue getting his fair share of opportunities throughout the Chargers' exhibition slate as he prepares for a presumptive lead-back role right at the onset of his pro career.

Brooks has clearer path to backfield work behind starter Chase Brown and Samaje Perine in the wake of Cincinnati releasing Zack Moss (neck) on Wednesday, Kelly Singh of SI.com reports.

Brooks, a rookie sixth-round pick, has reportedly put together a strong start to training camp and impressed in the receiving game, per WLWT's Jaron May. With a capable veteran such as Moss around as a No. 3 option, Brooks' path to touches nonetheless looked murky, as Brown figures to dominate opportunities while Perine is a proven change-of-pace contributor. Will Moss now a free agent, however, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 reports that Brooks has become the clear No. 3 running back. If the rookie can continue to compile momentum throughout training camp, it's conceivable he could challenge Perine for the backup role.

The 49ers signed Abdullah to a one-year contract Thursday, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Abdullah had a tryout with the Niners on Wednesday and things evidently went well for the veteran running back. He turned 32 years old last month and appeared in 16 regular-season games for the Raiders last season, logging a 66-311-2 rushing line in addition to a 40-261-3 receiving tally on 47 targets. Abdullah will look to win a job behind Christian McCaffrey, Isaac Guerendo and rookie Jordan James this summer.

The Bucs waived Williams (undisclosed) on Thursday.

The Bucs swapped out Williams for Owen Wright in the backfield. Williams, who was waived with an injury designation, per Greg Auman of Fox Sports, appeared in one regular-season game for Tampa Bay last season, returning a pair of kickoffs for 54 yards. He didn't see any snaps on offense.

Allen (knee) remained sidelined during practice Thursday, Susanna Weir and Eric Allen of the Jets' official site report.

Allen now has missed two straight practice with knee soreness. However, prior to that, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic relayed that the 2024 fourth-rounder had been having a strong training camp, noting that Allen -- who officially is listed at 6-foot-1, 235 pounds -- "looks bigger, faster and stronger" than he did as a rookie, when he logged 92 carries in 17 regular-season games while working behind lead back Breece Hall (209 carries).

Sanders (knee) is not practicing Thursday due to what has been labeled a slight knee bruise, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Sanders' injury is to his left knee, Joe Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News reports, and he's wearing a compression sleeve on that leg Thursday. There are no indications that Sanders is dealing with a significant injury, but the Cowboys figure to take a cautious approach to the 28-year-old's recovery. Jon Machota of The Athletic reports that Sanders has been an early standout at training camp, both as a runner and in the receiving game. He's competing for backfield opportunities with Javonte Williams and rookie fifth-round pick Jaydon Blue.

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday that James is not practicing due to "knee issues," Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

James has reportedly enjoyed a strong start to training camp, with Vic Tafur and Matt Barrows of The Athletic reporting that the rookie fifth-round pick has impressed both Shanahan and offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak. Health provided, James appears in solid position to secure the No. 3 backfield role behind All-Pro starter Christian McCaffrey and backup Isaac Guerendo, but the severity of his current knee issue remains undisclosed. Per Noah Furtado of the San Francisco Chronicle, Shanahan said James will be re-evaluated periodically throughout the next week.

In an interview with Mike Garafolo of NFL Network and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network on Thursday, Stevenson indicated that he's lost 10-11 pounds since last season.

As he heads into his fifth campaign as a pro, Stevenson is set to continue his key role in a New England backfield that also includes 2025 second-rounder TreVeyon Henderson, along with fellow returnee Antonio Gibson. While Stevenson is on track to log his share of backfield touches out of the gate this season, Henderson no doubt will earn a solid portion of the work as well, with Gibson mixing in. For his part, Stevenson noted that he aimed to slim down this offseason with an eye toward staying fit for the long haul while unlocking more breakaway speed, which is something that Henderson has plenty of himself. From a fantasy standpoint, Henderson is the upside play, which is reflected in his current ADP, but with the Patriots' passing game a work in progress, Stevenson's role in the ground game, even while working in tandem with Henderson, should be steady enough to keep him on the weekly lineup radar.

Davis has gotten additional reps in practice in the absence of Braelon Allen (knee), Nick Wojton of USA Today Jets Wire reports.

Allen sat out Tuesday due to knee soreness, paving the way for Davis to get more opportunities alongside lead back Breece Hall. Davis, Allen and Hall all appear to be locks to make the regular-season roster, with the Jets set to use the same backfield personnel while employing a new offensive scheme under a new coaching staff. After being selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of South Dakota State, Davis had 30 carries for 174 yards and a touchdown, as well as nine catches for 75 yards and a touchdown on 12 targets, in his rookie campaign with the Jets.

Tuten (hamstring) returned to the practice field Thursday, Mia O'Brien of 1010 XL 92.5 FM Jacksonville reports.

As expected, Tuten's hamstring issue wasn't a long-term concern, though O'Brien notes that the 2025 fourth-rounder was limited during team drills Thursday. Once Tuten is able to work fully, he'll continue to push for a role in the Jaguars backfield, but so far in training camp Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby have handled the bulk of the reps with the team's top offense, per John Shipley of SI.com.