NFL Player News

Harvey said he has been watching film of Christian McCaffrey, Jahmyr Gibbs and Kenneth Walker as he works to improve in Year 2, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports.

Harvey flashed playmaking ability as a rookie but struggled with consistency, finishing with under 200 total touches even with J.K. Dobbins missing the Broncos' final seven regular-season games. Denver's decision to re-sign Dobbins and draft Jonah Coleman in the fourth round points toward another committee, but Harvey could carve out more passing-game work if he's able to prove greater comfort in coach Sean Payton's system. Patra highlights Harvey as a candidate to earn a potential Joker-type role in Year 2, which would provide intriguing PPR upside even if the Broncos' crowded backfield may cap his ultimate upside.

Miller is in line to compete for depth slotting in the Patriots backfield behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, Evan Lazar of the team's official site reports.

While there is clarity at the top of the team's RB depth chart, the pecking order behind the top duo has yet to be established. Also in the mix for complementary backfield work are Terrell Jennings, Lan Larison and Myles Montgomery. Miller, who was taken by New England in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, was a core special-teamer early on in his college career at Alabama, which could help his chances of securing a role as a rookie. Per Lazar, the No. 3 job behind Stevenson and Henderson figures to go to "whoever offers the most juice as a returner and can fill in when needed in the offensive backfield."

Skattebo (ankle) said Sunday that he's "ready to go" for training camp, Patricia Traina of SI.com reports.

Skattebo -- who indicated that he is "perfectly fine" after appearing to land awkwardly while doing a backflip during an appearance at Fanatics Fest this past weekend -- said "I feel great" and that "the last two weeks of my training have felt the most normal, it's been excellent." The second-year pro got back on the field for team drills late during mandatory minicamp in June, and it sounds like he'll enter training camp at near 100 percent health from ankle surgery undergone last October. Skattebo and other veterans will report for Giants training camp July 28, with rookies kicking things off July 23. Once he's fully cleared, Skattebo is expected to reclaim the lead role in New York's backfield, which also houses Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary.

Brooks will compete against Samaje Perine in training camp for the No. 2 running back role behind Chase Brown, Michael Hull of the Bengals' official site reports.

Brooks was a sixth-round selection of the Bengals in the 2025 NFL Draft and spent most of his rookie campaign as a contributor on special teams while operating behind both Brown and Perine in the backfield. Brooks figures to see continued work on special teams in 2026, but he'll have the opportunity to push Perine out for the RB2 role in training camp and the preseason. Brooks turned 16 carries into 45 yards and added a nine-yard catch across 16 regular-season games in 2025 while also gaining 258 yards on 10 kickoff returns.

Larison and Terrell Jennings are set to battle for the third spot on the Patriots' running back depth chart in training camp, Christopher Price of the Boston Globe reports.

Larison signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of UC Davis prior to the 2025 season but injured his foot during the preseason and spent the entire campaign on IR. Now that he's healthy, Larison will try to earn a roster spot in a depth role behind TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson. Jam Miller and Myles Montgomery are also vying for roles in New England's running back room.

Mafah is in contention to land a depth role in Dallas' backfield behind Javonte Williams, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Mafah, Malik Davis and Jaydon Blue will battle for the top backup spot throughout training camp. The Cowboys drafted Mafah in the seventh round in 2025, two rounds after selecting Blue. Mafah made his NFL debut in Week 18 of the 2025 campaign against the Giants and scored a touchdown on one of his five carries.

Williams remains the Cowboys' lead back entering the 2026 season, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Williams is set to lead a backfield that also includes Malik Davis, Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafah, Israel Abanikanda and Dominic Richardson heading into training camp. Blue, a 2025 fifth-round pick, could be ready for a larger role in his second season, especially in passing situations, but Williams remains the clear No. 1 option for the Cowboys at running back after rushing for a career-high 1,201 yards across 16 games in 2025, Williams' age-25 campaign.

Johnson (thumb) looks like the early favorite to land the third spot on Chicago's running back depth chart, Mike Moraitis of SI.com reports.

D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai seem locked in as the top two options in the Bears' backfield, so Johnson will be tasked with holding off Brittain Brown, Coleman Bennett and Salvon Ahmed for a spot on the 53-man roster. Johnson's experience on special teams makes the 2023 fourth-round pick the player to beat for the final spot, even though he played just four snaps on offense in the 2025 regular season before finishing the season on IR due to a thumb injury.

Dobbins is jostling for position in a Broncos backfield that also includes RJ Harvey and Jonah Coleman, Luca Evans of the Denver Post reports.

Dobbins led the Broncos with 772 rushing yards across 10 regular-season games during the 2025 campaign, and he's likely to maintain a prominent role in the team's 2026 backfield mix, even with Denver having spent a second-round pick in 2025 on Harvey and a fourth-rounder this year on Coleman. Harvey is likely to get most of the pass-catching opportunities but averaged just 3.7 yards per carry in the 2025 regular season compared to Dobbins' 5.0, while the 5-foot-8, 220-pound Coleman may be the bigger threat to Dobbins' opportunities on early downs. The Broncos may opt to keep four running backs on the 53-man roster, with Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie battling for the final spot.

McCaffrey was named the Best Comeback Athlete at the 2026 ESPYS, Briana Jeannel of the 49ers' official site reports.

McCaffrey earned All-Pro honors while rushing 311 times for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns across 17 regular-season games in 2025, and also leading all running backs with a 102-924-7 receiving line (129 targets). Head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged back in spring that the team may alleviate McCaffrey's workload in 2026 in order to keep him fresh, a fair concern given that the 30-year-old handled a career-high 413 touches last year. McCaffrey himself has downplayed any workload concerns, and his versatility will help him remain a high-end fantasy producer even if any of Jordan James, Kaelon Black, Isaac Guerendo (pectoral), Patrick Taylor, Jordan Mims or Jermar Jefferson earn a larger role this year.