NFL Player News
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Quinshon Judkins RB | CLE
Browns' Quinshon Judkins: Arrested in Florida on Saturday
Judkins was arrested on strike/battery/domestic violence charges in Florida on Saturday morning, Brad Stainbrook of 247Sports.com reports.
Judkins was selected No. 36 overall by Cleveland in April's NFL Draft. He's the only member of the Browns' 2025 Draft class who has not yet signed. Cleveland rookies are slated to report next Friday, July 18, though it's unclear if Judkins will be present given his contract and legal situations.
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Najee Harris RB | LAC
Chargers' Najee Harris: Sustains superficial eye injury
A statement from Harris' agent Doug Hendrickson on Thursday noted that the running back sustained a superficial eye injury stemming from what was described as a "fireworks mishap" during a Fourth of July event, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Per the statement, Harris, who signed with the Chargers in March, "is fully expected to be ready for the upcoming NFL season." It remains to be seen if the issue will affect Harris' participation in the team's upcoming training camp practices, but when available, the 2021 first-rounder is slated to handle a key role in a Los Angeles backfield that also includes Omarion Hampton, the No. 22 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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Kalel Mullings RB | TEN
Titans' Kalel Mullings: Pushing for roster spot as rookie
Mullings will compete with Julius Chestnut for a roster spot during training camp, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
Mullings missed time with an injury to his abdomen immediately after being drafted in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but he participated in minicamp and will be a full go for training camp. He is regarded as a good downhill runner, but his primary role, if he makes the team, will come on special teams to begin his rookie campaign.
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Julius Chestnut RB | TEN
Titans' Julius Chestnut: Facing competition
Chestnut is likely to battle with Kalel Mullings for a roster spot during training camp, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
Chestnut has been with the Titans for three seasons, though he had his most extensive involvement in 2024. That came primarily via special teams, which could help him in his competition with Mullings this summer. Wyatt projects that the Titans will carry three backs on the roster with one more on the practice squad, so Chestnut could stick around even if he isn't on the active roster.
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Kimani Vidal RB | LAC
Chargers' Kimani Vidal: In mix for depth role
As training camp approaches, Vidal is looking to secure a role behind newcomers Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton, Spencer Schultz of USA Today reports.
During his rookie campaign, Vidal recorded 43 carries for 155 yards and added five catches for 62 yards and a TD across 10 regular season games while working in a backfield that also included J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. Ahead of Week 1, Vidal figures to compete with Hassan Haskins for depth slotting behind Harris and Hampton, with Schultz noting that Vidal's case for a roster spot/role in 2025 could hinge on him demonstrating that he can be a factor in the Chargers' passing game.
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Kyren Williams RB | LAR
Rams' Kyren Williams: Looking more explosive
Rams running backs coach Ron Gould said recently that Williams is looking more explosive this offseason, Wyatt Miller of the team's official website reports.
"The first thing that stood out to us was his explosiveness," Gould said of Williams. "One of the things (I noticed) was just his ability to stay grounded through some of his runs that was really, really evident in the work that he's put in, so really, really pleased with that." Williams averaged a pedestrian 4.1 yards per carry on a career-high 316 rushes last season over 16 regular-season games. That marked a significant dip from his 5.0 YPC mark from the previous season. Williams also fumbled a career-high five times. Still, the Rams and Williams' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, have reportedly been discussing an extension this offseason, but the sides have yet to hammer out an agreement. Williams is facing more backfield competition this season in the form of second-year back Blake Corum and rookie Jarquez Hunter. Williams is a risky early round fantasy pick due to the lack of big-play ability and proneness to turnovers.
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Joe Mixon RB | HOU
Texans' Joe Mixon: On track for training camp
Mixon, who has been dealing with what Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston describes as foot-ankle issues, is expected to be ready for training camp, which opens July 23.
Wilson noted that there's not cause for concern in terms of the training-camp/regular-season status of the Texans' top running back, who missed time this offseason but has made strides since then. Once Mixon returns to the practice field, he'll reclaim his role atop a backfield depth chart that also includes Nick Chubb, who the team signed to a one-year contract last month, as well as Dameon Pierce, 2025 fourth-rounder Woody Marks and Dare Ogunbowale. In 14 regular-season games with Houston in 2024, Mixon carried 245 times for 1,016 yards and 11 TDs to go along with a 36/309/1 receiving line. Looking ahead, the 28-year-old appears poised to maintain steady usage in 2025, with the presence of Chubb -- health permitting -- providing Mixon with a viable veteran complement to spell his workload.
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Dylan Sampson RB | CLE
Browns' Dylan Sampson: Getting reps in receiving game
Browns running backs coach Duce Staley said at mandatory minicamp in mid-June that Sampson has gotten work "as a running back and a receiver," Dan Labbe of cleveland.com reports.
Staley also said that Sampson has worked with wide receivers coach Chad O'Shea, and that the rookie fourth-round pick "is able to go play in the slot and also he's able to go and play on third down and maybe sprinkle in a little second down." The running backs coach also noted that fellow rookie RB Quinshon Judkins, whom the Browns drafted two rounds ahead of Sampson, will be "able to do a little something [...] at receiver, too." Meanwhile, incumbent Jerome Ford has already demonstrated tangible pass-catching chops, and Staley praised his "speed" and ability to "pick up the blitz and catch the ball." While all three of Cleveland's top running backs could see tangible usage in the passing game, Labbe hypothesizes that as things currently stand Judkins and Sampson project to lead the Browns' revamped backfield, with Ford serving as the No. 3 back. Sampson didn't catch many passes in college at Tennessee, including as the team's starter in 2024, so it would come as a surprise if he in fact beats out Ford for passing-down reps at training camp, but if the rookie fourth-rounder can manage that feat he'll have a clear path to fantasy relevance in Year 1, especially in PPR formats.
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Xazavian Valladay RB | MIN
Xazavian Valladay: Cut loose by Saints
New Orleans waived Valladay on Friday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Valladay hasn't logged a regular-season appearance since he suited up for one game with the Jets in 2023, playing no snaps on offense and 12 snaps on special teams. He spent time on New York's and New Orleans' practice squads last season and will now look for a new landing spot in the league.
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Tyjae Spears RB | TEN
Titans' Tyjae Spears: Motivated for Year 3
Titans coach Brian Callahan said during mandatory minicamp that Spears has "had an unbelievable offseason" and that he's "really excited to see what he can bring to us this year because he's been in a great place," Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.
Spears has been a full participant at offseason activities after battling ankle and hamstring injuries in 2024, in addition to two concussions, the latter of which forced him to sit out Week 18. The 2023 third-round pick wrapped 2024 with just 312 yards and four touchdowns on 84 carries across 12 regular-season appearances, plus 31 catches for 226 yards and another score. Spears said he's motivated to "be as consistent as I can be" in 2025 and focusing on "doing more things toward being a better teammate." At full health, it wouldn't be inaccurate to call Spears one of the league's most elusive runners, so as long as he's able to stay on the field, he'll have a path to emerge as a meaningful playmaker alongside Tony Pollard. Callahan said in May that his plan for 2025 is to deploy a more even backfield split between Pollard and Spears that allows the two to "play a little more evenly," and the team seems a strong candidate to build its offense around the ground game in Cam Ward's rookie season.