NFL Player News

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.

Nacua is heading into the final season of his rookie contract, and the 2023 fifth-round pick is a candidate to get the franchise tag from the Rams for the 2027 campaign if a long-term deal isn't worked out before then, Brock Vierra of USA Today Rams Wire reports.

Nacua has delivered elite production since entering the NFL, racking up 4,191 receiving yards through three regular seasons with the Rams, but some off-field concerns could be giving the Rams pause about extending the star wide receiver long-term. With the team in win-now mode in the twilight of 38-year-old quarterback Matthew Stafford's career, Nacua is poised to remain a key contributor for the Rams in 2026, even if the two sides don't work out an extension prior to the start of the season.

Freiermuth is a candidate to take on a larger role in Pittsburgh's passing game during the 2026 campaign, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Freiermuth was targeted only 54 times in 17 regular-season games in 2025, tying Jonnu Smith for the lead among Pittsburgh's tight ends while Darnell Washington drew 43 targets. Smith is no longer on the team, and while the Steelers made a high-profile addition at wide receiver by bringing in Michael Pittman, they also lost running back Kenneth Gainwell, who led the team with 73 catches last season. It's worth noting Aaron Rodgers typically hasn't relied heavily on tight ends, as no player at the position has recorded more than 767 receiving yards in a regular season on a team quarterbacked by Rodgers.

Christensen (Achilles) signed a contract with the Panthers on Friday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Christensen is back in Carolina after being cleared for contact earlier in July while recovering from an Achilles injury. His return gives the Panthers added depth and versatility along the offensive line. Christensen has made 34 starts for the Panthers over the past five regular seasons, playing primarily at guard.

Robinson struggled to get on the same page with quarterback Cam Ward early in spring practices, but they built chemistry and momentum as the offseason progressed, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Robinson signed a four-year, $78 million contract with the Titans in March on the heels of a 16-game, 2025 regular season with the Giants in which he caught 92 of 140 targets for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns, setting career highs in the last two categories. The slot receiver unsurprisingly needed some time to gain familiarity with his new quarterback, but the connection between Robinson and Ward has been trending in the right direction heading into training camp. Robinson will compete for targets in a wide-receiver room that also includes rookie fourth overall pick Carnell Tate, veteran Calvin Ridley and 2025 fourth-round picks Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike.

Maye noted Thursday that things have been going well with him and A.J. Brown since the wideout's arriving in a June trade, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports. "It has been awesome," Maye said on that topic. "I'm really looking forward to playing with him. I'm looking forward to getting to camp and building some chemistry. And I know there's already some there for me. You just gotta throw it near him, and he'll make a play."

The Patriots parted ways with last year's top receiver, Stefon Diggs, in March but added Romeo Doubs via free agency prior to dealing for Brown, giving Maye a pair of new weapons atop the team's WR depth chart. As Patra notes, Brown is coming off a down season by his standards (78/1,003/7), but a fresh start while working with a talented young QB like Maye could help spur a bounce-back season on his part. Maye is coming off a 2025 regular season in which he threw for 4,394 yards with 31 TDs and eight picks in 17 games and ran for 450 yards and four rushing scores en route to finishing as the runner-up for last year's NFL MVP award. On the heels of that strong effort, Maye heads into the coming campaign as a highly sought-after fantasy asset at his position, and the addition of Brown - who profiles as a true WR1 -- should only help his cause in 2026.

Likely is expected to work out of the slot as the Giants' receiving tight end this season, John Fennelly of USA Today Giants Wire reports.

According to Fennelly, Likely and Jaxson Dart have already developed a connection during offseason workouts. With Likely expected to be detached from the line of scrimmage, he shouldn't be asked to block much and can focus on making plays in the passing game. Theo Johnson is expected to handle most of the traditional tight end duties for New York. Likely could soak up a good chunk of the short-area, middle-field targets vacated by Wan'Dale Robinson, who left for the Titans in free agency.

As the coming season approaches, Bateman is projected to start at WR for the Ravens alongside Zay Flowers, Clifton Brown of the team's official site reports.

Bateman is coming off a 2025 regular season in which his production was hampered by injuries and tapered off to 19 catches (on 38 targets) for 224 yards and two TDs in 13 games. Assuming improved health this year, the 2021 first-rounder -- who recorded a 45-756-9 receiving line in 17 regular-season contests in 2024 -- is a bounce-back candidate in new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle's attack. Next in line on Baltimore's WR depth chart beyond Flowers and Bateman are returnees Devontez Walker and LaJohntay Wester, as well as rookie draftees Ja'Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt.