NFL Player News

Taylor is not in line to play in Thursday's preseason opener against the Ravens, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports.

The same applies to starting WRs Michael Pittman and Josh Downs, among others, though the Colts do plan to give their top two QBs, Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones, reps in the contest. Taylor's next chance to see game action will be Saturday, Aug. 16 against the Packers.

Chubb (head) didn't practice Thursday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Per Wilson, Chubb also missed Wednesday's session after taking a hard hit to the head Tuesday and then leaving practice and walking out with a trainer under his own power. Following back-to-back absences, Chubb doesn't seem especially likely to play in Saturday's preseason contest against the Vikings.

Tuten appears to be the early favorite to begin the season as Jacksonville's No. 3 running back after putting in another good practice Thursday, John Shipley of SI.com reports.

The rookie fourth-round pick was limited by a hamstring injury at the start of camp, but he's impressed since returning as a full practice participant over the weekend. Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby are locked in as Jacksonville's top tailbacks, but Tuten could position himself for a complementary role, especially if he performs well in preseason action.

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday that James will miss a couple weeks due to a broken finger, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

James will require surgery to address his finger injury, ruling him out for Saturday's preseason opener against the Broncos and potentially also the 49ers' second preseason matchup, which will occur Aug. 16 versus the Raiders. With Isaac Guerendo (shoulder) also expected to miss a couple weeks, all of Patrick Taylor, Ameer Abdullah and Corey Kiner will benefit from increased reps behind star running back Christian McCaffrey.

Blue (lower body) spent time in the injury tent Thursday before walking off the field under his own power, Joe Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Blue took a big hit during 11-on-11 work and appears to now have ended Thursday's practice early, which leaves his availability uncertain for Saturday's preseason opener against the Rams. The rookie fifth-round pick has recently earned practice opportunities with the first-team offense and is competing for standing in an uncertain Cowboys backfield, where veterans Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders represent his primary competition for touches.

Vaughn (hamstring) returned to practice Thursday, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Vaughn's return to practice should pave the way for him to suit up in Saturday's preseason opener against the Rams. He's vying for a depth role in a Dallas backfield that also includes Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders (knee), Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah. Vaughn is the only member of that group that was with the Cowboys last season.

Johnson (foot) is not participating in practice Thursday, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Johnson's status now looks uncertain for Sunday's preseason opener against the Dolphins, though there's not yet any reason to suspect his foot injury is anything more than minor. Per Mark Carman of CHGO Bears and WGN Radio, Johnson spent Tuesday's practice mostly working in as a short-yardage specialist around the goal line. He appears to be facing real competition from rookie seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai for the No. 2 role behind D'Andre Swift.

Smith left Thursday's practice early after sustaining a finger injury, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

The severity of Smith's finger issue may not become known ahead of Saturday's preseason opener against the Cardinals, but for now consider the rookie running back day-to-day ahead of the contest.

Lloyd (groin) is handling rehab work on a side field at Thursday's practice, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Lloyd is back with the rehab group for the first time since he picked up a non-contact groin injury late July. While the 2024 third-round pick likely doesn't have enough time to gain clearance for Saturday's preseason opener against the Jets, it's encouraging to see him making progress, and it's possible he could be ready to suit up against the Colts on Aug. 16. Once back at full health, Lloyd will resume competing with Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks for the No. 2 running back role behind starter Josh Jacobs.

Cook (contract) isn't practicing Thursday, Alex Brasky of Bills Digest reports.

Cook is out for a fourth straight practice, after making it clear over the weekend that he was sitting out (or "holding in") for "business" reasons. Bills coach Sean McDermott said Thursday morning that he expected Cook to practice, but the running back wasn't with his teammates when they went out on the field for the start of the session. Ray Davis and Ty Johnson will continue taking most of the first-team snaps in Cook's absence.