NFL Player News

Williams rushed five times for 32 yards and caught his lone target for two yards in Sunday's preseason tilt against San Francisco.

Williams continues to start for the Saints while Alvin Kamara (back) heals in anticipation of the regular season. The latter is currently not in jeopardy of missing any meaningful time, so fantasy managers shouldn't fret over the lingering injury designation. That said, it wouldn't hurt to target Williams if you have shares of Kamara, roster space permitting. Williams has produced in a starting role before, but the veteran would struggle to reach the amount of touches required if Kamara is ready to roll come Week 1.

Coach Kyle Shanahan clarified after Sunday's 16-10 preseason win over the Saints that Mason sat out due to hip soreness Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The team doesn't sound overly concerned with Mason's injury, as he appears healthier than the team's other top running backs at the moment, but he got the night off Sunday nonetheless. Mason's next chance to take the field will come in Friday's preseason finale against the Raiders.

Warren (hamstring) is slated to miss multiple weeks, making him uncertain for Week 1 against Atlanta, Grant Gordon of NFL.com reports.

Warren suffered the injury during Saturday's preseason game against the Bills. Najee Harris would get more playing time if Warren were to miss regular-season action, with Cordarrelle Patterson potentially taking on a large role off the bench. Harris and Warren have split first-team snaps this preseason, much as they did throughout the 2023 campaign.

Mason (undisclosed) won't play in Sunday's preseason game against the Saints, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Mason is dealing with what is being described as a minor injury. The 49ers are thin at running back with Christian McCaffrey (calf), Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) and Isaac Guerendo (hamstring) all banged up as well, leaving more opportunities for Patrick Taylor, Matt Breida, Cody Schrader and Ke'Shawn Vaughn.

Kamara (back) won't play in Sunday's preseason game against the 49ers, John Hendrix of Sports Illustrated reports.

Kamara is in attendance but won't be seeing the field, as the coaching staff has little reason to deploy the veteran running back in this exhibition game while he works his way back from back tightness that has kept him from practicing in the lead-up to this second preseason game. Kamara's unlikely to dress for the Saints' Aug. 25 preseason finale against the Titans, but the team hasn't given any indication that his regular-season availability could be affected by the injury.

Pierce started and gained five yards on four carries in Saturday's preseason game against the Giants. He also returned one kickoff for 18 yards.

Pierce got a second straight preseason start and played the first quarter with Joe Mixon not suiting up. Mixon, who opened camp with a quadriceps injury, returned to practice last week but was held out Saturday. The running back rotation following Pierce was Dare Ogunbowale, Cam Akers, J.J. Taylor and then Jawhar Jordan.

Small entered league concussion protocol Sunday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Small took a blow to the head during Saturday's preseason game versus the Seahawks, and it turns out he did sustain a concussion as a result. The update makes it unlikely that he'll appear in the Titans' preseason finale at New Orleans.

Brooks rushed for 23 yards and two touchdowns on five carries in Saturday's preseason game against the Giants.

Just like the first preseason game, all of Brooks' activity came in the fourth quarter, which holds more meaning than the two touchdowns. The undrafted free agent out of North Carolina is unlikely to make the roster but could hook on as a member of the practice squad.

Johnson rushed 18 times for 83 yards and one touchdown while also hauling in each of his two targets for zero yards during Saturday's 15-12 preseason loss to the Jets.

Each of Carolina's top three running backs sat for the second straight preseason game Saturday, allowing Johnson to make the most of his increased opportunities. The undrafted rookie out of Washington averaged an efficient 4.6 yards per carry Saturday, which likely boosts his chances of making Carolina's 53-man roster. While Johnson is still comfortably behind Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders and Raheem Blackshear, he has a shot at remaining in Carolina if he continues performing at a high level.

Chestnut rushed the ball 13 times for 45 yards in Saturday's 16-15 preseason win over the Seahawks. He added two receptions (on two targets) for 29 yards.

The Titans sat both Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears, leaving Hassan Haskins and Chestnut as the top backs available. Chestnut was utilized as the starter and carried a heavy workload. The majority of his yardage came on a 22-yard rush late in the second quarter, though he also led off the team's first possession with a 15-yard reception. Chestnut could begin the season third on the running back depth chart, but that won't translate to much work out of the backfield.