NFL Player News

Mixon (quad) is not in line to play in Friday's preseason game against the Steelers, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

On the plus side, the report notes that Mixon is close to a return to action, but the Texans have no reason to rush the running back into exhibition play, with two more preseason contests on tap after Friday. In the meantime, reserves like Dare Ogunbowale, Jawhar Jordan, Cam Akers, J.J. Taylor and British Brooks should continue to receive opportunities to state their cases for slotting behind Mixon and Dameon Pierce.

Miller tallied 63 yards on 12 carries and caught both of his passing targets for seven yards in a preseason win against Detroit on Thursday.

Miller led Giants running backs with 26 offensive snaps in the exhibition contest. That doesn't indicate his place on the depth chart -- in fact, it more likely suggests that he's near the bottom of the pecking order -- but the 25-year-old nonetheless took advantage of the opportunity, leading New York with 63 rushing yards on a healthy 5.3 YPC. Miller impressively ended the third quarter with a nine-yard rush after the Giants had been pinned back at their own four-yard line, and he added a 19-yard carry two plays into the fourth. While Devin Singletary is secure in his starting RB role and both Tyrone Tracy and Eric Gray looked good as the most likely No. 2 and No. 3 options Thursday, Miller could certainly carve out a role for New York this season and give himself a chance to rise up the depth chart with continued strong play.

Singletary didn't play in the Giants' first preseason game Thursday versus Detroit, and New York's running game produced 155 ground yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries.

That Singletary didn't play in the team's initial preseason matchup further emphasizes what was already a given, which is that he'll take over the lead-back role for the Giants with Saquon Barkley now in Philadelphia. The extent to which Singletary serves as a workhorse, though, could depend on how effectively the team's other ball carriers perform. If Thursday was any indication, second-year back Eric Gray could earn a healthy workload, as he gained 52 yards and scored twice on just four carries while adding 46 receiving yards on four catches versus Detroit. Tyrone Tracy, who has been the early leader for the No. 2 role in training camp, also did well with 26 yards on five rushes, and Dante Miller -- who has opened eyes in camp -- added 63 ground yards on 12 carries along with seven receiving yards on two catches. Singletary's role as the No. 1 back is secure, but it isn't yet known how work will be distributed among all of the running backs with Barkley out of the picture.

Reynolds had four carries for 11 yards in Thursday's 14-3 loss to the Giants.

Reynolds enters the 2024 campaign in a battle for the No. 3 running back role behind David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, competing with rookie Sione Vaki for that spot. Vaki turned four carries into 29 yards versus New York, including a 15-yard scamper in the second quarter. It's hard to read too much into usage in the preseason, but Reynolds saw nine offensive snaps while Vaki was on the field for 13. Reynolds appeared in all 17 regular-season games with Detroit in 2023 and likely still has the edge to open the season above Vaki on the depth chart.

Boone rushed eight times for 34 yards while also catching three of his four targets for 17 yards during Thursday's 17-3 preseason loss to the Patriots.

Boone helped his chances of making the Panthers' 53-man roster Thursday by recording 51 yards from scrimmage while playing the most snaps (30) of any Carolina running back. The seventh-year pro saw that many opportunities due to Carolina resting its top three healthy RBs: Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders and Raheem Blackshear. Nonetheless, Boone outshined both Dillon Johnson and Jaden Shirden and now likely now has a chance of making it past the Panthers' final roster cuts.

Elliott continued to splits first-team reps with Rico Dowdle during the Cowboys' joint practice with the Rams on Thursday, Patrik Walker of DallasCowboys.com reports.

After spending a season in New England and producing a career-low 3.5 yards per carry, Elliott returned to Dallas this offseason on a cheap, one-year contract, but the 29-year-old still appears headed for a significant workload. The Cowboys don't have a clear No. 1 option in the backfield following the departure of Tony Pollard, so Elliott and Dowdle seem primed to handle the majority of the carries, with Royce Freeman (groin) and 2023 sixth-round pick Deuce Vaughn (hamstring) also potentially in the mix. Elliott scored 24 total touchdowns with 2,257 scrimmage yards in 32 regular-season games over his last two seasons with the Cowboys, but it's highly unlikely he'll approach that level of production in 2024.

Jones appears unlikely to play in Saturday's preseason opener against Las Vegas after sitting out practice Thursday for an undisclosed reason, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Jones has looked sharp in training camp so this just may be rest for a veteran. However, check to make sure he hasn't been sidelined due to an injury. Jones is expected to start at running back and be a focal point of the offense, with the only question being how many touches he'll share with backup Ty Chandler to keep him fresh.

Gray rushed four times for 52 yards and two touchdowns while catching all four of his targets for 46 yards in Thursday's 14-3 preseason win over the Lions.

Gray has reportedly been running slightly behind rookie fifth-round pick Tyrone Tracy (five carries for 26 yards) in the battle for the top backup role behind Devin Singletary, but Thursday's performance could help Gray flip the script. The second-year pro's top highlight was a 48-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, on which Gray wrong-footed a Detroit defender with a nice cut in the open field. He added a one-yard rushing TD later in the first half and also showcased his playmaking ability as a pass catcher. Gray will look to build on this strong performance in the Giants' second preseason game against the Texans next Saturday.

Tracy rushed five times for 26 yards and wasn't targeted in Thursday's 14-3 preseason win over the Lions.

Tracy got the start at running back with veteran Devin Singletary sitting out, and the rookie fifth-round pick looked spry in limited action. His first career carry went for five yards, and Tracy added a 12-yard burst later in the first quarter. Tracy's competing for the backup role against Eric Gray, who exploded for 98 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on eight first-half touches. While Tracy wasn't targeted in this game, he has substantial upside as a pass catcher, having played wide receiver in college before converting to running back for the last two years at Purdue. Tracy and Gray will likely continue to jostle for depth chart positioning in the second preseason game against the Texans next Saturday.

Vaki rushed four times for 29 yards and wasn't targeted in Thursday's 14-3 preseason loss to the Giants. He also recovered a fumble.

All four of Vaki's carries came on one drive late in the first half, and he also showed good awareness for a rookie by recovering a fumble committed by a Giants defender on an interception return. The versatile fourth-round pick played both safety and running back at Utah, but the Lions have had Vaki concentrate on the latter position to begin his NFL career. He appears to be no higher than fourth on the depth chart behind Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery and Craig Reynolds, who started Thursday's game. Detroit's second preseason game will be next Saturday in Kansas City.