NFL Player News

The Lions exercised Gibbs' fifth-year option for the 2027 season Tuesday, Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News reports.

It was a no-brainer move for the Lions, and Gibbs will collect a fully guaranteed $14.293 million salary in 2027. That still puts him well below the $20.6 million per year Saquon Barkley is earning as the league's highest-paid running back. As long as Gibbs keeps producing like he has since coming into the NFL as the 12th overall pick in 2023, he should become the league's top-earning back soon enough. He's posted back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons and has totaled 3,580 yards and 39 touchdowns on the ground across three campaigns. In addition to his dynamic ability as a runner, Gibbs has secured 181 of 228 targets for 1,449 yards and 10 scores in 49 regular-season contests. With David Montgomery now out of the picture, replaced by Isiah Pacheco, the ceiling is even higher for Gibbs headed into 2026.

Brooks (knee) said Tuesday that he's been fully cleared to participate in the Panthers' offseason program, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Brooks said he feels "close to 100 percent" after tearing his right ACL for the second time in Week 14 of the 2024 campaign. Brooks missed the entirety of 2025 but appears ready to contribute this season. The offseason has set up nicely for Brooks to have a significant role after Rico Dowdle left in free agency, leaving only Chuba Hubbard ahead of him on the depth chart. AJ Dillon was added as well, but he's barely played over the last two seasons, and Trevor Etienne mainly played special teams as a rookie in 2025.

The Patriots released Mitchell on Tuesday, Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reports.

The 27-year-old running back from Louisiana inked a reserve/future contract with New England in early February, but it now appears the team has decided to move in another direction. Mitchell's last in-game action came with the Chiefs in 2025, when he appeared in one contest and failed to catch his lone target across seven offensive snaps.

McCormick signed with the 49ers on Monday, David Lombardi of SFStandard.com reports.

McCormick spent time with San Francisco during the 2025 campaign, though he never appeared in a regular-season game. His last regular-season appearance came in 2024 with the Raiders, when he played in five contests and on 84 offensive snaps.

The Seahawks released Akers on Monday, John Boyle of the team's official site reports.

Akers played in six contests for the Seahawks in 2025. The running back was predominantly a special teamer in those games, playing just nine offensive snaps that resulted in five rushing attempts for 19 yards. With the team adding Jadarian Price in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft, Akers was likely pushed too far down the depth chart to validate keeping. The 26-year-old NFL veteran is now a free agent available to sign with any team that values his experience.

The Saints waived Hull on Monday, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Hull played in six games for the Saints during the 2025 season due to the absence of Alvin Kamara. The former rushed for 48 yards over 19 attempts and caught his sole target for six yards. The 2023 fifth-round pick now will be subject to waivers, only becoming a free agent if he remains unclaimed for 24 hours.

The Cowboys did not add to the running back position in the 2026 NFL Draft, leaving Williams (shoulder) positioned to reprise a bell-cow role, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.

Williams re-signed with Dallas via a three-year, $24 million deal in February after putting together a breakout campaign with the team in 2025, totaling 252 carries for 1,201 yards (4.8 YPC) and 11 touchdowns across 16 regular-season appearances. He also secured 35 of 51 targets for 137 yards and two scores. Given that the No. 2 role behind Williams appears open to a competition between Malik Davis (eye), Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafah and Israel Abanikanda, the Cowboys appeared to be a candidate to add playmaking upside to the backfield via the NFL Draft, particularly in the form of a pass-catching complement. Instead, fourth-round offensive lineman Drew Shelton represents the team's main addition on offense, and Williams retains a clear path to a workhorse role. Williams missed Week 18 due to a shoulder issue but is presumably ready for spring activities.

Benson (knee) faces even more competition in the Arizona backfield after the Cardinals used the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 Draft on Jeremiyah Love on Thursday, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.

Along with Love, who projects to vault right to the top of the depth chart at running back, the Cardinals also signed Tyler Allgeier and restructured James Conner's contract over the offseason. Benson has never played a single regular-season snap on special teams in his career but may have to learn if he's going to stick in Arizona. The more likely outcome may be that Benson is traded to a team in need of backfield depth before Week 1. The 2024 third-round pick has a career 92-451-1 rushing line, good for a strong 4.9 yards per carry.

The Jaguars signed Taylor as an undrafted free agent Sunday.

Taylor's 222 carries with Virginia in 2025 give him extensive experience to bring to the Jaguars' camp. The durable dual-threat running back may be undersized, but he holds onto the ball and plays with great physicality. Now officially a Jaguar, Taylor will compete with the rest of the running back room for potential meaningful snaps in 2026.

The Chargers signed Desrosiers as an undrafted free agent Saturday.

Desrosiers began his collegiate career at UMass before transferring to Memphis in 2024 for his final two seasons. While it likely will be a long shot for him to make the final roster, he could have a chance to land on their practice squad.