Free agency preview: Running backs look for new life in a league that moves on quickly
Life is hard, relatively speaking, for running backs. Their shelf life is shorter than other positions, and the NFL moves on quickly.
This is the second of 11 stories previewing the start of NFL free agency on March 11.
Kenneth Walker III was not even born the last time a running back was named Most Valuable Player of the Super Bowl. Now 25, Walker etched his name in the record books last month when the Seattle Seahawks running back was named MVP of Super Bowl LX. And now, a few weeks later? Walker is staring down free agency, possibly switching teams after winning a championship. The Seahawks do not plan to franchise tag Walker, per reports from ESPN.
Running back Kenneth Walker III celebrates after Super Bowl LX against the Patriots on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, Calif. Walker was named MVP of the game.
Associated Press
Life is hard, relatively speaking, for running backs. Their shelf life is shorter than that of other positions, and the NFL moves on quickly.
Look at this week with the Detroit Lions trading David Montgomery to the Houston Texans. At just 28 years old, Montgomery has had consecutive dips in production after rushing for 1,015 yards in 2023, leading the Lions to switch things up. The Texans have become a landing place for older running backs, with Joe Mixon and Nick Chubb heading there in previous years. While Montgomery was not set to become a free agent, having signed an extension in 2024 to keep him in Detroit through 2027, his case illustrates how things can change quickly for running backs.
As it stands, the Buffalo Bills are set at the position. Their premier back, James Cook III, signed a four-year, $48 million extension in August after a brief holdout. Cook responded by taking the league’s rushing title last season with 1,621 yards.
The rest of the running back room – Ty Johnson, Ray Davis, and Frank Gore Jr. – is still under contract as well. So, the Bills can watch to see what the rest of the league does as they tend to other positional needs in Buffalo.
On Tuesday, the New York Jets placed the franchise tag on Breece Hall, preventing him from hitting free agency. Hall would have been the top back on the market otherwise. Now, other teams looking for a running back will react accordingly.
In-house: As it stands, the Bills should be set at running back, barring any cuts. A looming question, however, is what will happen with fullback Reggie Gilliam. While Gilliam has earned high praise from head coach Joe Brady, the fullback is set to become an unrestricted free agent. Fullback is a thankless position, and Gilliam seemed unsure of his future at the Bills’ locker room cleanout. Gilliam played 21% of offensive snaps in 2025, a career high, as well as 77% of snaps on special teams. Gilliam has been with the Bills since 2020.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III runs the ball during Super Bowl LX against the Patriots on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, Calif. Walker was named MVP of the game.
Julio Cortez, Associated Press
Top of the heap: Walker and Travis Etienne Jr. With Hall off the market, Walker and Etienne present the best options. Walker broke out his rookie season, with career highs in rushing yards (1,050), carries (228), and touchdowns (nine) − all in 15 games. Last season, his fourth in the league, he got close to those marks with 1,027 yards on 221 carries, but just five TDs in 17 games. Evaluators want to see more from Walker in the receiving game – both as a pass catcher and a blocker – but his explosive plays keep him in the conversation this free agency.
Etienne, a first-round pick of the Jaguars in 2022, also saw a resurgence this season. He tallied 1,107 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 260 carries. He added another six touchdowns as a receiver, a career high. Etienne has missed just two games in four seasons (both in 2024) but his production tends to dip as the year goes on.
Names to know: Rico Dowdle, Tyler Allgeier, and J.K. Dobbins. Dowdle led the Carolina Panthers in his first year with the club with 1,076 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 236 carries this past season. Mix in some receiving, and he averaged 4.99 yards per touch. At 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds, Dowdle is a physical running back who requires extra contact to get him down.
Allgeier has been playing behind Bijan Robinson on the Atlanta Falcons, meaning his touches are down, but some could interpret that as being fresh for a running back who turns 26 next month. Allgeier’s eight touchdowns this past season were a career high, and he has yet to fumble during his pro career.
Dobbins could see his fourth team in six years after time with the Ravens, Chargers, and Broncos. Injuries have cut a number of his seasons short, but when he can stay on the field, he’s quite efficient.
Under the radar: Najee Harris and Isiah Pacheco. Once bigger names, Harris and Pacheco have fallen down the list. After an eye injury that affected his training camp, Harris tore his Achilles tendon early last season. Pacheco’s leg injury dates back to 2024, and while he played 13 games (12 starts) last season, the effects were lingering.