NFL Player News

With Jonathan Taylor being rested, Giddens took more first-team reps at Friday's practice, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Giddens is no threat to Taylor's status as the Colts' top back, but the 2025 fifth-rounder is competing with Seth McGowan for the No. 2 role. With that in mind, Boyd noted that Giddens has struggled a bit to catch the ball out of the backfield in team drills, but it's early on in training camp, and the Kansas State product has some time to clean that aspect of his game up. Whoever ends up being Taylor's top backup will hold minimal fantasy lineup appeal as long as he's healthy but would be a must-add should Taylor miss time for any reason.

Larison is battling rookies Jam Miller and Myles Montgomery for the third spot on the Patriots' running back depth chart, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.

Larison looks like the early favorite for the third spot behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, but Miller and Montgomery will have opportunities to strengthen their cases for roster spots throughout training camp and the preseason. Lazar notes that Larison, Miller and Montgomery have all gotten opportunities on kickoff returns early in training camp. Special-teams ability could be the deciding factor for which running back earns a roster spot, since Stevenson and Henderson are expected to monopolize opportunities on offense if healthy.

Gainwell has been utilized primarily as a receiver out of the backfield in training camp while Bucky Irving has handled most of the rushing workload, Adam Silvon of Pewterreport.com reports.

Irving is likely to get the majority of rushing opportunities in the regular season, and the Buccaneers also have Sean Tucker, who was used prominently in the red zone in 2025. Gainwell's niche is expected to be passing situations, so it's good to see him building early rapport with quarterback Baker Mayfield. Gainwell led the Steelers with 73 catches in the 2025 regular season, while Tampa Bay's running backs combined for 78 receptions last season.

Browns running backs coach Duce Staley said Friday that the "sky's the limit" for Judkins, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

"I'm gonna push him to find out," Staley added of Judkins, who is participating in training camp after recovering from a dislocated right ankle and fractured fibula suffered in Week 16 of the 2025 season. Prior to the injury, Judkins enjoyed a productive rookie campaign, totaling 998 scrimmage yards and seven rushing touchdowns in 14 regular-season appearances. Judkins is expected to work as Cleveland's lead back, with fellow second-year pro Dylan Sampson serving in a change-of-pace role.

Monangai was absent from Friday's practice due to an undisclosed reason, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Monangai also wasn't spotted during Thursday's practice, making this his second consecutive absence. The Bears haven't provided details on the issue, so Monangai should be considered day-to-day until more information surfaces. He remains in line for a complementary role behind D'Andre Swift, but missed camp reps could pile up if his absence continues. Roschon Johnson, Brittain Brown and Salvon Ahmed will benefit from increased reps as long as Monangai is unavailable.

Dowdle and Jaylen Warren split first-team running back reps across the Steelers' first two training camp practices, Daniel Chavkin of SportsNet Pittsburgh reports.

Dowdle was first up for first-team reps on Thursday after Warren worked ahead of him Wednesday. Dowdle joins Pittsburgh after back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons and brings prior familiarity with new coach Mike McCarthy, giving him a real chance to push Warren for the lead committee role. That said, Warren's receiving ability gives him a strong path to consistent touches, and it remains to be seen whether Dowdle's bruising between-the-tackles style will allow him to secure the majority of goal-line work. Pittsburgh's backfield competition will be one to track closely during training camp.

Warren and Rico Dowdle split first-team running back reps across the Steelers' first two training camp practices, Daniel Chavkin of SportsNet Pittsburgh reports.

Warren worked ahead of Dowdle on Wednesday but was the second running back up Thursday. While Warren remains the incumbent in this backfield and holds a steady role in the receiving game, Dowdle's arrival and familiarity with new head coach Mike McCarthy make this a murky situation. Warren's upside will depend on whether he can separate enough to avoid a full committee, and whether he or Dowdle gets distinct priority on early downs and near the goal line.

Price got the opening first-team backfield reps during Seattle's first full-team scrimmage Thursday, Gregg Bell of The News Tribune reports.

Price continues on an upward trajectory after starting training camp as the second RB behind George Holani. Holani remains involved enough to keep this from being a settled depth chart, but Price's draft capital and early camp usage keep him trending toward Seattle's most fantasy-relevant back while Zach Charbonnet (ACL) works his way back to full health. Once Price, Charbonnet and Holani are on the field together, however, the Seahawks' backfield may be difficult to prognosticate.

Howard tried out for the Steelers on Thursday, Alan Saunders of SteelersNow.com reports.

Howard was waived from the Bills' injured reserve in late August 2025 due to an undisclosed issue. The running back is evidently healthy and ready to once again compete for an NFL roster spot. The 2024 undrafted free agent out of Alcorn State has yet to participate in an NFL game, although he's recorded 178 carries for 766 yards and three touchdowns while adding a 28-167-0 receiving line over 20 regular-season games with the UFL's St. Louis Battlehawks the last two springs.

Rodriguez (foot) has been cleared to practice, but the Jaguars intend to take a cautious approach with the running back's participation level early in training camp, John Shipley of SI.com reports.

"It's a long training camp," head coach Liam Coen said. "It's a long season. We're trying to get (Rodriguez) back, without any sort of hiccups or bumps." Bhayshul Tuten is getting an early opportunity to build rapport with the first-team offense for the Jaguars, who let Travis Etienne walk in free agency and added Rodriguez in the offseason. Rodriguez's regular-season availability isn't in question at the moment, but it may take a while for him to ramp up to full participation in training camp.