NFL Player News

Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said Wednesday that he expects Mattison (ankle) to be available for Monday's game against the Falcons, though the running back is likely to fill a backup role moving forward, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.

Mattison appears on track to put an end to his three-game absence this week, but Pierce implied that Sincere McCormick has performed well enough over the past few contests to remain the team's lead back. Mattison had averaged 12.2 touches per game over his 10 appearances prior to missing time with the injury, but he struggled to take advantage of his opportunities, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry and 8.4 yards per target while scoring four touchdowns. Though McCormick should continue to pace the Las Vegas backfield in carries, Mattison should be the top change-of-pace option while Ameer Abdullah slides down to third on the depth chart.

Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said Wednesday that McCormick will start Monday's game against the Falcons, even if Alexander Mattison (ankle) is cleared to play, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.

Pierce said Mattison will "probably" return from his three-game absence this week, but McCormick appears to have earned the lead role after performing well since Week 12. During the past three contests, McCormick has carried 32 times for 175 yards (5.5 YPC) to go with four catches for 12 yards, with his efficiency on the ground far surpassing what Mattison has provided this season when healthy (3.3 YPC on 97 totes over 10 games). With Mattison and Ameer Abdullah primed to fill backup roles out of the backfield and Zamir White (quadricep) on injured reserve, McCormick will look to string together a few more quality appearances to close out the 2024 season with the hope of entering 2025 with a meaningful role.

Herbert played seven of the Bengals' 71 snaps on offense and carried twice for four yards while adding a seven-yard reception in Monday's 27-20 win over the Cowboys.

Though Herbert saw solid usage during his limited time on the field, he'll likely continue to handle a small role on offense while Chase Brown has emerged as a three-down workhorse out of the backfield. Herbert also brought back two kickoffs for 67 yards in the Week 14 win, but he'll likely cede those duties to Charlie Jones (groin) if the latter player is able to play Sunday at Tennessee.

Williams played all 13 of his snaps on special teams in Monday's 27-20 win over the Cowboys.

With trade-deadline pickup Khalil Herbert fully up to speed with the Cincinnati offense, Williams' already muted role on offense has completely evaporated. He's seen all of his snaps on special teams in each of the Bengals' last three contests.

Gaskin signed with the Jaguars' practice squad Tuesday.

The running back started the regular season on the Vikings' 53-man roster, got released Oct. 29 and stuck around on Minnesota's practice squad until Dec. 3, when he was cut loose. Gaskin carried the ball three times for minus-1 yards and added an 11-yard reception over his five appearances for the Vikings.

Davis didn't receive any carries or draw any targets while playing 13 snaps on offense in Sunday's 44-42 loss to the Rams.

Davis went without a touch for the first time all season, with the rookie running back working behind both James Cook (27 snaps) and Ty Johnson (21). Despite the lack of opportunity at the moment, Davis remains a valuable insurance policy in the event Cook misses time down the stretch.

Johnson caught two of three targets for 55 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 44-42 loss to the Rams.

Johnson failed to record a single carry in the contest despite playing the second most offensive snaps (21) at running back behind starter James Cook (27) and ahead of Ray Davis (13). Johnson's touchdown was his third receiving touchdown on the season, bringing him to four total scores through 13 games. Most of the 27-year-old's yardage total Sunday came from his touchdown, which was a 41-yard pass from Josh Allen in the second quarter. Despite finding the end zone, Johnson holds little fantasy utility barring injuries to either Cook or Davis.

Guerendo (foot) won't participate in Tuesday's walk-through practice, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Guerendo will go down as a non-participant on the 49ers' second injury report of the week. With the team facing a quick turnaround ahead of a Thursday night matchup with the Rams, the rookie running back looks like he may be facing an uphill battle to gain clearance after exiting a Week 14 win over the Bears with a sprained foot. Guerendo looked good in his first NFL start, gaining 78 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries to go with two catches for 50 yards. If the Louisville product ends up missing Thursday's game, Patrick Taylor, Ke'Shawn Vaughn and Israel Abanikanda would represent the 49ers' available options at running back.

Williams played all 24 of his snaps on special teams in Sunday's 42-21 loss to the Vikings, bringing back one punt for an 11-yard return.

The reserve running back logged 22 carries for Atlanta in 2022, but he's been deployed exclusively on special teams in 2024 with Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier having both enjoyed good health this season. Williams has suited up in each of the Falcons' first 13 games and has gained 135 yards on 15 punt returns and 210 yards on 35 kickoff returns.

Carolina placed Brooks (knee) on injured reserve Tuesday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

Brooks' move to IR was fully expected after the 2024 second-round pick suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during Sunday's 22-16 loss to the Eagles. The setback is a devastating one for the 21-year-old running back, who tore the same ligament in the same knee last November during his final collegiate season at Texas. Brooks didn't make his NFL debut until a little over a year after suffering the first ACL tear, so he'll almost certainly open the 2025 season on IR and may not be ready for game action until late in the campaign. He appeared in just three games for Carolina as a rookie, carrying the ball nine times for 22 yards and recording three receptions for 23 yards on three targets.