NFL Player News

During an appearance Tuesday on Good Morning Football, Cook indicated that he's noticed a renewed spirit under the guidance of new head coach Joe Brady during the team's offseason, Bobby Kownack of NFL.com reports.

"It's just a new energy in the building," said Cook, who led the NFL last regular season with 1,621 rushing yards. "It's gonna always be like that, I feel like, when you have a new head coach coming in, a young one, too, at that. Joe [is] a young head coach coming in, his first year being a head coach. He's got new energy, that's how I feel like." While Cook didn't participate in any of the Bills' voluntary work open to the media earlier this offseason, he did participate in the team's mandatory minicamp and is poised to be full-go for training camp. Looking ahead, the 2022 second-rounder remains entrenched as the lead option in a Buffalo backfield that returns last year's top backups Ray Davis and Ty Johnson. In that context, Cook -- who logged 309 carries in 17 regular-season games in 2025 -- should continue to maintain steady volume and reliable fantasy lineup utility this coming season.

McLaughlin will enter training camp competing with Tyler Badie for what appears to be the No. 4 role in the Broncos' backfield, Luca Evans of The Denver Post reports.

McLaughlin re-signed with Denver this offseason, but with all of J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey and rookie Jonah Coleman seemingly above him on the running back depth chart, the 25-year-old looks set to battle for depth duties with Badie, McLaughlin still offers change-of-pace abilities and rushing upside (career 4.8 YPC), but Badie's pass-protection skills and special-teams value could make for a tough camp competition. Even if McLaughlin wins the No. 4 spot, he lacks a clear path to touches on offense.

Coleman will enter training camp positioned to compete for immediate playing time in a Broncos backfield that also includes J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey, Luca Evans of The Denver Post reports.

Coleman impressed at OTAs and mandatory minicamp this spring, and the rookie fourth-round pick could immediately claim the 17 percent of offensive snaps handled by Tyler Badie last season. At 5-foot-8, 220 pounds, Coleman offers more upside than Badie thanks to his compact frame and pass-game utility, and he might push Harvey for third-down work while contributing in short-yardage situations. Coleman looks to be on track to beat out Jaleel McLaughlin and Badie for the No. 3 backfield role, but his fantasy appeal will be limited if the Broncos deploy a full backfield committee.

Skattebo (ankle) is expected to be ready be a participant early on in training camp, according to coach John Harbaugh, NFL.com reports.

Skattebo is bouncing back from surgery to address a dislocated ankle that he suffered Week 8 of last season, but the running back is reportedly on track in terms of his recovery, a notion supported by the fact that he was able to take part in some 11-on-11 drills in a limited fashion during last month's minicamp. Once he's fully cleared for on-field work, Skattebo will be in a position to reestablish himself as the top option in a Giants backfield that also includes fellow returnees Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary. The team's first open training camp practice will be held July 30.

Taylor is prepared to handle another massive workload in 2026, though the Colts are hoping to ease the load on their star running back, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports.

"We definitely need to find ways to take some of that workload off him," running backs coach DeAndre Smith said of Taylor during the team's spring workouts, but coach Shane Steichen added, "It's hard to take (Taylor) off the field when he's running so good," and therein lies the Colts' conundrum. Taylor handled a league-high 323 rushing attempts in 2025, topping 300 for the third time in his career, and he managed to play in all 17 regular-season games for only the second time in six NFL campaigns. The Colts would like to ease some of the wear and tear on their star running back, but they likely won't feel comfortable doing so unless either 2025 fifth-round pick DJ Giddens or 2026 seventh-rounder Seth McGowan emerges as a capable alternative in the backfield.

Gordon and Jaylen Wright are in line to compete for backup slotting behind De'Von Achane in training camp, Mike Masala of USA Today reports.

Achane is the Dolphins' clear-cut top back, which limits the fantasy lineup utility of his backups as long as he's available. However, if Achane misses time this season for any reason, there's streaming value to be had with the player who's next in line for carries. During the 2025 regular season, Gordon and Wright each logged 70 carries, though Wright (who averaged 4.1 yards per carry) did so in 10 contests while Gordon (2.8 yards per carry) was available for Miami's full slate.

As the coming season approaches, Johnson is set to compete for depth slotting in a Pittsburgh backfield led by Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle, Brian Batko of the Steelers' official site reports.

Johnson, whom the Steelers took in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, recorded just 28 carries for 69 yards and one catch for nine yards over 10 regular-season games as a rookie. With Warren and Dowdle clearly atop the team's RB depth chart in 2026, Johnson doesn't have a clear path to steady carries in his second year as a pro. Also in the backfield mix are Travis Homer, Lew Nichols and rookie seventh-rounder Eli Heidenreich, but in any case Johnson will be off the fantasy lineup radar as long as Warren and Dowdle are available.

Bigsby is expected to enter the 2026 season as the Eagles' primary backup behind Saquon Barkley, Glenn Erby of Eagles Wire reports.

Bigsby was acquired from the Jaguars prior to Week 2 last season, and he went on to rush for 344 yards and two touchdowns on 58 carries across 16 regular-season appearances for Philadelphia. His 5.9 yards per carry would have ranked first in the NFL if Bigsby had enough carries to qualify. Though the Eagles also currently employ Will Shipley, Dameon Pierce and Elijah Mitchell at running back, Bigsby appears set to be Barkley's clear No. 2 and someone who will be worth stashing on fantasy benches in the event of a Barkley injury.

Texans running backs coach Danny Barrett said Sunday that he still envisions Marks taking on a sizable workload in his second NFL season, even after Houston acquired David Montgomery earlier in the offseason, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports. "I think the key for Woody is understanding his role, which he does," Barrett said. "He's going to get lots of opportunities."

As a rookie fourth-round pick in 2025, Marks led the Texans in rushing yards (703) but averaged just 3.6 yards per tote. Poor offensive line play was a factor in Marks' inability to churn out big gains on the ground, though Houston appears to have upgraded that group with the signings of veteran guard Wyatt Teller and offensive tackle Braden Smith and the selection of center/guard Keylan Rutledge in the first round of the draft. While the presence of Montgomery will likely limit Marks' touches on early downs, any improvement in his efficiency as a runner to go along with a heightened role on passing downs -- he shined as a pass catcher with a 24-208-3 receiving line as a rookie -- may be enough for Marks to build on his first-year production. The Texans are also looking to take advantage of Marks' shiftiness in space by deploying him on kickoff returns.

As training camp approaches, Davis is on track to maintain his complementary role in a Buffalo backfield that returns starter James Cook as well as Ty Johnson, Matt Parrino of Syracuse.com reports.

During the 2025 regular season, Cook logged 309 carries (third in the NFL) for a league-high 1,621 rushing yards in 17 contests, a heavy workload that didn't leave much volume for either Davis (58 carries) or Ty Johnson (50 carries). With Cook entrenched as the Bills' lead back, Davis brings modest fantasy utility into 2026, but he remains a valuable backup who excels as a kicker returner. If Cook were to miss time, Davis -- who racked up 151 rushing yards on 21 carries during a spot start in Week 18 last season -- would likely step in as the starter, with Johnson also in the mix.