NFL Player News

Chandler had five carries for five yards along with three receptions for 20 yards in Saturday's preseason win over Baltimore. However, he may have fallen behind Zavier Scott in the competition for the No. 3 RB role, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Scott had an impressive performance with seven carries for 40 yards. However, Chandler did work with the first-team offense while Scott had most of his production in the second quarter. Chandler also was one of the two primary kick returners, which could give him an edge. Still, this battle may not be decided until late in camp, and the loser may not stay on the 53-man roster.

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Watkins is nursing a high-ankle sprain and will be out roughly one month, Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.

Watkins suffered the injury during the 49ers' 30-9 preseason loss to the Broncos on Saturday, per David Lombardi of SFStandard.com, in which he corralled three of six targets for 56 yards. The timing of the rookie fourth-round pick's injury is discouraging, as he appeared to be putting together real momentum early in training camp and injuries elsewhere in San Francisco's wide receiver corps had opened up real opportunities. His status now looks uncertain for Week 1 against the Seahawks on Sunday, Sept. 7.

Scott had seven carries for 40 yards and one reception for 11 yards in Saturday's preseason win over Baltimore. His performance and strong training camp so far may have moved him ahead of Ty Chandler for the No. 3 running back role, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Scott and Chandler will likely battle for the No. 3 role the rest of training camp, and the loser may not make the 53-man roster. Chandler is used on kickoff returns, which could give him a slight edge. Still, Scott continues to be trending in the right direction.

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Week 6 could be a realistic target for Aiyuk (ACL) to take the field, Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.

Shanahan preempted the estimate by saying he hadn't given the date much thought, but Week 6 nonetheless seems like a fairly realistic target for Aiyuk, who is recovering from right knee surgery that he underwent last November to address ACL and MCL tears, to make his 2025 debut. In that scenario, Aiyuk would figure to begin the season on the reserve/PUP list, then begin ramping his activity level up before hopefully taking the field Sunday, Oct. 12 on the road against Tampa Bay. Even then, it's conceivable Aiyuk could get off to a slow start and ramp his way up to a full starting share of snaps, meaning it would incentivize fantasy managers to plan ahead and roster alternative options at WR. With Jauan Jennings (calf) and Jacob Cowing (hamstring) still not practicing, and Jordan Watkins (ankle) out about a month, Ricky Pearsall and Demarcus Robinson currently are operating as the 49ers' clear top two wide receivers.

Dickerson (knee) is considered week-to-week and scheduled to undergo surgery in the coming days to address the meniscus injury he suffered during Sunday's practice, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Philadelphia's goal appears to be for Dickerson to potentially retake the field in time to face Dallas in Week 1, a matchup that will kick off the 2025 regular season on Thursday, Sept. 4. That recovery timetable is effectively a best-case scenario for the standout offensive lineman. In the meantime, with Kenyon Green (shoulder) dealing with a shoulder injury sustained during Philadelphia's 34-27 preseason win over the Bengals last Thursday, Matt Pryor and/or rookie Trevor Keegan could get chance to handle first-team reps at guard.

Jordan (knee) was carted off the practice field Monday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Jordan appears to have potentially suffered a significant injury at practice Monday, though the Texans haven't yet provided an official update on his health. The tight end entered training camp as a full participant after having suffered a season-ending ACL tear Week 2 of the 2024 campaign, and he's been competing with Cade Stover and Irv Smith for reserve duties behind incumbent starting tight end Dalton Schultz.

On Monday, coach Mike Vrabel didn't offer any specifics on why Diggs (knee) sat out Friday's preseason opener against the Commanders, Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reports.

In a game in which the Patriots played the bulk of their healthy starters, Diggs was present on the sideline but didn't suit up during warmups or on the bench. When asked if Diggs' inactivity Friday was health-related, Vrabel limited his response to "coach's decision." The veteran wideout, who is bouncing back from a torn ACL that he suffered last October, has been a full practice participant for most of the summer, though he did miss the first half of Wednesday's joint practice with Washington for unspecified reasons. On the topic of Diggs' recovery, wide receivers coach Todd Downing noted Monday, "I think where he's at in his process right now is where we want him to be," while adding, "I think he'll stay on the trajectory we expect him to be on." Though the signs continue to point toward Diggs being able to contribute early on this season, until he takes game reps, or the Patriots otherwise confirm his Week 1 status, nothing can be taken for granted.

Chubb (concussion) returned to practice Monday, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The report notes that Chubb, who went through the NFL's concussion protocol after taking a hard hit to the head this past Tuesday, sported a red non-contact jersey in his return to practice. Assuming no setbacks, the veteran running could see some snaps in Saturday's preseason game against the Panthers. Chubb's return to the mix is of particular import to the Texans, given that incumbent starting RB Joe Mixon (foot/ankle) remains sidelined.

Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said Monday that he expects Sanders (knee) and fellow running back Jaydon Blue (heel) to see "significant progress" in their recoveries this week and that both could play Saturday versus the Ravens, Joe Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Sanders and Blue were both forced to sit out Dallas' preseason opener against the Rams, but the Cowboys backfield could be in a healthier spot this weekend. Jon Machota of The Athletic reports that Javonte Williams remains in the early lead for the Cowboys' lead running back job but that nobody has yet emerged as a true favorite for the No. 1 backfield role. If Sanders is able to get healthy in time to put some good preseason reps on tape, it will assist his chances of carving out a notable role.

Dickerson (knee) is believed to have sustained a right meniscus injury after undergoing an MRI on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The Eagles reportedly are working to determine how long Dickerson will be sidelined, which provides some reason for optimism that he's at least avoided a season-ending injury. The Pro Bowl guard was carted off the field at practice Sunday. Any significant amount of missed time for Dickerson would represent a tangible downgrade to Philadelphia's offensive line, which would be to the detriment of both RB Saquon Barkley and QB Jalen Hurts.