NFL Player News

The Bears signed Bennett as an undrafted free agent Friday, Larry Mayer of the team's official site reports.

Bennett spent a year at Rice before transferring to Kennesaw State in 2025. The running back produced 764 yards and four touchdowns on 157 carries over 14 games for the Owls. He also added 27 catches for 314 yards and three touchdowns as a receiver. Bennett is set to join a Bears team that focused heavily on running the ball in 2025. The undrafted free agent could see some rotational carries at some point during the season if he proves to be a reliable and durable rusher during training camp.

The Texans signed Whittington as an undrafted free agent Friday.

Whittington started his collegiate career at Western Kentucky before transferring to Oregon after his second year. The running back played four seasons for the Ducks, capping his college career with 129 carries for 829 yards and six touchdowns while adding 19 receptions for 98 yards and another score over 13 games in 2025. Despite a smaller frame, Whittington could provide solid value to the Texans as a rotational back with a strong reputation for ball security (one fumble in four seasons with Oregon).

The Jets and Hall (knee) agreed to terms on a three-year, $45.75 million contract Friday, NFL reporter Jordan Schultz reports.

With an average annual value of $15.25 million on the deal, Hall becomes the third-highest paid running back in the NFL behind the Eagles' Saquon Barkley ($20.6 million) and the 49ers' Christian McCaffrey ($19 million). Despite being in mostly dreadful offenses in four seasons since the Jets selected him in the second round of the 2022 Draft, Hall has averaged 1,453 yards from scrimmage and 7.3 touchdowns per year over the last three campaigns. He even put together the first 1,000-yard season on the ground of his career (1,065, to be exact) in 2025. Moving forward, Hall will remain the engine of New York's offense.

The Browns signed Harden as an undrafted free agent Friday.

Harden spent three years at UCLA before transferring to SMU in 2025. The running back appeared in 13 games for the Mustangs, producing 787 yards and nine touchdowns on 171 carries and recording 19 receptions for 99 yards and one additional score. Similar to fellow undrafted free agent Davon Booth, it will likely be very difficult for Harden to earn a spot in a running back room dominated by accomplished young incumbent talent like Quinshon Judkins (ankle) and Dylan Sampson.

The Colts signed Pare as an undrafted free agent Thursday.

Pare will get a chance to prove himself at the Colts' minicamp beginning Friday. The running back completed his collegiate career at Texas State in 2025, registering 1,128 yards and 12 touchdowns on 210 carries while also catching 37 of 41 targets for 312 yards and two scores over 13 contests. The No. 2 running back role behind starter Jonathan Taylor could be up for grabs, and Pare will look to throw his hat in the ring.

The Steelers list Heidenreich as both a running back and wide receiver on their official website, Nick Farabaugh of PennLive.com reports.

The team roster and Heidenreich's player page both show 'RB/WR' as his position, reflecting uncertainty about his NFL future after a three-year run at Navy yielded 169 carries and 109 catches (for 3,151 yards and 23 TDs). A 4.44 40 at the combine confirmed that Heidenreich has NFL-caliber athleticism, but he's thin for a running back (6-feet, 198 pounds) and doesn't have much experience running routes from the perimeter. While there's always some chance the Steelers create a unique role in their offense for Heidenreich, the more likely reality for a seventh-round pick (230th overall) is that he'll need to show value on special teams and/or as the backup for a more conventional role (e.g., third-down back, slot receiver).

Walker suggested Tuesday that he might have an opportunity to catch more passes with the Chiefs than he did with the Seahawks, Eric Edholm of NFL.com reports.

On the heels of being named the most valuable player of Super Bowl LX, Walker inked a lucrative three-year deal to lead Kansas City's backfield this coming season. Edholm notes that Walker earned a reputation as a run-first back during his four-year stint with Seattle, but the 2022 second-rounder -- who logged 31 catches in 17 regular-season games in 2025 -- has reportedly been spending time with QB Patrick Mahomes (who is bouncing back from a December ACL/LCL injury) this offseason in anticipation of a potentially expanded role as a pass catcher. "We've been working on getting connected in the passing game and everything, so that's good," Walker said. "I feel like I'll be used more in the pass game." Either way, as the clear-cut RB1 for his new team, Walker figures to be busy out of the gate this coming season while Mahomes works his way back to form. Competing for complementary work behind Walker will be a pair of newcomers in rookie Emmett Johnson and free agent addition Emari Demercado, as well as 2025 seventh-rounder Brashard Smith.

Kamara (knee) indicated Monday that he's excited to team up with free agent addition Travis Etienne, Matthew Paras of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Since the Saints inked Etienne to a four-year, $52 million contract in March, there's been speculation about Kamara's future with the team that drafted him back in 2017. For his part, the veteran running back -- who is bouncing back from a knee injury that cost him the last six games of the 2025 regular season -- is amenable to pairing with Etienne in New Orleans' backfield in 2026. "I watched (Etienne) in Jacksonville the last couple years and (he's) explosive," Kamara notes. "He hit home runs. He did it in college. Strong dude, seems smart...I'm excited to see what we can do together." For now, Kamara, who is under contract with the Saints for the coming campaign, remains in the mix to work with Etienne, but it's still possible the team will elect to move on from the 30-year-old at some point in the coming weeks/months. Also in the RB mix behind the current top duo are Kendre Miller, Devin Neal, Ty Chandler and Audric Estime.

Johnson is competing with Brashard Smith and Emari Demercado for slotting on Kansas City's running back depth chart behind Kenneth Walker, Grant Gordon of NFL.com reports.

The Chiefs almost completely remade their backfield compared to last season, letting Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco walk while retaining the 2025 seventh-round pick Smith, and signing Walker and Demercado before drafting Johnson in the fifth round. Kansas City also signed undrafted free agents Jaydn Ott and EJ Smith. Demercado and Brashard Smith both seem best suited for change-of-pace roles on passing downs, so Johnson could have a clear lane to getting the second-most carries behind Walker. Head coach Andy Reid compared Johnson's skill set to that of former NFL running back LeSean McCoy, who exceeded 1,000 regular-season rushing yards on six occasions.

Black is set to compete with recent draft picks Jordan James and Isaac Guerendo for backup touches behind Christian McCaffrey, Grant Gordon of NFL.com reports.

Black was viewed by many as a reach in the third round, though 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan defended the pick by saying the team viewed Black as the second-best running back in the 2026 Draft class behind third overall pick Jeremiyah Love. San Francisco hasn't had much success drafting running backs in recent years and has yet to get much production out of James (a 2025 fifth-round pick) or Guerendo (a 2024 fourth-round pick). McCaffrey remains the team's undisputed lead back while healthy.