Trayveon Williams will miss time with an ankle injury, a hit to the Cincinnati Bengals behind starting running back Joe Mixon.
The extent of the injury wasn't immediately clear but Williams, sidelined since Tuesday, has been unable to practice and said he has a sprained right ankle.
ESPN and NFL Network reported Williams could be out until mid-August.
Williams was the frontrunner to be the primary backup to Mixon with Samaje Perine gone in an offseason signing by the Denver Broncos.
Fifth-round rookie Chase Brown would be in line to climb the depth chart and expects ample opportunity in the preseason. Brown tallied 1,883 yards from scrimmage and 13 TDs in 12 games for Illinois in 2022.
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