NFL Player News

Coach Brian Schottenheimer notes that the difference has been "night and day" in terms of Blue's performance during this year's offseason program, Todd Archer of ESPN reports.

Blue, who the Cowboys took in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, logged just 38 carries for 129 yards and a TD and one catch for five yards in five regular-season games as a rookie. While Malik Davis emerged as Javonte Williams' primary backup last year, Blue will have a chance to compete for that role this summer with Davis, as well as Phil Mafah. Williams remains the team's unquestioned lead back, but if Blue can parlay the speed and explosiveness Schottenheimer has noted he possesses into a larger complementary role, the Texas product could carry fantasy sleeper appeal in 2026.

Dowdle, who signed with the Steelers in March, is set to work in tandem with Jaylen Warren this coming season, Kevin Hutchinson of steelersnow.com reports.

On the heels of back-to-back seasons (one with Dallas and one with Carolina) during which he topped 1,000 rushing yards, Dowdle bolsters a Steelers backfield that saw Kenneth Gainwell depart via free agency this offseason. It remains to be seen how the carries/targets will be divided between Warren and Dowdle in 2026, but the two players' different skill sets could lead to a "thunder and lightning" approach utilizing Warren's shiftiness and quickness and Dowdle's bruising style. Also in the mix for complementary touches are 2025 third-rounder Kaleb Johnson and versatile rookie Eli Heidenreich, with added context regarding Pittsburgh's backfield approach set to arrive once team drills commence in training camp.

Jones, who dealt with a sore shoulder during the 49ers' spring program, threw passes this week at Tight End University, an event hosted by teammate George Kittle (Achilles), David Lombardi of the San Francisco Standard reports.

The fact that Jones was out there throwing this week suggests that Brock Purdy's top backup should be good to go come training camp. Though there was some speculation this offseason that Jones could be on the move, he'll remain a valuable insurance policy at QB for the 49ers, on the heels of a 2025 regular season in which Purdy missed eight games, all of which Jones started in his place.

Purdy, who has been participating in this week's Tight End University, an event hosted by teammate George Kittle (Achilles), said that he plans to gather with other 49ers for throwing sessions over the next month prior to training camp, David Lombardi of the San Francisco Standard reports.

As the coming campaign approaches, Purdy -- who has had time to move past the shoulder and toe issues he dealt with last season -- is set to work with a WR corps that welcomes a trio of key additions in Mike Evans, Christian Kirk and rookie second-rounder De'Zhaun Stribling. Also in the mix are returnees Ricky Pearsall, Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins and Demarcus Robinson. Meanwhile, Kittle is bouncing back from an Achilles injury, and though the star TE says that he has "a chance" to be ready for Week 1, the 49ers may need to lean more on their key wideouts out of the gate this year while Kittle works his way back into the mix. Purdy is coming off a 2025 regular season in which he threw for 2,167 yards with 20 TDs and 10 picks, while carrying 33 times for 147 yards and three scores in nine games. Looking ahead, the signal-caller's fantasy upside in 2026 hinges largely on avoiding injuries, as well as building strong on-field chemistry with his team's re-tooled pass-catching unit.

The Bengals are spending more time working on their under-center offense more this offseason, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

The Bengals have been slow to adapt the growing trend in the NFL of working under center, and using more play-action from that set-up to initiate explosive plays. It's always been Burrow's preference to work out of the shotgun and survey the field, but the evidence suggests that the Bengals, while being successful in that format, are leaving explosive plays on the table as a result.

Barkley spoke this offseason with retired running back Todd Gurley, who played for the Rams at the same time as new Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, NFL.com's Bobby Kownack reports.

Mannion is overhauling the Philadelphia offense, including new terminology, while head coach Nick Sirianni shifts to a more hands-off, executive role. That could always change if things don't go well early in the season, but it nonetheless sounds promising for Barkley in light of his disappointing 2025 campaign in a stagnant offense. Of course, he's not the only one who will need to adjust to a new scheme, with fantasy results partially depending on how QB Jalen Hurts and the offensive line respond to Mannion's changes.

Ravens coach Jesse Minter said Henry has "run every scheme throughout his career" but will still need to adjust to terminology changes under new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

Henry and other Ravens have expressed excitement about Doyle's scheme, with the 32-year-old running back telling reporters this offseason that "change can be good," and "everything is new, so we're all just trying to learn." Quarterback Lamar Jackson and wide receiver Zay Flowers made stronger comments during the offseason program, both praising Doyle for originality/creativity. The Ravens lost some key pieces of their running game this offseason, namely C Tyler Linderbaum and FB Patrick Ricard, but they also improved at the guard spots and still have a strong core of veteran standouts on both sides of the ball. Henry finished second in the league in rushing yards each of his first two seasons in Baltimore, and after a red-hot finish to the 2025 season, he's again going in the second round of most fantasy drafts.

Arnold (shoulder) was arrested Wednesday and is facing multiple felony counts of robbery and kidnapping, the Hillsborough County (Fla.) State Attorney's Office announced.

The announcement also noted that Arnold's charges carry a potential sentence of up to life in prison after the cornerback was allegedly the primary conspirator of an elaborate armed robbery and kidnapping plot that happened earlier in the offseason. The 23-year-old was the No. 24 overall pick in the 2024 Draft and has started 22 regular-season games across his first two seasons. He missed the final five games last season with a shoulder injury that required surgery.

Bullock (undisclosed) missed minicamp earlier this month and is recovering from surgery, Brian Wacker of The Baltimore Sun reports.

The nature of Bullock's surgery isn't clear, but coach Jesse Minter indicated that the second-year lineman is expected to be ready for training camp, according to Wacker. Bullock appeared in 16 regular-season games last season but logged just 13 offensive snaps. He's likely to be in the mix to start at center this season, but that's a competition that will be hashed out during training camp and the preseason.

Harrison (knee) participated in the Falcons' offseason program, Daniel Flick of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Harrison was well on his way to a career year in 2025, as he recorded a career-high 4.5 sacks through the first seven games, but he suffered a knee injury in Week 7 against the 49ers and missed the remainder of the 2025 campaign. Now healthy, the Falcons are relying on Harrison to help key the pass rush alongside second-year edge defenders Jalon Walker and James Pearce.