General manager Dan Morgan said Tuesday that the door is open for Dowdle to return to Carolina in 2026, but the Panthers will give him the opportunity to test the market in free agency, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.

Though the Panthers are seemingly keen on retaining Dowdle at the right price, it's possible that the franchise won't be able to afford the running back coming off his second straight 1,000-yard rushing season. If Dowdle heads elsewhere, Morgan expressed confidence in the remaining members of the running back room (Chuba Hubbard, Jonathon Brooks and Trevor Etienne) being capable of picking up the slack. After opening 2025 as the Panthers' starter before sliding to second on the depth chart, Hubbard had already moved back into a near-even timeshare with Dowdle by the end of the regular season and then handily out-snapped and out-touched Dowdle in the Panthers' wild-card loss to the Rams.

According to Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle, the signs point to a potential break between Mixon, who is recovering from a foot injury that sidelined him this past season, and the Texans.

That's a notion echoed by Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, who indicates that the Texans are expected to ultimately part ways with the running back -- who recently underwent surgery to address his foot issue -- via a failed physical. For his part, GM Nick Caserio describes Mixon's status with the team as "a moving target," while adding "we'll kind of see what the availability is going to be, what the prognosis is for the season and then ultimately try to figure out what makes sense for everybody involved." Per Wilson, releasing Mixon from his contract would save the Texans $8.5 million.

Jets general manager Darren Moughey said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine that the team intends to place the franchise or transition tag on Hall (knee) if he isn't signed to an extension before the start of free agency, James Palmer of The Athletic reports.

Hall would play out 2026 on a one-year deal worth roughly $14.5 million if he receives the franchise tag. The transition tag would be worth an estimated $11.7 million and allow the running back to negotiate with other teams, though New York would retain the right to match any offer sheet he receives. Across 16 regular-season appearances in 2025, and despite numerous hurdles caused by the Jets' struggles on offense, Hall managed to log the first 1,000-yard rushing campaign of his career, totaling 243 carries for 1,065 yards and four scores, plus a 36-350-1 receiving line on 48 targets. While Hall's fantasy prospects could improve were he to hit the open market, it appears the Jets will prioritize retaining the 2022 second-round pick. Though he missed Week 18 due to a knee injury, there have been no reports that his availability is in any jeopardy for the start of training camp.

Browns general manager Andrew Berry said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine that Judkins (ankle) has shed his walking boot and is on track for the start of training camp, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.

Judkins underwent successful surgery to address a dislocated right ankle in late December, and he's on track to enter 2026 at full health. As a rookie, the 2025 second-round pick logged 14 regular-season appearances, gaining 827 yards and seven touchdowns on 230 carries (3.6 YPC) while securing 26 of 36 targets for 171 receiving yards. He appears set to lead Cleveland's backfield next year, while 2025 fourth-round pick Dylan Sampson could be the favorite for the No. 2 role, as Jerome Ford is slated to become an unrestricted free agent.

Texans general manager Nick Caserio said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine that Mixon (foot/ankle) had surgery this offseason, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Mixon missed the entire 2025 season due to a foot/ankle injury that Caserio said in January was a "freak thing" and "as unique a situation" as he has dealt with. Though the running back has one year left on his contract, his status with the team remains uncertain. Caserio also said in January that the Texans' medical staff will need to evaluate Mixon before determining whether he will be able to play in 2026. The news of Mixon undergoing a new offseason procedure adds a further wrinkle to the situation, though Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports that the team would like to have Mixon back if he's healthy. Across 14 regular-season appearances with Houston in 2024, Mixon gained 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns on 245 carries while adding a 36-309-1 line through the air.

Pittsburgh general manager Omar Khan said Tuesday that the team has been in communication with Gainwell, an impending free agent, about a new contract, Alan Saunders of SteelersNow.com reports.

Gainwell earned internal team MVP honors after playing 2025 on a one-year deal and totaling a career-best 537 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 147 carries while suiting up for all 17 regular-season games. He added a career-high 73 catches for 486 yards on 85 targets and another three scores through the air. Given the versatility and efficiency Gainwell demonstrated, it will be no surprise if Pittsburgh prioritizes inking him to an extension before he hits free agency. Jaylen Warren remains under contract through 2027, but the Steelers could release him this offseason with a minimal dead cap hit of about $4 million.

The Patriots released Gibson (knee) on Monday.

Gibson is still rehabbing a torn ACL, which he suffered in Week 5 of this past season. Prior to the injury, he rushed 25 times for 106 yards and one touchdown, while adding two catches for six yards on three targets. Gibson will turn 28 years old in June and has appeared in 83 career regular-season contests. In addition to his offensive duties, Gibson is also an experienced return man.

Harris has progressed to running at 15 mph on a treadmill in his recovery from a torn Achilles, agent Doug Hendrickson announced Monday on X.

In a video posted by Hendrickson, Harris is shown running with relative ease five months after suffering the injury that ended his 2025 season back in Week 3. Harris played last season on a one-year, $5.25 million deal, so he's again set to become a free agent next month. Prior to 2025, Harris had never missed a single at the NFL level. He turns 28 years old in two weeks.

Williams (shoulder) and the Cowboys agreed to terms on a three-year, $24 million contract Saturday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The new deal includes $16 million in guaranteed money and ensures that Williams doesn't enter the new league year as an unrestricted free agent. The North Carolina product inked a one-year deal with the Cowboys in March of 2025 after spending the first four years of his NFL career with the Broncos, and he enjoyed a breakout season in his first year with Dallas, when he turned 252 carries into 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns while catching 35 passes (on 51 targets) for 137 yards and two scores over 16 regular-season games. The deal solidifies Williams as the Cowboys' RB1 while Malik Davis (eye) and 2025 fifth-rounder Jaydon Blue both operate in rotational roles.

Charbonnet posted on social media that he underwent surgery to repair his torn ACL on Friday, Corbin K. Smith of SI.com reports.

Charbonnet suffered the ACL tear during Seattle's victory over San Francisco in the NFC divisional round. While Smith notes that it's not uncommon for a player to have surgery several weeks after the occurrence of an ACL injury, he also posits that the timing figures to push Charbonnet's recovery timeline further into the 2026 season. At this point, a definitive timeframe for the running back's return to game action hasn't been announced, but it's certainly possible that Charbonnet will miss a significant portion of the upcoming campaign.