NFL Player News

Blue (shoulder) rushed 15 times for 75 yards in the Cowboys' 34-13 preseason win over the Cardinals on Saturday. He also returned one kickoff for 26 yards.

Blue shook off the shoulder issue that had led to a pair of absences and limited participation in the last three practices prior to Saturday's game, leading the Cowboys in rush attempts and rushing yards on the night. Blue has seen 25 total touches over the first two preseason games as head coach Brian Schottenheimer gives the second-year back a long look in the competition for the No. 2 running back role. While Blue's performance Saturday was certainly impressive, fellow backs Malik Davis and Phil Mafah also had some standout plays, and the competition therefore may remain unsettled until the conclusion of Friday's home preseason finale against the Saints.

Davis rushed five times for 29 yards and brought in his only target for an eight-yard touchdown in the Cowboys' 34-13 preseason win over the Cardinals on Saturday. He also committed a fumble but recovered and ran back one kickoff for 31 yards.

The fourth-year pro was the first Cowboys running back to log a touch and gained 25 of his rushing yards on the opening possession. Davis then capped off a short-field second possession following an interception with his eight-yard touchdown reception on a pass from Joe Milton. Davis' competition for the No. 2 role behind Javonte Williams -- Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah -- both had impressive moments as well Saturday, so the pecking order and roster status of the trio is likely to be decided during Friday's home preseason matchup against the Saints.

McPherson connected on field-goal attempts of 25 and 58 yards while also knocking home all three PATs in the Bengals' 27-9 preseason win over the Bears on Saturday.

McPherson put the Bengals on the board with 4:40 remaining in the opening period via his 25-yarder before pushing through his long-distance boot with 14:11 remaining in the contest to close out the scoring for either squad. McPherson, who's now 5-for-5 on field goals and 4-for-4 on PATs through two preseason games, is set to serve as Cincinnati's placekicker for the sixth straight season. The 2021 fifth-round pick is coming off a 2025 campaign where he posted a career-best 89.3 percent success rate on field goals and also went 41-for-44 on extra-point tries across 17 regular-season games.

Santos connected on field-goal attempts of 45, 26 and 44 yards and missed wide right from 53 yards in the Bears' 27-9 preseason loss to the Bengals on Saturday.

The veteran kicker's one miss is somewhat excusable given the distance, as well as his accuracy on the three attempts that preceded it. The veteran, who's now 5-for-7 on field goals and 4-for-4 on PATs through two preseason games, is set to serve as the Bears' placekicker for the seventh straight season following a 2025 campaign in which he connected on 83.3 percent of his 30 field-goal attempts and all 39 of his point-after tries across 15 regular-season games.

Wood has entered the league's concussion protocol and has been ruled out for the rest of Saturday's preseason game against the Cardinals, Patrik Walker of the Cowboys' official site reports.

Wood spent some time in the blue medical tent before being taken to the locker room for tests. He will be held out for the rest of Saturday's game, and he'll have to clear the league's five-step concussion protocol in order to be available for Friday's preseason finale against the Saints.

Roush brought in two of three targets for 30 yards in the Bears' 27-9 preseason loss to the Bengals on Saturday.

The rookie third-round pick came into the game following Colston Loveland and recorded his first catch, a 26-yard grab on first down, late in the first quarter on a pass from Case Keenum. Roush appears slated to open the regular season No. 3 on the tight-end depth chart behind Loveland and Cole Kmet, but given the pass-catching proficiency he displayed in his last three college seasons, the first-year talent could progressively carve out a solid complementary role.

Young brought in three of eight targets for 48 yards and a touchdown in the Bengals' 27-9 preseason win over the Bears on Saturday.

The rookie fourth-round pick led the Bengals' pass catchers in receiving yards and targets on the night, and he made his first trip to the end zone as a pro via a 17-yard catch on a pass from Josh Johnson in the latter portion of the second quarter. Young now has a 5-76-1 line on 12 targets over his first two preseason games, making a solid case for the No. 4 receiver role to open the regular season.

Hurst failed to bring in his only target in the Buccaneers' 16-15 preseason win over the Chiefs on Saturday.

The rookie wideout once again drew the start due to the plethora of injuries at the wide receiver position for the Buccaneers. However, unlike his two-catch pro debut against the Jets, Hurst was unable to crack the stat sheet Saturday. Assuming all of Emeka Egbuka (toe), Jalen McMillan (knee) and Tez Johnson (groin) are available for a Week 1 road matchup against the Bengals, Hurst won't be guaranteed active status on gameday; however, any absences on the part of the trio would change the equation.

Johnson rushed seven times for 25 yards and a touchdown and brought in one of two targets for 10 yards in the Chiefs' 16-15 preseason loss to the Buccaneers on Saturday. He also returned two kickoffs for 51 yards.

The rookie fifth-round pick was the third Chiefs running back to get a touch behind veterans Kenneth Walker and Emari Demercado. The highlight of Johnson's night came late in the third quarter, when he recorded a one-yard touchdown run after getting the ball to the Buccaneers' three-yard line two plays earlier with a four-yard rush. Johnson was outgained on the ground by his primary competition for a depth role behind Walker and Demercado -- Brashard Smith, who had 37 rushing yards. Both hopefuls are likely to see extended playing time again in Friday's home preseason finale against the Seahawks.

Nussmeier completed nine of 17 passes for 74 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in the Chiefs' 16-15 preseason loss to the Buccaneers on Saturday.

For the second time in as many preseason games, the rookie seventh-round pick followed starter Justin Fields into the contest. Nussmeier once again mostly kept his throws close to the line of scrimmage while averaging just 4.4 yards per attempt, but he did lead the Chiefs to a field goal on a 13-play drive during his first possession beginning just past the midway point of the second quarter. Nussmeier is likely to see plenty of action and potentially even draw a starting assignment in Friday's home preseason finale against the Seahawks.