NFL Player News

Henry is expected to play second fiddle to DeMarco Murray (foot) out of the Titans' backfield next season. On Wednesday, head coach Mike Mularkey confirmed as much, calling Murray "the guy," according to Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.

Despite admitting that he played through a torn plantar plate in his right foot in 2016, Murray still gobbled up 81 percent of the Titans' offensive snaps, which translated to 20-plus touches in 11 of 16 games. Meanwhile, Henry's earned 25 percent of such snaps, churning out 490 yards and five touchdowns on his 110 carries. The Titans' run-first mentality should afford him a similar workload in his second season, but a serious injury to Murray may be the only way Henry is truly unleashed.

McFadden played in only three games in 2016 due to an elbow injury, finishing with 24 carries for 87 yards and catching three passes on five targets for 17 yards.

He topped 1,000 yards rushing in 2015 for just the second time in his career, but his injury, combined with the addition of Ezekiel Elliott, prevented McFadden from making any kind of meaningful impact last year. He's a free agent this offseason, but it's not out of the question for the Cowboys to bring him back as veteran depth behind Elliott if the market for his services is soft.

Kelley (knee) is currently projected as the Redskins' starting running back in 2017, CSN Mid-Atlantic reports.

Kelley, an undrafted rookie last year, started Washington's final nine games of the season after Matt Jones failed to impress to begin the campaign. In those appearances, Kelley finished with 601 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Although a knee problem that required a small surgery this offseason slowed him toward the end of that stretch, Kelley showed enough to project as the Redskins' top tailback heading into next season. With his numbers as a starter, that role could see Kelley eclipse 1,000 yards in 2017, but he'll need to continue to prove he's the team's best option to have that opportunity.

Richardson (knee) was arrested last Thursday on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge in the third degree, WRBC.com reports.

Handed plenty of opportunity to stick in the NFL, Richardson hasn't taken the field in season since 2014 and during preseason play since August of 2015. His woes have now extended off the field due to an alleged incident with a female in Hoover, Ala. While the legal system works itself out, there's no indication that the NFL will come calling in the short or long term.

Abdullah (foot) remains on track to return by the start of offseason workouts in April, the Detroit Free Press reports.

On the mend from an unspecified injury to his left foot, Abdullah said in early January that he anticipates being ready for the start of OTAs in April. His recovery remains setback-free and it doesn't appear as if it'll be much longer until he returns to full strength. The former second-rounder showcased his progress Friday by posting a video of himself on Instagram sprinting on a treadmill. With well over a month until the start of team workouts, Abdullah certainly appears on track to be ready. Of greater concern to his 2017 outlook than a potential delay to his offseason preparation is the Lions stated intent to upgrade the running game this offseason. This doesn't necessarily imply they want to specifically add another running back, but then again GM Bob Quinn didn't rule out such a possibility either.

New head coach Anthony Lynn believes Gordon (knee, hip) could rise to another level in his third season, ESPN's Eric D. Williams reports. "He did a hell of a job from his rookie year to his sophomore year," Lynn said. "And I told him we can take this to another level. We're going to do some things running-wise that I can think can help him."

It's interesting to note that Lynn did not discuss Gordon's burgeoning receiving skills, instead opting to discuss what he could improve while running the ball. Given Danny Woodhead's impending free agency, it remains to be seen if the Chargers view Gordon as a three-down back or if they'll prefer to utilize him strictly in the ground game. Regardless, it's clear Lynn and the rest of the Chargers' staff took notice of the Wisconsin alum's breakout 2016 campaign. Assuming he recovers from a hip strain and a knee sprain that caused him to miss the final three games of the regular season, Gordon should certainly be considered one of the top fantasy running backs entering the 2017 season.

The Buccaneers aren't expected to make a decision on Martin (suspension) for the foreseeable future, Roy Cummings of FloridaFootballInsiders.com reports.

Handed a four-game suspension in December for a violation of the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs, Martin missed the final game of the 2016 season and promptly entered a treatment facility. Prior to the ban, he was a workhorse in the eight games in which he was active, averaging 18 carries per contest and corralling 14 of 16 passes. However, he also missed six outings in the early going due to a hamstring injury and was inactive in Week 16 for an undisclosed reason. The impetus was soon revealed, though, at which point his campaign was over. If Martin is still a Buccaneer next season, the backfield will be entrusted to holdovers Charles Sims (pectoral), a veritable pass catcher, and Peyton Barber for the first three games, while unrestricted free agent Jacquizz Rodgers, exclusive rights free agent Russell Hansbrough, and a draft pick or two may also be in the fold.

Anderson (knee) is running full speed and expects to be cleared for football-related activities later this month, 9News Denver reports.

Anderson went under the knife in late October to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. Although he's now able to run without any problems, he's yet to resume cutting, the very movement that caused his injury in the first place. However, he doesn't seem to think that will be a problem, as Anderson believes he'll be cleared to resume all football-related activities within the month. If the running back is to be believed, that timeline would leave him plenty of time to get back into shape before offseason workouts start up in April.

Toussaint signed a one-year exclusive rights contract with the Steelers on Tuesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.

Toussaint played in just 4.2 percent of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps in 2016, as Le'Veon Bell and DeAngelo Williams handled the vast majority of the running back duties. Toussaint did see significant time on special teams, occasionally seeing return opportunities on kickoffs. He'll look to continue his role on special teams and possibly earn some added reps on offense in 2017.

Gordon (hip) didn't suit up for the Chargers' final three games due to a PCL sprain in his left knee, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Gordon suffered what was eventually a season-ending knock in Week 14, but the ailments were merely termed a hip strain and knee sprain at the time. With the latter clarified, it's no surprise that he was unable to make a return to the lineup, bringing a breakout campaign to an abbreviated end. Falling just shy of 1,000 yards rushing in 13 games -- 997, to be exact -- Gordon also corralled 41 of 57 passes for 419 yards and scored 12 touchdowns.