NFL Player News

Williams remains the Cowboys' lead back entering the 2026 season, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Williams is set to lead a backfield that also includes Malik Davis, Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafah, Israel Abanikanda and Dominic Richardson heading into training camp. Blue, a 2025 fifth-round pick, could be ready for a larger role in his second season, especially in passing situations, but Williams remains the clear No. 1 option for the Cowboys at running back after rushing for a career-high 1,201 yards across 16 games in 2025, Williams' age-25 campaign.

Johnson (thumb) looks like the early favorite to land the third spot on Chicago's running back depth chart, Mike Moraitis of SI.com reports.

D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai seem locked in as the top two options in the Bears' backfield, so Johnson will be tasked with holding off Brittain Brown, Coleman Bennett and Salvon Ahmed for a spot on the 53-man roster. Johnson's experience on special teams makes the 2023 fourth-round pick the player to beat for the final spot, even though he played just four snaps on offense in the 2025 regular season before finishing the season on IR due to a thumb injury.

Dobbins is jostling for position in a Broncos backfield that also includes RJ Harvey and Jonah Coleman, Luca Evans of the Denver Post reports.

Dobbins led the Broncos with 772 rushing yards across 10 regular-season games during the 2025 campaign, and he's likely to maintain a prominent role in the team's 2026 backfield mix, even with Denver having spent a second-round pick in 2025 on Harvey and a fourth-rounder this year on Coleman. Harvey is likely to get most of the pass-catching opportunities but averaged just 3.7 yards per carry in the 2025 regular season compared to Dobbins' 5.0, while the 5-foot-8, 220-pound Coleman may be the bigger threat to Dobbins' opportunities on early downs. The Broncos may opt to keep four running backs on the 53-man roster, with Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie battling for the final spot.

McCaffrey was named the Best Comeback Athlete at the 2026 ESPYS, Briana Jeannel of the 49ers' official site reports.

McCaffrey earned All-Pro honors while rushing 311 times for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns across 17 regular-season games in 2025, and also leading all running backs with a 102-924-7 receiving line (129 targets). Head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged back in spring that the team may alleviate McCaffrey's workload in 2026 in order to keep him fresh, a fair concern given that the 30-year-old handled a career-high 413 touches last year. McCaffrey himself has downplayed any workload concerns, and his versatility will help him remain a high-end fantasy producer even if any of Jordan James, Kaelon Black, Isaac Guerendo (pectoral), Patrick Taylor, Jordan Mims or Jermar Jefferson earn a larger role this year.

Kamara and New Orleans agreed to terms Thursday on a restructured contract that gives him a $6 million base salary for the 2026 season, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Kamara's revised deal can be worth up to $8.5 million in incentives, setting him up to play out his age-31 season, and potentially end his career, with the Saints. It remains to be seen how much volume will be attributed to Kamara behind new top running back Travis Etienne, who signed a four-year, $52 million deal with the team earlier this offseason, but the 10-year veteran's versatility and pass-catching ability will boost his chances of retaining fantasy relevance in PPR formats. Devin Neal (undisclosed), Kendre Miller (ACL), Ty Chandler and Audric Estime are all also competing for depth opportunities in New Orleans' backfield.

Taylor is entering the final season of his contract and said during the spring that he wants "to be a Colt for life," James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Taylor remains the clear centerpiece of Indianapolis' offense after handling 323 carries for 1,585 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2025. Though there is some uncertainty about Taylor's future with the Colts beyond 2026, the contract situation shouldn't interfere with his short-term fantasy profile, as the team has every reason to continue leaning on one of the league's few true workhorse backs while Daniel Jones (Achilles) works back to 100 percent form. Another high-volume season would keep Taylor firmly in the RB1 mix while strengthening his case for a new deal with Indianapolis, or a strong market as a free agent in 2027. Boyd also speculates that Taylor could hold in at training camp and work to negotiate an extension before the 2026 regular season.

Etienne's teammate, Alvin Kamara, has reportedly agreed to remain with the Saints this season on a reworked contract, Arye Pulli of USA Today reports.

There had been speculation Kamara could be on the move this offseason, but his amended deal paves the way for him to work in tandem with Etienne, who inked a four-year, $52 million deal with the Saints in March. Etienne -- who ran for 1,107 yards on 260 carries in 17 regular-season games with the Jaguars last season -- is poised to handle a significant portion of his new team's rushing workload in 2026, while Kamara, a versatile back with strong receiving skills, is available to see his share of touches as well.

Kamara and New Orleans are finalizing terms on a new contract, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Kamara is closing in on a new deal that will allow him to remain with the Saints, presumably by lowering the $10.4 million cap hit his current contract carries for the 2026 campaign. The soon-to-be 31-year-old has spent his entire NFL career to date in New Orleans and remains a versatile playmaker capable of contributing in a complementary role behind new starting running back Travis Etienne. Across 11 regular-season appearances in 2025, Kamara rushed 131 times for 471 yards and one score and secured 33 of 39 targets for 186 yards.

Carter will compete with Tyler Goodson and Cash Jones for the Falcons' No. 3 running back spot during training camp, Will McFadden of the team's official site reports.

Carter handled a depth role last season, gaining 60 yards on nine carries across seven regular-season appearances while also playing 49 snaps on special teams. Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson are locked into the top two backfield roles, so Carter's path to the roster likely depends on how much special-teams value he's able to provide. Even if he wins the No. 3 job, Carter won't have a path to fantasy relevance as long as Atlanta's top two running backs remain healthy.

Carter will enter training camp competing for a depth role in Tennessee's backfield, Mark Mihalko of USA Today reports.

Carter's familiarity with coach Robert Saleh from their time together with the Jets could help him carve out a spot in Tennessee. He boasts receiving skills and versatility, but Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears are firmly positioned atop the depth chart, while rookie Nicholas Singleton represents real competition for the No. 3 spot. Carter will need to separate from Singleton in order to secure a notable role behind Pollard and Spears.