NFL Player News

Black (thigh) looked like himself at Tuesday's practice, Grant Cohn of SI.com reports.

Black has been sidelined since Aug. 3 due to an adductor injury, but his return to the practice field Tuesday was a welcome sight for an RB room that currently is without Christian McCaffrey (undisclosed), Jordan James (ribs) and Isaac Guerendo (pectoral, active/PUP). Black, a rookie third-round pick, now is the top healthiest player at the position ahead of Patrick Taylor, Sincere McCormick and Zamir White on the 49ers roster.

Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield said Tuesday that he's been "completely overwhelmed with the amount of talent" that Gainwell has, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

Dramatic language and all, Gainwell apparently has a very important fan on his new team. While Bucky Irving remains the presumed lead runner, Gainwell should get a lot of the work on passing downs while also maintaining a small role in "pony" packages with two halfbacks on the field. New playcaller Zac Robinson used those double-RB looks on a league-high 95 plays (9.1 percent of total snaps) with the division-rival Falcons last year.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said McCaffrey (undisclosed) would've practiced Tuesday if the 49ers hadn't been in a joint session with the Chargers, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Shanahan also shut down speculation about McCaffrey's recent absences being contract-related. The star running back has been absent for a week due to what's only been described as "tightness". If Shanahan is to be believed, McCaffrey is making good progress and nearing a return to practice.

Dobbins (undisclosed) was in full pads for Tuesday's practice, Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette reports.

Dobbins left last Monday's session due to what eventually was termed a soft-tissue injury by coach Sean Payton, but he's stayed active since then and Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com noted that the running back looked sharp Tuesday during drills. Looking ahead, Dobbins is on track to reprise his role at the top of a Denver backfield that also includes 2025 second-rounder RJ Harvey and 2026 fourth-rounder Jonah Coleman. As long as he can stay healthy, which is far from guaranteed in his case, Dobbins should see enough of a workload to merit fantasy lineup attention, but the continued presence of Harvey, who will also see his share of touches, as well as Coleman possibly emerging as a factor, are variables that could hamper Dobbins' weekly ceiling.

Black (thigh) is back in uniform for Tuesday's practice session, Matt Barrows of The Athletic

This is significant for the rookie, as Black had been sidelined since the first week of camp due to an adductor injury. Black is jockeying for position in the 49ers' backfield behind Christian McCaffrey and has to make up for lost time. Any ability to show some flash over the remainder of the preseason would help Black's case for playing time versus Jordan James (ribs) and Patrick Taylor.

Monangai (knee) is considered week-to-week, Adam Jahns of AllCHGO.com reports.

The second-year back suffered a hyperextended knee during Sunday's practice, and now coach Ben Johnson has offered a loose timeline for Monangai's return. There are still nearly four full weeks until the Bears' regular-season opener against the Panthers, so Monangai has a chance to avoid missing any real games. For now, Roschon Johnson will get additional work behind D'Andre Swift in the Bears' backfield.

Coach Mike LaFleur confirmed Tuesday that Love does not need surgery to address his ankle injury, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Love sustained a reported high-ankle sprain in this past Thursday's preseason win over the Raiders, and he's not expected to play again during the preseason. Per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN, the Cardinals are hoping the rookie running back will be available for Week 1 action. If he ends up being limited at all out of the gate, Tyler Allgeier would presumably see added opportunities, especially with James Conner (foot) and Trey Benson (knee) dealing with injuries of their own.

Harris (Achilles) signed a one-year deal with the Giants on Tuesday, Dan Salomone of the team's official site reports.

The Giants were clearly convinced that Harris has made enough progress in his Achilles rehab to contribute this season, after the veteran visited with the team Monday. He's now set to join a backfield headed by Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary. Harris is well-regarded for his blitz pickup and short-yardage ability, which could complicate the snaps projection for the Giants' incumbent RBs even if Harris himself is not a featured part of the offense.

Benson (knee) has yet to progress to 11-on-11 drills in training camp, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.

The clock is ticking for Benson, who missed a large chunk of 2025 with a knee injury that has continued to bother him at times during camp. On a positive note, Benson managed to get in a limited practice Monday. However, it's unclear when he'll be ready for full-team drills. Benson is one of several Cardinals running backs dealing with injuries, including Jeremiyah Love (ankle) and James Conner (foot).

Ford (undisclosed) was placed on injured reserve by the Commanders on Tuesday.

The former Brown will miss the season due to an injury unless he is released with an injury settlement. Ford was brought in during free agency for backfield and kick return depth.