NFL Player News

Rodriguez (undisclosed) hasn't been participating in the Jaguars' OTAs, Sports Illustrated's John Shipley reports.

With Travis Etienne -- who logged 260 carries in 17 regular-season games in 2025 -- having joined the Saints in free agency, Bhayshul Tuten, Rodriguez and LeQuint Allen appear poised to pace the Jaguars ground game this coming season. At this stage, it's unclear how the team's RB touches will be divided in 2026, but added context in that regard should arrive once Rodriguez returns to the field. A committee approach is a plausible scenario, with Tuten -- who has reportedly looked sharp in OTAs -- and Rodriguez both candidates to see enough work make to a fantasy impact in the absence of Etienne, while Allen figures to primarily contribute in passing situations. In any case, this job battle, which coach Liam Coen has called "wide open," will be one to closely monitor ahead of Week 1, with Rodriguez's next chance to practice slated to arrive during Jacksonville's upcoming mandatory minicamp, June 9-11.

Dolphins offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik said Thursday that Wright "has some speed" and looks comfortable this offseason, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

It sounds like Wright is off to a good start under the new coaching staff, competing with Ollie Gordon, Donovan Edwards and others for backup backfield roles behind De'Von Achane. One of the bunch could see a decent number of carries, as the Dolphins presumably won't want the sub-200-pound Achane butting heads between the tackles repeatedly. Wright was billed as a big-play threat rather than a power runner when the Dolphins took him in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but he does have decent size (5-foot-10, 208 pounds) to go with his 4.38 speed (2024 Combine).

Etienne appears to be behind Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks on Carolina's depth chart, competing for a backup role while contributing on special teams, according to Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer.

A 2025 fourth-round pick, Etienne took just 23 touches on offense during his rookie season, getting far more work on special teams -- 20 punt returns for 163 yards, 31 kick returns for 733 yards while playing in all 17 regular-season games. He was one of the least effective return specialists in the league, so he'll need to compete for the kick and punt return jobs this summer. Perhaps there's also a competition for the No. 2 RB role behind Hubbard, though fantasy ADPs and early beat-writer reports both peg Brooks as a strong favorite. Behind Hubbard, Brooks and Etienne, the Panthers have veteran journeyman AJ Dillon and UDFAs Anthony Tyus and Miles Davis.

Conner (foot) has mostly been limited to side work with trainers during OTA practices, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.

Coming off a season-ending foot and ankle injury in Week 3 last year, Conner accepted a pay cut this March, shortly before Arizona signed RB Tyler Allgeier. The Cardinals later drafted RB Jeremiyah Love, potentially leaving Conner as the No. 3 back after a half-decade stint as the team's starter. Trade rumors shouldn't be ignored, but Conner's presence at voluntary workouts is a clear sign he hasn't shut the door on Arizona.

Lions coach Dan Campbell said Thursday that Gibbs will be the team's "bellcow" in 2026, Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News reports.

"We're gonna hang our hat on him," said Campbell, whose assumption of play-calling duties last November coincided with a decline in David Montgomery's role. Gibbs' rushing efficiency also declined, though not until the final month, and he averaged 5.3 catches per game with Campbell calling plays. The Lions then traded Montgomery to Houston this offseason, with Isiah Pacheco coming in as a much cheaper depth option on a one-year, $1.8 million contract. Campbell is expected to call plays again, despite hiring an offensive coordinator (Drew Petzing) with plenty of experience in that regard.

Kamara said Wednesday that he hasn't been asked to take a pay cut, Matthew Paras of The Advocate reports. "I haven't had any conversations in regard to that, so I don't know," Kamara said. "I think there's a time and a place for everything. If that conversation comes up, then I'll have an answer for you when it comes up."

Kamara typically skips the voluntary offseason program, and he seemed to be doing the same this year until he arrived Wednesday during the second week of OTA practices. It sounds like he now plans to stick around for a few more voluntary sessions before mandatory minicamp June 16-17. Kamara's NFL future nonetheless remains uncertain, with a complicated contract situation after repeated extensions and restructures in New Orleans. A trade or release could help the Saints' cap sheet for 2027, which the team ultimately might consider more valuable than whatever Kamara can provide off the bench behind new lead back Travis Etienne. The Saints seemingly want to give Kamara a chance this summer to prove that he can still be a useful player, albeit in a lesser role after Etienne signed a four-year contract with $24 million guaranteed at signing. It appears Kamara has recovered from the MCL sprain and ankle injury that cut his 2025 campaign short.

Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley said Wednesday that Achane (shoulder) has been limited to individual drills at mandatory minicamp, Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Hafley said Achane will continue handling individual drills Thursday, the final date of Miami's three-day minicamp. The star running back, who signed a four-year, $68 million in May, is recovering from a clean-up procedure to address a shoulder injury that forced him to miss Week 18 of the 2025 season, but there's not yet any reason to believe the issue will impact his activity level for the start of training camp in July. Until such time as Achane is fully cleared, however, Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon will be the favorites to handle first-team reps in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills.

At this stage, Davis appears to be the frontrunner for the Cowboys' No. 2 running back job, Tommy Yarrish of the team's official site reports.

Calf and eye issues resulted in Davis being placed on IR ahead of Week 18 action last season. However, the ensuing offseason afforded the 27-year-old time to recover, and the Florida product will now look to secure backfield slotting behind top option Javonte Williams, who recorded a career-high 252 carries during the 2025 regular season. While working behind Williams in that span, Davis recorded 52 carries for 250 yards and two touchdowns, as well as two catches (on five targets) for 16 yards in 10 contests. Should Davis maintain his standing as Williams' top backup, he'd carry fantasy value as an insurance policy, but Yarrish points out that Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah could compete for the job ahead of the 2026 campaign, making this a situation to monitor in the coming months.

Saints head coach Kellen Moore said Wednesday that Kamara (knee/ankle) is attending voluntary OTAs on Wednesday, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Kamara didn't attend New Orleans' voluntary practices throughout the month of May, instead working out on a daily basis with his personal trainers, but the veteran running back has now returned to team facilities. Moore said he isn't sure whether Kamara has spoken with the team regarding his current contract situation, per Triplett. He carries a $10.4 million cap hit for 2026 and the Saints inked Travis Etienne to a four-year, $48 million deal in March, leading to speculation that Kamara -- who sat out final six contests of the 2025 campaign due to both an MCL sprain and an ankle issue and finished the year with a career-low 471 rushing yards -- could be a trade candidate. However, Kamara has previously hinted that he wants to either play for the Saints or retire. Moore said Kamara will be on the practice field in some capacity Wednesday, per Ross Jackson of WWL Louisiana.

Brooks didn't participate in team drills during Tuesday's OTA session, Alex Zietlow of the Charlotte Observer reports.

The running back did participate in individual drills Tuesday, with his limitations characterized by coach Dave Canales as "just a rest day." Given Brooks' injury history, notably two ACL tears, it's not surprising that his workload is being monitored, with an eye toward ensuring he's at full strength once the regular season arrives. In terms of how Brooks has looked in OTAs, Canales noted that "JB's looked great, in the run game certainly, but also in the pass game. He has a great ability to catch the ball, track it, and transition once he catches it." With Rico Dowdle now with the Steelers, Brooks -- who missed the entire 2025 season -- has an opportunity to claim a notable backfield role alongside Chuba Hubbard in 2026, provided he can stay on the field.