NFL Player News

Spears has impressed throughout the Titans' offseason program and strengthened his hold on the No. 2 running back role behind Tony Pollard, Bryce W. Lazenby of SI.com reports.

Spears at one point appeared at risk of falling down the depth chart entering 2026, but new head coach Robert Saleh has consistently praised the 2023 third-round pick this spring. Lazenby reports that Spears is working to improve his pass-catching this offseason and could operate more as a "1B" behind Pollard than a traditional backup. He managed just 72 carries for 283 yards and two touchdowns across 13 games in 2025, though an improved Titans offensive line could benefit both Spears and Pollard this season. Tennessee selected Nicholas Singleton in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, so Spears will face additional competition in training camp.

Ahead of training camp, Jones is set to reclaim a key role in a Minnesota backfield that also includes Jordan Mason and rookie sixth-rounder Demond Claiborne, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

Jones is coming off a 2025 regular season in which he carried the ball 132 times for 548 yards and two touchdowns while adding 28 catches on 41 targets for 199 yards and a score in 12 games. With Mason (758 rushing yards and six TDs on 159 carries plus 14 catches for 51 yards in 16 contests) still around, another RB timeshare -- one that favors Jones in PPR formats -- looms in 2026, with Claiborne a bigger threat to Jones' snaps on passing downs.

Hubbard approaches training camp in a position to secure the lead role in Carolina's 2026 backfield, Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer reports.

With last year's rushing leader Rico Dowdle now with the Steelers, Hubbard will have an opportunity to bounce back from a forgettable 2025 campaign in which injuries contributed to him logging just 511 yards on 134 carries in 15 regular-season contests, after he racked up 1,195 rushing yards on 250 carries in 2024. Also in the mix for backfield work this season will be Jonathon Brooks, who is rebounding from back-to-back ACL surgeries, as well as 2025 fourth-rounder Trevor Etienne. Assuming Hubbard can avoid the injury bug, he figures to see steady volume out of the gate, but Brooks represents a significant threat to his spot atop the depth chart if he's able to prove he's healthy.

As training camp approaches, Rhamondre Stevenson and Henderson remain atop the Patriots' RB depth chart, Avery Hill of the Boston Globe reports.

Though Henderson and Stevenson are in line to continue to share the rushing load in 2026, both players should still have fantasy utility while working in an offense helmed by Drake Maye. In his first year as a pro in 2025, Henderson recorded 180 carries for 911 yards and nine TDs to go along with 35 catches for 221 yards and a score in 17 regular-season contests. Meanwhile, Stevenson gained 603 yards and seven TDs on 130 carries, while adding 32 catches for 345 yards and a pair of receiving scores. While the looming time share remains an issue for Henderson's weekly fantasy floor, the 2025 second-round pick's playmaking ability makes him the upside play in New England's backfield.

Perine is set to reprise his backup role behind Chase Brown this coming season, John Sheeran of atozsports.com reports.

Like Brown, Perine is approaching the last year of his contract. In 15 regular-season contests during the 2025 campaign, Perine logged 382 yards and three touchdowns on 84 carries, while adding 17 catches for 87 yards. As long as Brown remains healthy, Perine's fantasy value is modest, and it's also possible that 2025 sixth-rounder Tahj Brooks carves out a bigger role in 2026 after carrying the ball just 16 times as a rookie.

As training camp approaches, Pollard -- who started all 17 games at running back for the Titans in 2025 -- is expected to again lead a backfield that returns last season's top backup in Tyjae Spears, and which added Nicholas Singleton in the fifth round of April's NFL Draft.

Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site previously noted plenty of speculation that the team might use the fourth overall pick in the draft on Notre Dame running Jeremiyah Love. With Tennessee electing to take Ohio State wideout Carnell Tate instead, Pollard remains atop the depth chart and has his sights set on exceeding 1,000 rushing yards for a fifth straight campaign. The Titans still have Spears to handle passing downs and change-of-pace carries, and Singleton has a chance to factor in as a rookie, but Pollard should maintain steady volume in the final season of the three-year deal he inked with Tennessee in March of 2024.

Tracy's teammate Cam Skattebo, who continues to progress in his recovery from a season-ending ankle injury, was limited in the Giants' mandatory minicamp earlier this month, Bobby Kownack of NFL.com reports.

Skattebo had taken over as the Giants' lead back in 2025, but after sustaining his injury in Week 8, Tracy took on the role, en route to recording 176 carries for 740 yards and two TDs to go along with a 36/288/2 receiving line in 15 regular-season contests. While Skattebo is still ramping up toward full practice participation, he's on track to be "ready to go" ahead of Week 1, thus putting him in a position to reclaim top billing in New York's backfield, though Tracy still figures see his share of touches in 2026 alongside Skattebo, with veteran RB Devin Singletary also in the mix. Eric Gray, Dante Miller and Damon Bankston are also on hand in reserve as training camp approaches.

As Brown approaches the final year of his rookie contract, he remains the Bengals' clear-cut top option at running back, John Sheeran of atozsports.com reports.

Per Ben Baby of ESPN, Brown previously expressed his desire to remain with the team that drafted him in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and earlier this offseason the 26-year-old was in communication with the Bengals regarding a possible extension. Brown is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he gained 1,016 yards and six TDs on 232 carries in 17 regular season contests and was sixth among all NFL running backs with 437 receiving yards, while adding five aerial TDs among his 69 catches. Brown is poised to maintain steady weekly volume and fantasy production in 2026 with Samaje Perine set to reprise his role as Brown's top backup, though 2025 sixth-rounder Tahj Brooks could see an uptick in complementary touches after recording just 16 carries as a rookie.

The Bills waived Reid (undisclosed) off injured reserve Monday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Reid was waived/injured due to an undisclosed issue June 11. He then reverted to IR and was thus in line to miss the 2026 season, but Bills now have decided to move on. Consequently, Reid will be free to sign with another club and suit up during the coming campaign if he's able to return to health.

Skattebo (ankle) said last week that he's confident he'll come back strong from his rehab and "get back [to] running people over," NFL.com's Bobby Kownack reports.

Skattebo also said he won't let "this little ankle thing" bother him, promising "normal Cam Skattebo" when he gets back on the field. He's now eight months removed from surgery, after suffering a dislocated ankle, fractured tibia and ruptured deltoid ligament in October. It's the type of injury that can seriously impact a player's speed and explosion long after he's gained medical clearance, but Skattebo has youth (24 years old) working in his favor and seems to be advancing through the rehab process as fast as anyone reasonably could've hoped for. He even took part in some 11-on-11s during June minicamp, albeit on a limited basis. The next major step is to gain clearance for training camp, where the Giants' new coaching staff will work with a backfield that looks nearly identical to last year's. Tyrone Tracy, Devin Singletary, Eric Gray and Dante Miller are all still with the team, though only Tracy likely represents any kind of threat to Skattebo's usage.