Own the next man up before the starter goes down.

Named Oct. 16 as one of two candidates - with Jerome Ford - for a practice-squad promotion as Arizona's third active back behind Allgeier and Bam Knight, with Love out. Note a discrepancy: the Oct. 18 roster feed lists him on the active roster at RB4 while the beat report treats him as a call-up, so his roster status is unsettled. No defined offensive role either way.

Injury history: No verified injury information gathered this cycle. Missing injury data does not establish health.

Played through the ankle and kept a real share: 10 carries for 39 yards plus five catches for 24 yards in the Week 4 loss to Seattle, after scoring his first career receiving TD in Week 3. The problem is the shape of the room - Mitchell, Omarion Hampton and Kimani Vidal were all roughly equally involved in Week 4, so he is a rotational weapon with weekly volume risk, not a workhorse.

Injury history: Career shaped by a torn ACL in December 2023 that cost him most of 2024. 2026: hurt his left ankle in practice before Week 4, was seen in a walking boot, logged two limited practices and was listed Questionable as of Sept. 30 - but he played in Week 4 and missed no games. No current return question. Slight build.

Converted defensive lineman used as a heavy-package fullback, currently on IR. No bearing on the running back rotation.

Injury history: Opened 2026 on injured reserve; specific injury not detailed in the reporting reviewed. Two-way defensive lineman/fullback with limited offensive snaps.

Material change: despite preseason flashes, Smith played just three snaps in Week 1, all on special teams, with the rookie Johnson ahead of him. Reporting in September described him as a gadget back lacking the size to be trusted in pass protection. Deep-bench only unless two backs ahead of him are unavailable.

Injury history: No reported injury absences since entering the league in 2025. He has played little, so the clean record is weak evidence either way.

Fourth-year converted linebacker signed to Kansas City's initial 16-man practice squad on Sept. 1, 2026 - a notable add given Andy Reid's long use of fullbacks. Blocking and special-teams role only; he carries no meaningful carry or handcuff value.

Injury history: No injury history researched for this profile; the absence of reports does not establish health.

Passing-down specialist and core special-teamer, back in a clear receiving role since Week 3, when he caught all four targets for 50 yards vs. the Chargers. Listed ahead of Davis, but he is not a volume runner: reporting still names Ray Davis as the main beneficiary if Cook missed time.

Injury history: No long absence in the prior three seasons. 2026: a leg injury in August camp - Joe Brady said on Aug. 25 that Johnson had resumed running - and dated reporting describes him as returning to his role in the Week 3 win over the Chargers, so he missed earlier time this season. The exact number of games missed is not established by the sources reviewed.

2024 sixth-rounder whose value is on special teams: a 25.9-yard kick-return average and 855 return yards in 2025, 10th in the league. Third in the pecking order with minimal offensive usage. If Jeanty missed time the work would go primarily to Mike Washington Jr., leaving Laube a complementary piece.

Injury history: No 2026 injury designation reported through Week 2 and no significant injury history located in the sources reviewed; he was available for return duty throughout 2025. Missing injury data is not evidence of durability.

H-back/fullback signed after four seasons in Pittsburgh and listed FB1 on the Week 1 depth chart. Brings blocking, receiving and special-teams value with five career scrimmage touchdowns. Las Vegas values his versatility, but he is not a candidate for meaningful carries behind Jeanty.

Injury history: No 2026 injury designation reported through Week 2. No significant injury history surfaced in the sources reviewed, which is not the same as a verified clean record — his Pittsburgh-era availability was not checked in this pass.

Demoted. After opening as Williams' backup on single-digit snap counts (five carries for 15 yards across Weeks 1-2), he was inactive for Week 3 vs. BAL as a coach's decision with Goodson active instead. Knows OC Klayton Adams' scheme and is reliable in protection, but he is now behind a player Dallas signed in mid-September and is not the next man up.

Injury history: No significant reported injury absences in Arizona or Dallas. His Week 3 absence was a coach's decision, not an injury - he was a healthy scratch.

Lead-blocking fullback and special-teams core player who occasionally gets a short-yardage touch. Not part of the running back rotation in any meaningful way.

Injury history: No significant reported injury absences in the last three seasons.

Losing ground rather than gaining it. NBC's Oct. 11 note on Pierre Strong's debut says Strong was ahead of Johnson until garbage time in the Week 5 win over Chicago and calls that a bigger concern for Johnson than anyone else; he had also fumbled at Tampa Bay in Week 4. Acquired from Pittsburgh at cutdowns for a 2028 sixth. Still a three-man committee, and no takeover case.

Injury history: No significant reported injury absences. His limited usage in 2025 and early 2026 reflects role and performance rather than health, and no injury designation has been reported. Missing injury data does not establish health.

Second-year back who lost the No. 2 job to third-round rookie Kaelon Black, who Shanahan said earned it in training camp while James was slowed by a camp rib injury. Healthy for Week 2 and the next man up if Black's groin sits him, but as RB3 his handcuff case is weaker than it was a month ago.

Injury history: No significant reported injury absences since entering the league in 2025; missed 2026 training camp time with a rib injury. Carries no designation on San Francisco's Week 2 injury report (dated 9/18).

Out with a knee sprain and bone bruise from the Oct. 4 Denver game; ESPN reported 2-3 weeks on Oct. 5, putting his return somewhere across the Seattle (Oct. 11), Washington (Oct. 19) and Atlanta (Oct. 25) games - no confirmed date. Still the linchpin of Shanahan's blocking and play-action looks, but he takes a handful of touches a year and is never a backfield contingency.

Injury history: 2026: hurt in the fourth quarter of the Oct. 4 win over Denver; an MRI the next day showed a knee sprain and bone bruise, and ESPN reported an expected 2-3 week absence, with Shanahan saying the ACL looked intact. Not expected to need IR per that report; no exact return date given. Finger injury on the Week 2 (9/18) report but practiced fully. Age 35; no long absence in the prior three years.