NFL Player News

Stepp (undisclosed) reverted to the Jets' injured reserve list Thursday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Stepp was waived with an injury designation Wednesday, but he wasn't claimed by another team during the last waiver period, so he'll go back to the injured reserve list. The precise nature of his injury is unclear at this point.

Brightwell (hamstring) was waived by the Giants with an injury designation Thursday, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Brightwell ended the 2023 season on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, but it's unclear if that's the issue he's currently dealing with. He has rushed 41 times for 164 yards and a touchdown and has caught 11 passes for 92 yards through 37 games with the Giants. If the running back clears waivers, he'll revert to IR, where he'd be slated to remain unless he reaches an injury settlement.

The Jets waived/injured Stepp on Wednesday with an undisclosed injury, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

The Jets signed Stepp on May 13 as an undrafted free agent out of Western Kentucky. If the running back clears waivers, he'll revert to injured reserve.

Jacobs (hamstring) returned to practice on a limited basis Wednesday, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports.

Jacobs took part in individual drills but then mostly sat out the team period. He did, however, take at least one carry in full-team drills and appears to have made it through the day without any setbacks. The hamstring injury shouldn't have much affect on Jacobs as he prepares to lead a Green Bay backfield that also has AJ Dillon and rookie third-round pick MarShawn Lloyd on hand.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said last week that he would like Bigsby to get more playing time to "take some of the pounding off of Travis [Etienne]," Demetrius Harvey of the Florida Times-Union reports.

Jaguars brass made similar comments last offseason after drafting Bigsby in the third round, but he had just three games all season with more than three carries and none with more than 17 snaps. A pair of lost fumbles on his first 24 touches didn't help, and the Jaguars eventually preferred D'Ernest Johnson as the running back to give Etienne occasional breathers. While Johnson is back with the team in 2024, Bigsby's combination of draft capital, college production (2,903 rushing yards) and size (six-foot, 213 pounds) should allow him another shot to win the No. 2 role. Whether the Jaguars actually end up trusting him enough to take a significant chunk out of Etienne's workload is another question.

McLaughlin (head) has been participating in OTAs, Isaiah J. Downing of the Marietta Daily Journal reports.

McLaughlin played all 17 games for the Broncos in 2023 after going undrafted out of Youngstown State last spring, averaging 5.4 yards on 76 carries and 5.2 yards on 31 receptions. He seems to be healthy after suffering a head injury Week 18, but that doesn't necessarily mean he'll have a role in Denver's crowded backfield in 2024. The team still has Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine under contract and recently brought in fifth-round pick Audric Estime and undrafted free agent Blake Watson. Listed at 5-foot-7 and 187 pounds, McLaughlin is the smallest of the bunch, though perhaps the quickest.

Perine is competing for a role in Denver's backfield but could end up being a cap casualty if the Broncos are satisfied with their reserve options behind starter Javonte Williams, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic reports.

Perine has a non-guaranteed $3 million salary for the second season of his two-year contract. That's a reasonable number for someone who offers good pass protection and reliable hands while also playing special teams, but the Broncos could nonetheless cut or trade Perine if they feel comfortable with Jaleel McLaughlin, Blake Watson or Tyler Badie as a passing-down specialist. None of those other backs can match Perine for size, blocking or experience, but they would probably have an edge over him in terms of speed and quickness. Meanwhile, Williams and fifth-round pick Audric Estime are more likely to get playing time on early downs.

Hall was spotted working in the rehab area during practice Wednesday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Hall's presence with the rehab group suggests he picked up some kind of minor injury during a previous OTA session or workout. Any absences from team drills could free up first-team reps for Israel Abanikanda, Braelon Allen or Isaiah Davis, with recent signing Tarik Cohen potentially an option for third downs and two-minute drills.

Head coach Mike McDaniel said Tuesday that Achane has made "some strength gains" and improved his understanding of Miami's offense, Andre Fernandez of The Miami Herald reports.

Achane seems to be off to a good start to the offseason program, potentially allowing him to earn a larger share of the snaps in the backfield in 2024 behind returning starter Raheem Mostert. Both backs should have significant roles after the impressive work they did in 2023, while fourth-round pick Jaylen Wright is a wild card to earn occasional carries. Adding some weight might lower Achane's injury risk a bit and/or allow him to take on more touches, though he'll still be one of the smallest and fastest running backs in the league, at least among players competing for a significant number of carries and early down snaps. He ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash at 188 pounds at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, then took 103 carries for 800 yards (7.8 YPC) and three touchdowns in 11 regular-season games as a rookie. Achane also drew 37 targets and recorded three receiving touchdowns, with the pass-catching work allowing him to stay involved even when Mostert was healthy and gobbling up carries.

Cohen agreed to a one-year contract with the Jets on Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Cohen will turn 29 years old in July and hasn't played in an NFL game since Week 3 of the 2020 season, when he suffered an ACL tear that derailed a promising career. He missed all of 2021 while rehabbing from the knee injury and all of 2022 after suffering a torn Achilles' tendon during the spring. Cohen then landed with the Panthers in 2023 and spent most of the season on their practice squad, but he struggled with a hamstring injury, never got a promotion and ultimately was released in early May. He's unlikely to make noise in a backfield that has Breece Hall and two incoming draft picks, but Cohen should get a look on kick and punt returns this offseason.