NFL Player News
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Kareem Hunt RB | KC
Chiefs' Kareem Hunt: Leads KC's backfield Sunday
Hunt rushed 17 times for 64 yards and a touchdown while corralling his only target for six receiving yards in Sunday's 32-29 playoff win over Buffalo.
Hunt continued the trend started in last weekend's divisional-round win over Houston in which the veteran out-touched former starter Isiah Pacheco. The 29-year-old Hunt saw 18 combined touches to Pacheco's seven Sunday, with the former also producing more on a per-carry basis (+1.4 YPC). Hunt has hit pay dirt in consecutive playoff games and appears to be locked into the lead-back role for Kansas City as the team heads to Super Bowl LIX. Looking ahead to Feb. 9, Hunt could check in as a value play against the Eagles in a variety of daily fantasy formats in a matchup that should have Saquon Barkley pegged as the top running back.
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James Cook RB | BUF
Bills' James Cook: Finishes season with 19 rushing TDs
Cook rushed 13 times for 85 yards and two touchdowns while catching all three of his targets for 49 yards in Sunday's 32-29 loss to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
Cook gave the Bills a 10-7 lead with a six-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter and put Buffalo back in front, 22-21, by stretching the ball out for a one-yard touchdown on fourth down just before his knee went down in the third quarter. That turned out to be Buffalo's last lead of the season, as the Chiefs advanced to a third consecutive Super Bowl thanks to an 11-7 scoring edge in the fourth quarter while the Josh Allen-led Bills fell to 0-4 against Kansas City in the playoffs. Cook scored 19 rushing touchdowns in 19 games between the regular season and playoffs, so the second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft projects to be one of the most coveted running backs in fantasy football in 2025, which will be the final year of Cook's rookie contract.
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Brian Robinson Jr. RB | SF
Commanders' Brian Robinson: Bottled up in loss
Robinson rushed the ball 11 times for 36 yards in Sunday's 55-23 loss to the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game.
Robinson led the Commanders' backfield in carries, though he saw limited work overall. Austin Ekeler and Jayden Daniels earned eight and six rushing attempts respectively, and Ekeler also accounted for all of the pass-catching work out of the backfield. As a result, with Washington chasing points for most of the contest, Ekeler took over as the lead back in the final two quarters. Robinson ended the season on a slide in production, as he was held to 50 or fewer total yards in four of the team's last seven games including the postseason. That casts doubt over his potential role in 2025 despite topping 175 carries in all three seasons as a pro.
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Saquon Barkley RB | PHI
Eagles' Saquon Barkley: Three rushing TDs in NFCCG win
Barkley rushed 15 times for 118 yards and three touchdowns while catching one of two targets for four yards in Sunday's 55-23 win over the Commanders in the NFC Championship Game.
Barkley broke free for a 60-yard touchdown run on Philadelphia's first offensive play, providing an emphatic counter to Washington's 18-play opening drive, which resulted in a field goal. His next carry also went for a touchdown, as Barkley capped the second Eagles drive with a four-yard score after the passing game got them close. He was tripped up at the 1-yard line after a 22-yard run in the third quarter on a drive that was capped by Jalen Hurts' third rushing touchdown of the game, but Barkley got a third rushing score of his own on a four-yard run in the fourth quarter. Philadelphia tacked on a seventh rushing touchdown from rookie Will Shipley down the stretch after the game was well in hand. Barkley's dream first season in Philadelphia -- both in terms of personal and team accomplishments -- will culminate in a trip to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on Feb. 9.
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Kenneth Gainwell RB | PIT
Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell: Forced out versus Washington
Gainwell has been ruled out of Sunday's NFC Championship Game versus the Commanders due to a concussion.
Gainwell logged three carries and two catches before exiting Sunday's game. The 25-year-old appeared to take a blow to the head/neck area while blocking on the opening kickoff of the second half. In his absence, rookie Will Shipley will have to step up as RB2 behind Saquon Barkley. Should the Eagles hold on to win versus the Commanders, then Gainwell will have two weeks to clear concussion protocol before the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 9
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Chris Rodriguez Jr. RB | WAS
Commanders' Chris Rodriguez: Inactive for NFC Championship Game
Rodriguez (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Eagles.
Rodriguez will be sidelined for the second playoff game in a row. The second-year running back was active but did not appear in Washington's wild-card win at Tampa Bay, and he logged 35 carries for 173 yards across nine regular-season appearances. The Commanders will once again roll with Brian Robinson, Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols at running back versus Philadelphia.
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J.J. Taylor RB | HOU
Texans' J.J. Taylor: Staying in Houston
The Texans signed Taylor to a reserve/future contract Wednesday.
Taylor appeared in five games for the Texans in 2024 while splitting time between the team's practice squad and active roster, rushing 10 times for 44 yards and catching two of his three targets for no additional yards. The Arizona product played 55 total snaps (33 offensive and 22 on special teams) during his five appearances this season, and he's likely to compete for a reserve role in Houston's running back room this summer.
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Jawhar Jordan RB | HOU
Texans' Jawhar Jordan: Inks new deal with Houston
The Texans signed Jordan to a reserve/future contract Wednesday.
Jordan spent the majority of his 2024 campaign with Houston's practice squad after missing time with an oblique injury early in the season. The 2024 sixth-round pick from Louisville has yet to make his NFL regular-season debut, but he's likely to have the opportunity to compete for a depth role in the Texans' backfield as the offseason progresses.
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Derrick Henry RB | BAL
Ravens' Derrick Henry: Potential extension candidate
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said Tuesday that the team will "look at" potentially extending Henry this offseason, Brian Wacker of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Henry is currently heading into the final season of the two-year, $16 million contract he inked with Baltimore after departing Tennessee as a free agent last offseason. The Ravens are now incentivized to restructure the deal -- which carries a potential 'out' for $3.9 million in dead cap -- and it's no surprise that the team would prefer to do so in the form of an extension beyond the 2025 season. Henry is coming off a phenomenal inaugural campaign in purple and black, having compiled 1,921 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on a career-high 5.9 yards per carry across 17 games, in addition to a 19-193-2 receiving line. The 31-year-old was also productive in the Ravens' two playoff games, carrying 42 times for 270 yards and three touchdowns. Henry hasn't shown any signs of slowing down, and as long as he's playing at an elite level, he'll remain an ideal complement in the backfield to dual-threat quarterback Lamar Jackson.
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Justice Hill RB | BAL
Ravens' Justice Hill: Solid season from scrimmage
Hill finished the season with 47 carries for 228 yards and a touchdown while adding 42 catches for 383 yards and three touchdowns on 51 targets.
The veteran was a valuable second option in the Baltimore backfield behind Derrick Henry this season with four combined touchdowns and new career highs across the board as a pass catcher. Hill's 42 receptions ranked 15th among running backs and his 383 receiving yards ranked 11th at his position as well. He also provided some tough running in Baltimore's playoff loss to Buffalo with 50 yards on six attempts. Hill inked a two-year extension in September 2024 and projects to be back with his $2.4M cap hit in 2025. It will be interesting to see how Hill's role changes, if at all, with Keaton Mitchell back to full speed after missing much of the season recovering from a knee injury that ended his 2023 campaign.