NFL Player News
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Craig Reynolds RB | NE
Lions' Craig Reynolds: Active in Week 18
Reynolds (back) is active for Sunday's game versus the Vikings.
The Lions tacked on Reynolds to their injury report Friday as a non-participant due to a back issue, leaving him questionable for Week 18 action. Now that he's confirmed to be suiting up Sunday, it's unclear if he'll retain his No. 2 role out of the backfield behind Jahmyr Gibbs or merely be available in an emergency capacity. In the last two contests with David Montgomery (knee) sidelined, Reynolds turned 11 carries into 49 yards and hauled in all three targets for 40 yards. Sione Vaki is the other running back available to Detroit's offense this weekend.
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Travis Etienne RB | JAC
Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Splits workload to wrap up season
Etienne carried the ball 13 times for 31 yards and caught three of five targets for 29 yards in Sunday's 26-23 overtime loss to the Colts.
The third-year back split the backfield workload nearly equally with Tank Bigsby, who turned 15 touches into 42 yards, but the latter also added a one-yard TD plunge to his ledger. Etienne saw a steep drop in his production in 2024 -- after topping 1,000 rushing yards in each of his first two NFL seasons, he managed only 558 yards on 150 totes for a 3.7 YPC while scoring a career-low two touchdowns. Etienne offers more than Bigsby as a receiver, catching 39 of 52 targets for 254 yards this season, and the duo will likely remain in a timeshare to begin 2025.
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Tank Bigsby RB | PHI
Jaguars' Tank Bigsby: Scores in season finale
Bigsby carried the ball 14 times for 39 yards and a touchdown and caught his only target for three yards in Sunday's 26-23 overtime loss to the Colts.
The second-year RB split the workload in the Jaguars' backfield with Travis Etienne, and while Etienne was more productive in terms of overall yardage (60 yards on 16 touches), Bigsby's one-yard TD plunge in the first quarter was the only score either of them managed. Bigsby wrapped up the 2024 campaign with 766 rushing yards on 168 carries, good for a 4.6 YPC that was far superior to Etienne's 3.7 mark, but the latter offers more as a pass catcher. The duo seems likely to remain in a timeshare to begin 2025.
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Bucky Irving RB | TB
Buccaneers' Bucky Irving: Strong day on ground in key win
Irving rushed 19 times for 89 yards and a touchdown and brought in two of five targets for minus-5 yards in the Buccaneers' 27-19 win over the Saints on Sunday.
Irving once again led the Buccaneers' ground attack on an afternoon when Rachaad White did not log a single touch. The rookie looked good on several signature explosive runs, and he scored what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown on an 11-yard rush with just under two minutes remaining. Irving figures to continue spearheading Tampa Bay's ground attack as the postseason begins for the Bucs during Super Wild Card Weekend.
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Dameon Pierce RB | KC
Texans' Dameon Pierce: Massive game against Titans
Pierce rushed the ball 19 times for 176 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 23-14 win over the Titans. He didn't catch either of his two targets.
Pierce played nearly the entire game with Joe Mixon pulled early in the contest for rest. Pierce made the most of his opportunity, highlighted by a 92-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter. He had totaled only 21 carries entering Sunday's regular-season finale, and he isn't projected to play much of a role in Houston's wild-card round matchup against the Chargers.
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Blake Corum RB | LAR
Rams' Blake Corum: Exits Sunday's game
Corum was forced out of Sunday's game against the Seahawks with a forearm injury.
With Kyren Williams being rested along with several other key starters in Week 18, Corum appeared poised to see an expanded workload versus Seattle. However, the running back exited the game after logging just two carries (for 10 yards) and catching his only target for 12 yards. In his absence, Ronnie Rivers and Cody Schrader are available to handle the Rams' backfield duties.
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Bijan Robinson RB | ATL
Falcons' Bijan Robinson: Closes season in stellar fashion
Robinson rushed 28 times for 170 yards and two touchdowns and brought in two of five targets for three yards in the Falcons' 44-38 overtime loss to the Panthers on Sunday.
Robinson saved his best for last in terms of the 2024 season, recording a new career high in rushing yards while also scoring a pair of rushing touchdowns for the third consecutive game on runs of three and four yards. Robinson continuously ripped off chunk gains against the Panthers' league-worst run defense, and he'll finish the 2024 campaign with five 100-yard efforts -- all which came from Week 7 on -- and at least 90 rushing yards in six straight contests.
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Rico Dowdle RB | CAR
Cowboys' Rico Dowdle: Finishes season strong
Dowdle rushed 22 times for 72 yards and a touchdown while catching two of three targets for 12 yards in Sunday's 23-19 loss to the Commanders.
Dowdle's two-yard rushing touchdown with 7:02 remaining in the fourth quarter gave the Cowboys a 19-16 lead, but the Commanders responded with a game-winning touchdown in the final seconds. The pending unrestricted free agent bolstered his value with a strong stretch run, as Dowdle compiled 591 rushing yards and two touchdowns over the last six games. Overall, Dowdle recorded 235 carries for 1,079 yards and two touchdowns while catching 39 of 49 targets for 249 yards and three touchdowns in this breakout season. If the Cowboys bring Dowdle back, they will likely look to bolster their backfield further via the draft or free agency.
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Austin Ekeler RB | WAS
Commanders' Austin Ekeler: Five touches in return from IR
Ekeler (concussion) rushed three times for 12 yards and caught both of his targets for 20 yards in Sunday's 23-19 win over the Cowboys.
Ekeler returned from injured reserve to make his first appearance since Week 12. He reprised his role as the change-of-pace option behind Brian Robinson in Washington's backfield. Ekeler finishes the regular season with 77 carries for 367 yards and four touchdowns, as well as 35 catches for 366 yards on 41 targets in 12 appearances. The Commanders will go on the road in the wild-card round against either the Rams or Buccaneers.
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Brian Robinson Jr. RB | SF
Commanders' Brian Robinson: Modest workload in Week 18
Robinson rushed five times for 10 yards and caught his only target for six yards in Sunday's 23-19 win over the Cowboys.
Robinson didn't get many touches in the regular-season finale as the Commanders chose not to overwork their running backs ahead of the postseason. Washington's lead back finishes the regular season with 187 carries for 799 yards and eight touchdowns, as well as 20 catches for 159 yards on 25 targets. Austin Ekeler (concussion) returned from injured reserve Sunday, but Robinson's likely to get the majority of touches over Ekeler in the wild-card round against either the Rams or Buccaneers.