NFL Player News

The Steelers elevated Shampklin to their active roster Saturday, Alan Saunders of SteelersNow.com reports.

The Harvard product could be in line to make his NFL debut Sunday. Expect Shampklin to serve as a depth piece in Pittsburgh's running back room while also contributing on special teams in Week 4, if he suits up.

Vaughn didn't see a touch and got only three snaps on offense in Thursday's win over the Giants.

The 2023 sixth-round pick continues to be a distant third in the Dallas backfield hierarchy behind Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott, and Vaughn failed to touch the ball in Week 4 for the first time all season. With Dalvin Cook stashed on the practice squad and the Cowboys getting little production from their running game, Vaughn's hold on a 53-man roster spot appears tenuous at best.

Luepke carried the ball twice for eight yards and caught both his targets for 14 yards in Thursday's win over the Giants.

While his contributions were modest, the four touches were a career high for Luepke, while the totes were his first of the season. The second-year fullback is seeing his role grow in the Dallas offense, and he's caught exactly two passes in three of four games to begin the season. The Cowboys' backfield struggles could open the door for Luepke to see even more volume, but at present he offers little fantasy value even in deep formats.

Gray rushed one time for one yard in Thursday's 20-15 loss to the Cowboys.

Gray once again saw the majority of his workload come as a kick returner, producing 54 yards on two returns. He played just five out of the team's 69 offensive snaps, operating as the clear No. 3 option at running back behind Devin Singletary and Tyrone Tracy. Through four games in 2024, Gray has compiled seven yards on four carries while playing 15 total offensive snaps.

Tracy rushed four times for two yards and secured one catch for 19 yards in Thursday's 20-15 loss to the Cowboys.

Tracy saw his usage decrease slightly in Week 4, playing 15 offensive snaps against Dallas. The rookie made his most significant play in the third quarter, turning a short pass into a 19-yard reception. Tracy remains firmly behind Devin Singletary in New York's backfield, though he has distanced himself from Eric Gray to operate as the team's clear No. 2 option at running back.

Johnson reverted to the Giants' practice squad Friday, per the NFL's official transaction log.

Johnson was elevated to the active roster for the third time this season ahead of Thursday's 20-15 loss to the Cowboys, failing to record any stats while playing seven snaps on offense and eight snaps with the special-teams unit. The fullback will now have to be signed to the active roster in order to appear in another game with the Giants this year.

Ford (knee) doesn't have a designation for Sunday's game in Las Vegas, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.

Ford followed up Wednesday's DNP and Thursday's limited session with a full practice to wrap up Week 4 prep, thus paving the way for him to continue leading the Browns backfield. Through three games on the campaign, he's tallied 39 touches for 203 yards from scrimmage and one TD, while No. 2 RB D'Onta Foreman has a 17-56-0 line, respectively. Ford thus is the Browns' unquestioned top runner for as long as Nick Chubb (knee) remains on the reserve/PUP list, and the former will be taking on a Raiders defense Sunday that has given up a league-worst 5.6 YPC to opposing running backs this season.

Abdullah (back) is questionable for Sunday's game versus Cleveland.

The 30-year-old has played 30 offensive snaps and another 48 on special teams through three weeks. The Raiders have been using all three of Zamir White, Alexander Mattison and Abdullah out of the backfield in a true three-man committee approach. If Abdullah can't play, it could open more pass-game work for Mattison, as White has mainly been limited to early downs.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday that McCaffrey (Achilles) may "start hitting the rehab here harder on Monday," Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

McCaffrey has returned from his trip to Germany to see a specialist for his Achilles tendinitis. He won't be eligible to return from injured reserve until Week 6 and still may be out much longer than that, but it sounds like he's at least gotten clearance to increase his activity level within the next few days.

Bigsby (shoulder) doesn't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Texans and is expected to play.

Bigbsy has been playing through the shoulder issue the last couple weeks. On the year, he has produced a 14-82-0 rushing line behind Travis Etienne in Jacksonville's backfield. Bigsby has yet to draw a single target in the pass game. Bigsby is little more than a fantasy bench stash.