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San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that "in order to have [McCaffrey] be as good as he can be throughout the whole year, we've got to get someone to help him," Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

McCaffrey earned Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2025, in which he suited up for all 17 regular-season games while racking up 2,126 yards from scrimmage and 17 total touchdowns on a career-high 413 touches. Shanahan acknowledged that McCaffrey, who will turn 30 in June and was limited to just four appearances in 2024 due to Achilles and knee issues, may have had his efficiency hampered by his workhorse role in 2025, as he averaged just 3.9 YPC. Jordan James and Isaac Guerendo are current candidates to compete for an increased No. 2 role behind McCaffrey following the departure of Brian Robinson for Atlanta, but the 49ers could also make further additions to the backfield in April's draft.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald declined to provide a specific estimate for the return of Charbonnet (ACL) on Monday but said "he's not going to miss the whole year," John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Macdonald said he expects WR Tory Horton (shin/groin) to be ready for the start of training camp but declined to link Charbonnet, who tore his right ACL in January and underwent surgery in February, to a similar timetable. Giving the timing of Charbonnet's surgery, which carries a typical 8-12 month recovery recovery, his status for both training camp and Week 1 have to be considered in serious doubt. However, GM John Schneider said in February that he "wouldn't put anything past [Charbonnet]" and that the running back's rehab prospects are "more optimistic than it was initially," Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune reports. During the early days of free agency Seattle inked Emanuel Wilson to a one-year deal and extended George Holani an ERFA tender, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the team make further backfield additions.

Bills general manager Brandon Beane said Monday that Kincaid (knee) has officially had his fifth-year option picked up by the team, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reports.

Kincaid's fifth-year option keeps him under contract with Buffalo through the 2027 campaign. The 2023 first-round pick was limited to a career-low 12 regular-season appearances in 2025 due to a lingering PCL injury in his knee (that dates back to Nov. 2024), but he was nonetheless productive, securing 39 of 49 targets for 571 yards and a career-high five touchdowns. Across two playoff appearances, Kincaid posted a 9-111-2 line on 11 targets. The 26-year-old tight end won't need to undergo any sort of offseason surgery, instead focusing on rehab to strengthen his knee for the future. He's positioned to reprise his role as Buffalo's top tight end after the team inked No. 2 man Dawson Knox to a new three-year deal, and the team's passing offense could also take a step forward with the addition of WR DJ Moore via trade.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said Monday that Horton (shin/groin) is expected to be ready for the start of training camp, John Boyle of the team's official site reports.

Horton won't be 100 percent healthy for spring activates due to his rehab from offseason surgery undergone to address the lower-body injuries that prevented him from suiting up after Week 9 of last season, but the 2025 fifth-round pick should be back in action for the start of training camp. Across eight appearances as a rookie, Horton secured 13 of 23 targets for 161 yards and five touchdowns.

Panthers head coach Dave Canales said Monday that he expects Brooks (knee) to be ready to participate in OTAs and minicamp, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

General manager Dan Morgan said late February that Carolina is optimistic about Brooks' recovery and his odds of contributing on offense during the 2026 campaign. A 2024 second-round pick, Brooks had his rookie debut delayed due to recovery from a right ACL tear sustained in college, and he then suited up for just two games before suffering an ACL tear in the same knee. With Rico Dowdle having moved on to Pittsburgh, Brooks faces a clear opportunity to contribute behind Chuba Hubbard if fully healthy, with AJ Dillon and Trevor Etienne representing his top competition for backfield touches.

Gano (neck) is set to be released by the Giants, Connor Hughes of SNY.tv reports.

Gano will hit the open market after spending the last six seasons with the Giants. The kicker was limited to just six contests in 2025 as he battled groin and neck injuries, the latter of which required him to be placed on season-ending injured reserve in November. The transaction will save New York $4.5 million in cap space, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic, and the team already signed Jason Sanders to a one-year deal March 10, likely making him the team's starting kicker in 2026. Gano now will look to prove his health and latch on with a new squad this offseason.

Jets coach Aaron Glenn said in an interview with NFL Network there's "no doubt about it" that Smith will be the team's starting quarterback.

Smith was traded from Las Vegas to New York on March 10, when Justin Fields (knee) still was on the roster following an injury-shortened season as the Jets' starting quarterback. Fields then was dealt to the Chiefs on March 16, leaving Smith as easily the most experienced QB on the Jets' roster ahead of Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook. Glenn also said in his interview about Smith, "It means to have a bona fide starter come in and lead this offense to where it needs to go." During his lone season with the Raiders, Smith completed 67 percent of his passes for 3,025 yards and a 19:17 TD:INT. That was the third-worst TD:INT of the 35-year-old's career, behind only his first two seasons when he previously started for the Jets in 2013 and 2014. Smith was a journeyman backup before finally getting another chance to be the starting quarterback for the Seahawks from 2022 to 2024. He totaled 71 touchdowns to 35 interceptions as the starter in Seattle, and he completed at least 65 percent of his passes in each season as the QB1.

Browns GM Andrew said Sunday at the NFL's league meetings that he's hopeful Judkins (ankle) will be on the field "in some form or fashion" this spring, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

Judkins underwent successful surgery to address a dislocated right ankle in late December, and he's expected to be active for training camp in late July or early August. Berry's comment reaffirms this expectation for the 2025 second-round pick, who accrued 827 yards on 230 carries over 14 regular-season games last year. As one of the teams that hired a new head coach after the 2025 regular season, the Browns are eligible to begin offseason workouts April 6. Judkins is in line to be the lead rusher in a room that currently includes fellow second-year backs Dylan Sampson, Raheim Sanders and Ahmani Marshall.

San Francisco general manager John Lynch told reporters Sunday that he is "hopeful" that Kittle (Achilles) will be available for Week 1 of the 2026 season, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Lynch noted that Kittle is progressing well in his recovery from a torn right Achilles that he suffered in the 49ers' NFC wild-card win over the Eagles in January. Working in Kittle's favor is the fact that he suffered a clear tear near the soleus muscle higher up the Achilles, which typically takes less time to rehab, but whether the veteran tight end is available for the start of the regular season ultimately will come down to his participation in training camp in July and August. Jake Tonges (foot) would be slated to serve as the Niners' TE1 to open the 2026 season if Kittle is not ready to return by then.

Harris (Achilles) plans to meet with the Raiders next Thursday, April 2, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Harris met with Seattle on Wednesday -- his first reported visit of free agency. He's six months removed from the Achilles tear that ended his 2025 campaign in Week 3, with not much hope of returning to Los Angeles after the Chargers signed Keaton Mitchell. The Seahawks might offer Harris an opportunity to compete for a starting job, whereas he'd merely provide depth behind Ashton Jeanty in Las Vegas. Regardless of where he signs, the 28-year-old Harris will face a difficult path back to fantasy relevance, rehabbing from an injury that's notoriously tough on running backs.