NFL Player News

Etienne rushed the ball 20 times for 94 yards and caught all three of his targets for 13 yards across 17 regular-season games in 2025. Additionally, he recorded 733 kickoff return yards and 163 punt return yards.

The 2025 fourth-round pick from Georgia was buried behind Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard in the Panthers' backfield, so it's no surprise he didn't see much work on offense as a rookie. However, Etienne established himself as Carolina's top return man, finishing the regular season 19th in return yards in the NFL. While Dowdle is set to hit unrestricted free agency, the Panthers will still have Hubbard and 2024 second-round pick Jonathon Brooks (knee) under contract next season, so the backfield could remain crowded, but Etienne's special-teams value should at least keep him in the mix.

The Buccaneers signed Wright to a reserve/future contract Monday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

Wright was on and off of Tampa Bay's practice squad throughout the 2025 season, and he appeared in three contests, turning three carries into six yards while playing seven total offensive snaps. The running back will now have the chance to participate in the Buccaneers' offseason activities, and he'll look to compete for a reserve role behind Bucky Irving with top backup Rachaad White set to become a free agent.

The Buccaneers signed Williams to a reserve/future contract Monday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

The undrafted free agent out of LSU earned a spot on the Buccaneers' 53-man roster after a strong training camp. His rookie season was a bit tumultuous, as he missed time while in the league's concussion protocol before being served a six-game suspension by the NFL in mid-November for violating the league's performance-enhancing substances policy. He was waived by the Bucs on Dec. 29 before being signed to the practice squad one day later, and he'll stick around with Tampa Bay during offseason activities with the aim of cracking the team's active roster for a second straight year.

Blackshear reverted to the Jets' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's official transaction log.

Blackshear was elevated to the active roster prior to Sunday's 35-8 loss to the Bills, ultimately failing to appear in the contest. The running back spent time with the practice squad of the Titans, Steelers and Jets this season, and he'll now enter the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.

Akers reverted to the Seahawks' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's transaction log.

Akers played six snaps (one on offense, five on special teams) during the Seahawks' 13-3 win over the 49ers on Saturday. He ended up being elevated to Seattle's active roster three times in the regular season and will be available to be called up during the playoffs should the Seahawks require another contributor on special teams and out of the backfield.

Hines reverted to the Saints' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's transaction log.

Hines joined the Saints' practice squad in mid-December after spending time earlier in the season with the Chargers. He was elevated to the active roster Saturday and played nine snaps (one on offense, eight on special teams) during Sunday's 19-17 loss to the Falcons, when he returned one punt for 11 yards. Hines has the versatility and experience to garner offseason interest from teams looking to add depth to their backfield and can also contribute on special teams as a returner.

Wilson reverted to the Dolphins' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's official transaction log.

Wilson was elevated to the active roster ahead of the team's 38-10 loss to the Patriots on Sunday, failing to record any stats while playing six of the team's 56 offensive snaps. The running back appeared in three games with Miami this season, producing no output. Wilson will now likely look for an opportunity to compete for an active roster in the offseason.

The Titans signed Watson (undisclosed) to a reserve/future contract Monday, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.

Watson signed with the Titans' practice squad in late September after being let go by the Broncos with an injury settlement in late August due to a knee injury. He was placed on Tennessee's practice-squad injured list in early October due to an undisclosed issue and was not elevated to the active roster during the 2025 campaign. Watson will stick around in Tennessee and participate in offseason activities with an eye toward making the 53-man roster for the 2026 season.

The Falcons signed Washington to a reserve/future contract Monday, Tori McElhaney of the team's official website reports.

Washington will stick around Atlanta after spending the entirety of the season with the team's practice squad, earning one elevation to the active roster in Week 1 against the Buccaneers. The running back played 10 snaps on special teams in the contest, failing to record any stats. With Tyler Allgeier set to become a free agent in the offseason, Washington could compete for the top reserve role behind Bijan Robinson in 2026.

The Raiders signed Collier to a reserve/future contract Monday.

Collier spent the entire 2025 season on the Raiders' practice squad after failing to make the team's 53-man roster at the end of training camp. His lone elevation to the Raiders' active roster came in Week 17 against the Giants, though he didn't end up playing a single snap in a 34-10 loss. Collier will stay in Las Vegas in the offseason, where he'll look to show enough to the organization in OTAs, minicamp and training camp to earn a spot on the active roster for the 2026 season.