NFL Player News

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.

The Chiefs signed Ott as an undrafted free agent Friday.

Ott played three years at California before transferring to Oklahoma for his senior season. The running back suffered a shoulder issue entering the 2025 season that led to him seeing meaningful snaps in only two games. The Chiefs are likely taking a flyer on Ott due to his 2023 season at California, where he rushed 245 times for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns and added 26 receptions for 321 yards and three touchdowns. Ott's standout sophomore campaign suggests he has a shot to be a meaningful producer at the NFL level if he can avoid the injury bug.

Tuten will likely see a similar workload to Chris Rodriguez as the leaders of Jacksonville's new-look backfield, John Shipley of SI.com reports.

Tuten finished second on the team in carries as a rookie during the regular season, as the 2025 fourth-round pick rushed 83 times for 307 yards and five touchdowns while working as the backup to Travis Etienne, who subsequently signed a four-year contract with the Saints in free agency. Jacksonville brought in Rodriguez on a two-year, $10-million contract but didn't draft any running backs, setting Tuten and Rodriguez up to split most of the carries ahead of passing-down specialists LeQuint Allen and DeeJay Dallas.

Sports Illustrated's John Shipley projects Rodriguez to open the season as the Jaguars' lead running back.

"Though I am not sure there will be enough of a difference between [Rodriguez's] workload and Bhayshul Tuten's worth talking about," Shipley wrote Thursday. After Travis Etienne left for the Saints in free agency, Jacksonville signed Rodriguez to a two-year, $10 million deal. Rodriguez played for coach Liam Coen in college at Kentucky, and the Jaguars have pointed out how they like Rodriguez's ability to earn the tough yards after contact after he finished eighth out of 58 qualifying running backs in yards after contact per attempt (3.46) last season. The coaching staff certainly has an affinity for Rodriguez, and Tuten is going to have to show more than he did as a rookie (3.7 yards per carry) to earn more playing time.

Ekeler (Achilles) recently received full medical clearance for football activities and intends to continue his playing career in 2026, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Ekeler's 2025 season with the Commanders came to an end in Week 2, when he tore his right Achilles tendon on a non-contact play. The veteran running back underwent surgery soon thereafter and has apparently made a smooth recovery. While he's set to turn 31 years old in May, Ekeler isn't far removed from being one of the NFL's top pass-catching backs and could offer some utility in a depth role. Ekeler remains a free agent, but now that he's been given a clean bill of health, his market could pick up as teams look to fill out their running-back rooms prior to training camp.

The Bills signed VanSumeren (knee) to a one-year contract Wednesday, Alec White of the Bills' official site reports.

Philadelphia opted not to tender VanSumeren after his third season with the team back in March, but it didn't take long for him to get another shot with a new squad. His 2025 season ended prematurely due to him tearing his patella tendon during the opening kickoff of Week 1, but in the two years prior, his elite speed, strength and explosiveness allowed him to earn opportunities on special teams.

Kansas City waived Powell on Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

After signing Emari Demercado in March and using a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Emmett Johnson on Saturday, the Chiefs found that they didn't have room for Powell anymore. The undersized running back will now have to look for another opportunity with a different team.

The Rams signed Connors as an undrafted free agent Tuesday.

Connors began his career at junior college before rushing for 977 yards and six touchdowns on 77 carries during the 2025 season while at Houston. With the Rams lacking proven talent at running back behind Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, Connors has a chance to earn a spot on the final roster.