NFL Player News

Henderson continues to rehab a right ankle injury and hasn't been cleared for full participation in practice, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Henderson made an early departure from practice last Monday, which has sidelined him in the meantime. Reiss mentioned that Henderson was spotted in the locker room this Tuesday and seemed to be "walking normally," but the Patriots will take it easy on the second-year pro as a Week 1 road showdown with the Seahawks approaches next Wednesday, Sept. 9.

Williams appears to be locked in atop the backfield depth chart after the Cowboys waived several running backs over the weekend, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Dallas cut all three of Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafah and Israel Abanikanda as the roster was trimmed to 53 players over the weekend. Additionally, Williams didn't see any preseason action, suggesting the Cowboys are more than comfortable with his standing as the team's clear RB1. With Blue, Mafah and Abanikanda off the roster, the Cowboys are set to head into the regular season with Malik Davis and waiver pickup Emari Demercado as Williams' backups. Williams isn't a sexy pick in the third round of fantasy drafts, but he should be able to return that price with ease if he's seeing 18-22 opportunities per game like he did last season.

Henry will head into the Ravens' Week 1 game against the Colts with Justice Hill and Rasheen Ali as his backup options, Ryan Mink of the team's official site reports.

Though Keaton Mitchell is now with the Chargers after the Ravens non-tendered him back in the spring, Henry will be supported by a pair of familiar sidekicks. Ali is expected to serve as the Ravens' primary kickoff returner and will see most of his snaps on special teams, while Hill returns to his usual role as the top change-of-pace option. Rookie fifth-round pick Adam Randall (undisclosed) could also factor into the equation at some point this season, though not until at least Week 5 after the Ravens placed him on injured reserve. The makeup of the backfield once again points to the 32-year-old Henry handling a workhorse role in 2026, after he averaged 19.6 touches and exactly one touchdown per game over the prior two regular seasons.

Coach Dave Canales said Brooks missed practice Tuesday due to general soreness, Sheena Quick of Fox Sports Radio 1340 reports.

It doesn't sound like anything serious for the 23-year-old running back after he played 20 offensive snaps during the preseason, rushing eight times for 23 yards and one touchdown. He also caught one pass for nine yards. Brooks is expected to work in tandem with Chuba Hubbard (hamstring) this season, but there's a chance the first running back selected in the 2024 NFL Draft can seize the starting role if he can show he's past the knee issues that ruined his first two seasons.

The Athletic's Nate Atkins believes the Rams will continue to use a backfield timeshare with Williams and Blake Corum this season.

Neither Williams nor Corum saw any action this preseason, as the Rams are notorious for resting their starters every summer, so it was difficult to get a clear picture of the backfield situation outside of practice. By all accounts, the Rams want to up Corum's usage after he saw double-digit touches once in the first six games of 2025, but seven times in the subsequent 11 regular-season contests. Working in Williams' favor, however, is coach Sean McVay's preference to use him near the goal line and on passing downs. Even with the talk of Corum getting more work, Williams appears to have a strong fantasy floor in one of the NFL's most potent offenses.

Hubbard (hamstring) returned to practice Tuesday, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

The running back may not end up being a full participant, but he's on the field with his helmet as the session gets underway. Hubbard has been hampered by a hamstring injury since mid-August but has been progressing well, and he's trending in the right direction to be ready for Week 1.

Johnson is in line to be Kenneth Walker's backup to begin the season for Kansas City .

Former Cardinals running back Emari Demercado was waived during final roster cutdowns, clearing a path for Johnson after the rookie out of Nebraska impressed throughout training camp and the preseason. Kansas City also has Brashard Smith on the roster, but Johnson may be the better backup for fantasy managers to stash.

Croskey-Merritt (lower body) is dressed for Tuesday's practice, Tashan Reed of The Washington Post reports.

This is a big positive for Croskey-Merritt, who had been working through a lower-body issue late in the preseason. He is now trending in the right direction for Week 1, but official injury reports the week of the game will give final confirmation. If healthy, Croskey-Merritt is in line for a prominent role yet again in the Washington backfield.

Jeanty (ankle) is working off to the side during Tuesday's practice, Sam Warren of The Athletic reports.

This marks the first time Jeanty has been participating during a media viewing period since the running back sustained an ankle injury during practice Aug. 23. Jeanty was initially not out with the team for Tuesday's session but has since gotten on the field to work with trainers. There are still some hurdles to be cleared before Jeanty's Week 1 status is confirmed, but the second-year back appears to be making progress.

Jeanty (ankle) was not spotted at Tuesday's practice, Sam Warren of The Athletic reports.

Head coach Klint Kubiak said Friday that he's "counting on" Jeanty to be available for Week 1, but the second-year running back will need to get back on the practice field first. The Raiders will open their season with a Sept. 13 game against the Dolphins, so Jeanty still has time to heal up from his sprained ankle. Rookie Mike Washington would be in store for an expanded role versus Miami if Jeanty is out or limited for that contest.