NFL Player News
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Chris Rodriguez Jr. RB | WAS
Jaguars' Chris Rodriguez: Signing with Jacksonville
Rodriguez is signing a two-year contract with the Jaguars, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com reports.
The Commanders decided not to give Rodriguez a restricted-free-agent tender, and the Jaguars pounced on an opportunity to add some power to their backfield. With Travis Etienne off to New Orleans, the Jags currently have Rodriguez, Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen as favorites for the top three spots on the depth chart. They could still add more via free agency or the NFL Draft, but right now it looks like a good spot for Rodriguez to earn playing time in a promising offense.
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Chris Rodriguez Jr. RB | WAS
Chris Rodriguez: Doesn't get RFA tender
Rodriguez is an unrestricted free agent after the Commanders opted against tendering him, Ben Standig of Big 100 Washington D.C. reports.
A restricted free agent tender would've cost at least $3.5 million, so the Commanders may still try to re-sign Rodriguez at a lower cost. He's proven competent as a power runner but without much hint of the pass-game skills that would allow him to handle larger snap counts.
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Sean Tucker RB | TB
Buccaneers' Sean Tucker: Gets RFA tender
The Buccaneers are giving Tucker a restricted-free-agent tender, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Reports last week suggested the Bucs wouldn't use the tender and would allow Tucker to become an unrestricted free agent. They ended up using the tender despite signing RB Kenneth Gainwell to a two-year contract with $10 million guaranteed. Tucker could still leave Tampa Bay if another team gives him an offer sheet and the Bucs opt not to match, but the more likely scenario is some kind of agreement to stick around for another year as the No. 3 RB.
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Aaron Jones RB | MIN
Vikings' Aaron Jones: Revises deal to stay in MIN
Jones (hip) agreed to terms on a restructured contract Wednesday that will allow him to remain with the Vikings for the 2026 season, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Jones is lowering his base salary for the 2026 season to $5.5 million, a figure that makes it more realistic for Minnesota to retain the 31-year-old veteran for the 2026 campaign rather than release him in a cap-saving maneuver. Last year Jones was limited to just 12 regular-season appearances due to a combination of injuries, missing Week 18 due to a hip issue, but there have been no reports that the veteran running back will be limited at all during spring activities. Jones logged 132 carries for 548 yards and two touchdowns while adding 28 catches (on 41 targets) for 199 yards and another score in 2025 and currently stands alongside Jordan Mason atop the Vikings' backfield, though the team could still make further additions to that unit in free agency and/or April's draft.
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Patrick Taylor RB | SF
49ers' Patrick Taylor: Staying in San Francisco
Taylor (shoulder) is slated to re-sign with the 49ers, per his representation at Equity Sports.
Taylor missed the entire 2025 campaign due to a shoulder injury suffered during the preseason, for which he required surgery, but he's presumably now fully healthy and ready for the start of offseason activities. In what will be his age-28 season, Taylor projects to provide backfield depth behind Christian McCaffrey, Jordan James and Isaac Guerendo.
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Trey Benson RB | ARI
Cardinals' Trey Benson: Backfield growing crowded
Benson (knee) faces increased competition for touches in 2026 after the Cardinals signed Tyler Allgeier and restructured James Conner's contract, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.
Benson could potentially be the odd man out of a big-bodied 1-2 punch featuring Allgeier and Conner, as Donnie Druin of SI.com reports, though Benson's big-play potential could make him effective in a change-of-pace role. The 2024 third-round pick had a big opportunity last year following Conner's season-ending foot injury, but Benson then suffered a meniscus injury in Week 4, ultimately missing the rest of the season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery at the beginning of October. While the exact split of Arizona's 2026 backfield remains to be seen, Allgeier and Conner have established themselves as more consistent rushers than Benson, who will need to prove his health and then compete for a roster spot under new head coach Mike LaFleur.
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Woody Marks RB | HOU
Texans' Woody Marks: Likely to back up Montgomery
New teammate David Montgomery is expected to replace Marks as Houston's starting running back, ESPN.com's DJ Bien-Aime reports.
The Texans gave up a fourth-round pick, a seventh-round pick and OL Juice Scruggs in exchange for Montgomery, who has one season remaining on a three-year contract. A new deal may be coming soon. Either way, Marks likely will be No. 2 on the depth chart at the start of the offseason program after posting a 198-703-2 rushing line (3.6 YPC) during the regular season of his 2025 rookie campaign (16 games, eight starts). Fellow second-year pro Jawhar Jordan should be back to compete for a depth role in Houston's backfield this spring, while veterans Nick Chubb and Joe Mixon (foot) don't seem to be part of the plan for 2026.
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Zonovan Knight RB | ARI
Cardinals' Bam Knight: Staying with Arizona
Knight is re-signing with the Cardinals on a one-year contract, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Knight was Arizona's lead runner at one point in 2025, but only after James Conner (foot) and Trey Benson (knee) both suffered season-ending injuries. Conner and Benson still are under contract, now joined by free-agent addition Tyler Allgeier. It doesn't look good for Knight landing any higher than third or fourth on the depth chart come training camp. He should at least be healthy, having reportedly avoided surgery on the ankle injury that ended his 2025 season in December.
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Isiah Pacheco RB | KC
Lions' Isiah Pacheco: Being signed by Lions
Pacheco has agreed to terms on a contract with Detroit, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Pacheco fits into the Lions' backfield alongside superstar running back Jahmyr Gibbs, replacing David Montgomery. In his first two seasons with Kansas City, Pacheco averaged 4.7 YPC and scored 12 rushing TDs in 31 regular-season game as a bruising between-the-tackles runner. In part due to injuries, however, the 2022 seventh-round pick has now logged back-to-back seasons with less than 500 rushing yards and under 4.0 YPC, with only two rushing scores in 20 regular-season contests. Pacheco could rebound in Detroit with opposing defenses honing in on Gibbs, but he may not see the same touch volume that Montgomery did.
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Rico Dowdle RB | CAR
Steelers' Rico Dowdle: Headed to Pittsburgh
Dowdle is slated to sign with the Steelers, NFL reporter Jordan Schultz reports.
Per NFL.com, it's a two-year, $12.25 million deal for Dowdle, who is set to move over to the AFC after one year in Carolina. He produced a 236-1,076-6 regular-season rushing line last season with the Panthers, which was nearly identical to the 235-1,079-2 line he posted during his 2024 breakout campaign with the Cowboys. Dowdle also caught exactly 39 passes each of the past two seasons, totaling 546 yards and four touchdowns, and he's chipped in as a kick returner throughout his career. The Steelers have Jaylen Warren locked in as their primary RB, so Dowdle figures to form a 1-2 punch with the incumbent starter, though his role may be somewhat different from that of Kenneth Gainwell, who featured as a pass catcher in 2025 but is departing in free agency to Tampa Bay.