NFL Player News

Irving is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, and while he isn't expected to take part in mandatory minicamp June 16-18, he'll likely be healthy during training camp, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Irving was present for the Buccaneers' first OTA on Tuesday but was merely a spectator, and afterward coach Todd Bowles said that the third-year running back is in line to return in "summer or fall," according to River Wells of Bucs Gameday. Last season, Irving sat out Weeks 5-12 due to a shoulder subluxation and sprained foot, but after getting back in the fold in Week 13, he took on a normal workload down the stretch (113 touches for 435 yards from scrimmage and two total TDs over the final six games). Tampa Bay let Rachaad White move on in free agency and replaced him with Kenneth Gainwell. Along with holdover Sean Tucker, Gainwell will handle most of the first-team reps during the offseason program and into training camp until Irving is good to go.

Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said Tuesday that Irving (shoulder) is expected back in "summer or fall," River Wells of Bucs Gameday.

This is less optimistic than the team's stance just a few weeks ago, when it was reported that Irving could be limited during the offseason program. He watched from the sideline Tuesday at the first on-field session of OTAs, and Bowles' comments suggest the running back potentially won't be ready for practice until training camp. Irving missed a chunk of last season with a dislocated shoulder, eventually undergoing surgery this offseason, and it seems like the Bucs want to be cautious with him. While Rachaad White left in free agency, the team also signed Kenneth Gainwell and re-signed Sean Tucker to handle some of the backfield load in 2026, and both figure to see plenty of first-team reps while Irving finishes up his rehab this summer.

Irving (shoulder) is present at OTAs but isn't participating in on-field work yet, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

Irving watched Tuesday's practice from the sideline before heading inside with a member of the training staff. He's recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, temporarily leaving Tampa's first-team backfield reps in the capable hands of Kenneth Gainwell and Sean Tucker. Reports from earlier in May suggested that Irving was unlikely to do much during the offseason program, with training camp being the real target. For now, he'll focus on finishing up his rehab and mastering schematic changes under new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson.

James "seems the most likely" of San Francisco's running backs behind Christian McCaffrey to earn the No. 2 role for the upcoming campaign, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Brian Robinson served as San Francisco's No. 2 back last season, but he's since joined Atlanta. That leaves James, Isaac Guerendo, rookie Kaelon Black, Patrick Taylor and Sincere McCormick to battle for position behind McCaffrey, who led the NFL with 413 regular-season touches last year. The 49ers may want to reduce McCaffrey's workload in 2026, but that could hinge on whether a reliable No. 2 back emerges from the above-mentioned group. Wagoner suggests that James has an inside track on the job based partly on his strong play during garbage time in the 49ers' blowout loss to Seattle in the NFC divisional round, when he rushed six times for 28 yards and caught his lone target for seven yards. That's a very small sample size and is far from a guarantee that James -- who didn't play until Week 16 last year -- will take hold of top backup role, though it's worth noting that Guerendo, who may be James' biggest competition for the job, appeared in 14 regular-season games in 2025 but didn't log a single snap on offense.

Washington signed with the Dolphins on Thursday.

Washington played exactly one game in each of the last two seasons with the Falcons, and he stuck to special teams in both instances. The Southeastern Louisiana product is likely vying for the No. 4 running back role behind De'Von Achane, Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon.

The Bears waived Hankins (shoulder/quadriceps) on Thursday.

Hankins wasn't let go with an injury designation, so he'll be ready to go at his next landing spot. The 25-year-old running back spent his rookie 2025 season on the Bears' injured reserve. He's an interesting player at 5-foot-11, 225 pounds, but he finished with just 4.4 YPC and two touchdowns in his sixth college season in 2024.

New Raiders coach Klint Kubiak hinted Wednesday that Jeanty could play even more of an every-down workhorse role in his second season, Paul Gutierrez of the team's official site reports.

It comes off as typical coach speak that is routinely thrown around at this stage of the offseason, but it's at least worth noting nonetheless. "It's important to have a quality second back, but the best player has got to play, and we've got to get them on the field as much as we can," Kubiak said. "I don't know the play-snap percentage, but you look at Christian McCaffrey, his play-snap percentage is high. So, those great backs, they don't want to come off the field." Only nine running backs handled more carries and played more snaps than Jeanty last season, so it'll be tough to truly put significantly more on his plate in 2026, but the hope is for far better efficiency behind an improved offensive line with better coaching and quarterback play. Currently in the mix for RB touches that don't go to Jeantyare rookie fourth-rounder Mike Washington, as well as Dylan Laube, Chris Collier and UDFA addition Roman Hemby.

Hill (neck) is participating in OTAs this week.

Hill sustained a neck injury in practice leading up to Week 13 last season and spent the remainder of the 2025 campaign on injured reserve. He was inching closer to a return toward the end of last season, so it's fair to assume he's back to 100 percent. Hill is expected to once again serve as the pass-catching specialist out of the backfield behind Derrick Henry in 2026.

Cook was not present for the start of OTAs on Tuesday, Matt Parrino of Syracuse.com reports.

While OTAs are quote unquote "voluntary," it's a notable absence, as the rest of Buffalo's star players and veteran leaders were in attendance for new coach Joe Brady's first open practice session. There's been no reason given for Cook's absence, and he just signed a new four-year, $46 million contract last summer after "holding in" at training camp. Cook, however, has already fallen behind the top of the running back market after De'Von Achane, Kenneth Walker, Breece Hall and Travis Etienne all received bigger deals this offseason. It's possible Cook is looking at that and pushing for more money after leading the league in rushing with 1,621 yards and 12 touchdowns on a career-high 309 carries last regular season. With Cook idle to begin OTAs, Frank Gore and Ray Davis have seen more reps with the first-team offense, according to Parrino.

The Bears signed Ahmed (ankle) on Wednesday, NFL reporter Jordan Schultz reports.

While with the Colts last summer, Ahmed suffered a serious ankle injury during training camp when he was brought down with a hip-drop tackle. He missed the entire 2025 season but is now healthy and ready to compete for a job in the Chicago backfield. The 27-year-old has 593 career rushing yards and five touchdowns on 163 carries across 38 regular-season games. He can also play special teams.