NFL Player News

Brooks carried the ball five times for 18 yards and a touchdown in Friday's 34-17 preseason win over the Jaguars.

With Chuba Hubbard (hamstring) sidelined, Brooks worked with the Panthers' starting offense for the entire first quarter and opened the scoring with a one-yard TD plunge on the team's second possession. Hubbard is expected to be healthy for a Week 1 tilt against the Bears, but in the meantime, Brooks is getting a chance to make his case to take over the starting job in Carolina's backfield.

Dowdle rushed five times for 18 yards and caught his only target for two yards in Friday's 17-0 preseason loss to the Jets.

Dowdle posted a similar stat line to Jaylen Warren (five carries for 17 yards) as Pittsburgh's top two running backs split carries throughout the first half. The Steelers are poised to open the regular season with Warren and Dowdle operating in a timeshare. It's unclear if either of the two will suit up for Thursday's preseason finale at Buffalo.

Warren rushed five times for 17 yards in Friday's 17-0 preseason loss to the Jets.

Warren was the first running back into the game for the Steelers but split carries with Rico Dowdle throughout the first half. The two running backs had similar stat lines, as Dowdle rushed five times for 18 yards and added a two-yard catch. Pittsburgh's entire offense struggled with Will Howard and Drew Allar at QB, but things should improve in the regular season with Aaron Rodgers under center. Warren and Dowdle appear poised for a near-even split barring injury or the emergence of a hot hand.

Jacobs (groin) won't play in Friday's preseason game at Denver, according to Mike Spofford of the Packers' official site.

Jacobs returned to practice Tuesday after missing time with a groin issue, so Green Bay appears to be taking a cautious approach with its lead running back at this point during exhibition season. His absence Friday is notable for workload management, but he remains on track for regular-season duties if he avoids setbacks.

Vidal turned four carries into six yards while catching both targets for 10 yards during the Chargers' 41-17 preseason loss to the 49ers on Thursday. He also returned one kickoff for 27 yards.

Vidal was the third running back with a touch behind Omarion Hampton and Keaton Mitchell, and Vidal's 19 snaps on offense were most among Chargers running backs. Vidal's production Thursday was not as good as his performance in the Chargers' preseason opener against the Texans, and it looks like Mitchell is in the lead for the RB2 job behind Hampton. The Chargers wrap up their preseason this Thursday against the Rams.

Whittington (ankle) is regarded as day-to-day as of Friday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Whittington injured his ankle in Thursday night's 22-20 preseason victory over the Raiders. The running back logged nine carries for 11 yards in the contest, adding two kick returns for 44 yards as well. The undrafted free agent out of Oregon will need to recover quickly to continue making his case for a 53-man roster spot.

McCormick rushed six times for 53 yards and a touchdown in Thursday night's 41-17 preseason win over the Chargers.

McCormick was the 49ers' leading rusher in the contest despite receiving fewer attempts than Kaelon Black or Zamir White. The running back is currently competing with Black and White to be a potential backup to Christian McCaffrey (undisclosed) while Jordan James (ribs) and Isaac Guerendo (pectoral) are sidelined with injuries.

Dowdle is suited up for Friday's preseason game versus the Jets, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Dowdle thus is poised to make his Steelers debut after sitting out the team's exhibition opener last Thursday against the Packers. Both Dowdle and Jaylen Warren are in uniform Friday, and the former is looking to build upon the 1,373 yards from scrimmage and seven total TDs he racked up in 17 regular-season games in 2025 as a member of the Panthers.

Warren is in uniform for Friday's preseason game against the Jets, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

After sitting out Pittsburgh's exhibition win over Green Bay last Thursday, both Warren and new backfield mate Rico Dowdle are suited up and appear set to get some valuable reps ahead of Week 1. Warren is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he racked up 1,291 yards from scrimmage and eight total TDs on 251 touches in 16 regular-season games.

Montgomery did not play in Houston's preseason game against Las Vegas on Thursday, according to Texans Wire.

The Texans went with a mixed crew of starters and backups to open their second preseason game. It's probably a good sign for Montgomery's Week 1 role that he was among the players rested, though second-string RB Woody Marks took advantage of the opportunity with a 20-yard TD scamper on which he broke two tackles. Montgomery still figures to get the start and most of the carries in a Week 1 home game against Buffalo.