NFL Player News

Brown (ankle) participated in Cincinnati's opening session of OTAs on Tuesday.

Brown appears back to full health after an ankle injury forced him to sit out the Bengals' regular-season finale against Pittsburgh last year. The 25-year-old running back is fresh off a Year 2 breakout in which he rushed 229 times for 990 yards (4.3 YPC) and seven scores while adding an impressive 54 catches (on 65 targets) for 360 yards and four touchdowns. Brown's 2024 performance is particularly impressive considering that as a rookie fifth-rounder in 2023, he logged just 44 carries for 179 yards. Cincinnati opted to keep Zack Moss (neck) around via a reworked deal rather than significantly add to the backfield in free agency beyond Samaje Perine, or in the 2025 NFL Draft other than sixth-rounder Tahj Brooks. Those decisions imply confidence from the team in Brown's ability to reprise a significant starting workload, a role that he's already proven an ability to translate into high-end fantasy upside.

Cook wasn't present for Tuesday's voluntary organized team activities, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN reports.

While Cook isn't participating in the Bills' voluntary OTAs, coach Sean McDermott noted that he's remained in contact with the running back, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal and seeking a contract extension. "Yeah, we're staying in touch, like you'd expect a player and a coach to do," McDermott said of the 2022 second-rounder. "So, James will be here when he's ready to be here and we move forward." While it remains to be seen whether Cook will be on the field for the team's mandatory minicamp (June 10-12), GM Brandon Beane maintains that he expects Buffalo's leading rusher to be ready to go for the 2025 season. Assuming that's the case, Cook will continue to lead a backfield that returns his top two backups from last season, Ray Davis and Ty Johnson.

Lloyd (appendix) has no restrictions at practice and is slated to be a full participant when Green Bay's OTAs begin May 27, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Lloyd was limited to just one appearance in his rookie season, first due to a hamstring injury sustained during the Packers' preseason opener, then an ankle sprain that required seven weeks on IR to heal, and finally appendicitis that popped up just after his practice window opened. Now that he's healthy, the 2024 third-rounder again faces opportunity to compete for the No. 2 role behind workhorse Josh Jacobs. Green Bay didn't make notable additions to the running back room in free agency or April's draft, though Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks proved capable last season and remain on hand. Lloyd boasts playmaking speed and pass-catching chops, but after having missed most of training camp and the regular season in Year 1, he may still have developmental work to do relating to the ball-security issues that plagued him in college.

Titans head coach Brian Callahan said Wednesday that the team intends to deploy a backfield distribution that allows Pollard and Tyjae Spears to "play a little more evenly" in 2025, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.

Callahan said Pollard, who compiled a career-high 1,079 rushing yards plus five scores on 260 carries (4.2 YPC) last season, "was our most productive running back" but acknowledged that he "was battling the second half of the year quite a bit" and struggled to remain fully healthy, as did Spears. "So hopefully that division of labor gets a little more evenly distributed so [Pollard] doesn't have to take the brunt of it," Callahan said while also expressing a desire to work a third back into the mix, which could be either Julius Chestnut or rookie sixth-rounder Kalel Mullings (abdomen). Pollard said the right high-ankle sprain he dealt with late in 2024 is "ready to go" and that "getting more guys involved, keeping guys fresh" would be "ideal." A decrease in overall workload could allow the 28-year-old Pollard to better maintain his efficiency for a full 17-game slate, and even if he doesn't reprise a workhorse role, he's positioned to repeat as Tennessee's top backfield option. With Cam Ward now under center rather than Will Levis, there's also room for the Titans' offense to improve as a whole and provide enough increased scoring opportunities for Pollard's fantasy value as an RB2 to remain safely intact.

Spears (concussion) participated in Tennessee's OTAs on Tuesday.

Spears is healthy again after having been sidelined for the team's Week 18 loss versus the Texans last season with a concussion. The 23-year-old rushed for 312 yards and four touchdowns on 84 carries and hauled in 31 passes for 226 yards and an additional touchdown in 12 games during the 2024 campaign, and he should once again serve as the team's No. 2 running back behind Tony Pollard in the upcoming season.

Hairston is in line for a role on the 2025 roster with the expectation that the Browns will utilize the fullback position this season, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

Hairston, who signed a futures contract with the Browns in January, has game experience at fullback from when he was with the Texans. Whether the Browns actually carry a fullback and make plans to use the position will evolve over the summer. Hairston's fate is tied to the number of tight ends and true running backs that end up sticking around.

The Titans waived Small on Wednesday, Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com reports.

Small joined Tennessee as an undrafted free agent ahead of the 2024 campaign and spent the majority of last season on the practice squad. He has yet to appear in an NFL game.

The Patriots signed Williams on Wednesday.

Williams spent the first six seasons of his career with the Bengals. He didn't record a single offensive touch during the 2024 campaign as he played almost exclusively on special teams and will likely have a similar role with New England should he win a spot on their gameday roster.

Henry and Baltimore agreed to terms Wednesday on a two-year, $30 million contract extension, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Henry had been slated to earn a $6 million base salary in the final year of his deal with the Ravens, but he now gets a new contract averaging $15 million per season over the next two years, with $25 million fully guaranteed. The 31-year-old rushed for 1,921 yards and 16 scores across 17 regular-season games after inking a two-year deal with the Ravens last March, with 19 catches for 193 yards (on 22 targets) and another two touchdowns through the air. As Schefter reports, Henry now carries the highest average salary in NFL history for a running back over the age of 30, with the deal reflecting the fact that against all odds, the bruising ball carrier has yet to show any signs of slowing down. In his inaugural season with Baltimore, Henry's average of 5.9 yards per carry ranked as the highest mark of his career, and he also set new career-best marks in terms of 20-plus yard carries (19) and rushes of 40-plus yards (five). Though he boasts less pass-catching upside than other top options at the running back position, Henry's explosiveness and offensive fit alongside Lamar Jackson will likely ensure his status as one of the top players off the board in 2025 fantasy drafts.

Shampklin was waived by the Steelers on Monday.

Shampklin spent the majority of his 2024 campaign on the Steelers' practice squad and inked a reserve/future deal with the team in mid-January. However, it now appears Pittsburgh has decided to part ways with the 25-year-old running back. The Harvard product appeared in three regular-season games for the Steelers in 2024, logging six carries for 17 yards in addition to 101 kick-return yards. Now a free agent, Shampklin will look to find work with a team in need of running-back depth.