NFL Player News

Etienne rushed the ball 20 times for 109 yards in Saturday's 31-30 wild-card round win over the Chargers. He added one reception for 12 yards.

Etienne had limited opportunity in the first half, as the Jaguars struggled offensively. However, he produced consistently with the ball in his hands and averaged 5.5 yards per carry. His performance was highlighted by a 25-yard gain on a game-deciding fourth down play with just under two minutes remaining in the game. After seeing only 16 carries combined across his previous two games, Etienne showed the ability to serve as a workhorse back in the Jaguars' comeback win.

Ekeler rushed the ball 13 times for 35 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 31-30 wild-card round loss to the Jaguars. He added two receptions for eight yards.

Ekeler appeared to be in line for a massive game, as he reached the end zone twice in the first quarter from 13 and six yards away. However, he struggled significantly from an efficiency perspective, particularly in the second half when he had only five carries for zero yards. Perhaps most concerning was Ekeler's continues lack of involvement as a pass catcher, as he earned four or fewer targets in his final five contests. He'll enter the final year of his current contract with the Chargers in 2023 and will undoubtedly continue to serve as the team's lead back.

Walker carried the ball 15 times for 63 yards and a touchdown and caught his only target for three yards in Saturday's 41-23 wild-card loss to the 49ers.

Facing perhaps the best run defense in the league, Walker held his own and ran in a seven-yard score early in the second quarter for Seattle's first points of the day. The running back's playoff effort capped a rookie season that saw him compile 1,050 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground in the regular season despite not taking over the starting role until Week 6. Walker should begin the 2023 campaign as the unquestioned No. 1 back for Seattle even if Rashaad Penny (ankle) gets re-signed.

McCaffrey rushed 15 times for 119 yards and caught both of his targets for 17 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 41-23 playoff win over Seattle.

McCaffrey got San Francisco's offense kickstarted when he broke his first carry of the game for 68 yards, eventually leading to a short receiving touchdown for the dual-threat back. The 26-year-old remained heavily involved on offense even with the 49ers getting back to full strength at the playmaker positions for the start of the playoffs. McCaffrey figures to remain a key cog on offense heading into the divisional round, so expect a minimum of 15-20 productive touches and a high DFS price tag next week. He's now scored at least one touchdown in seven straight games.

Jones is listed as inactive for Saturday's wild-card matchup with the 49ers due to a coach's decision.

Jones is the odd-man-out at running back, as Seattle will be suting up Kenneth Walker, DeeJay Dallas and Godwin Igwebuike.

Davis-Price (coach's decision) is inactive for Saturday's wild-card game against the Seahawks, Lindsey Pallares of the 49ers' official site reports.

Davis-Price was active for the final three contests of the regular season and got some run on each occasion, managing 62 yards on 18 rushes (3.4 YPC) and going without a target. But now that the 49ers are in the playoffs, they'll tighten up the backfield, with Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason the available options Saturday and practice-squad call-up Tevin Coleman also inactive.

Dallas (ankle/quadriceps) is listed as active Saturday at San Francisco.

Despite being capped to a pair of limited practices before this wild-card matchup due to ankle and quad injuries, Dallas will be available to the Seahawks offense. With Travis Homer (ankle) on injured reserve, Dallas doesn't have much competition for reps behind starting running back Kenneth Walker, as Godwin Igwebuike is the only other option that's active Saturday. Over the last three games, such a role has amounted to 11 carries for 82 yards and 10 catches (on 11 targets) for 84 yards and no TDs for Dallas.

Pierce said he is "on schedule" in his recovery from an ankle injury suffered Dec. 11 against the Cowboys, Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Pierce said he could have played the season finale against the Colts, but an "administrative decision" was made to put him on injured reserve. With nothing to play for, the organization didn't want to expose Pierce to further injury or set back his offseason program leading into the 2023 season. He's expected to return as the lead back next year, but much depends on the thoughts of a new coaching regime. With an expected change at quarterback -- the organization will likely choose a quarterback in the draft -- Pierce and the running game will be a big part of the offense.

Williams rushed 35 times for 139 yards and caught nine passes for 76 yards during the 2022 season.

The fifth-round rookie's season was defined by a pair of injuries that kept him from unlocking his full potential. In June, Williams suffered a broken foot that cost him most of the preseason. Then, in Week 1, Williams sustained a high-ankle sprain that kept him off the field until Week 10. While Williams was given a fairly high snap share through the first few weeks after his return, a resurgent Cam Akers quickly sapped the usage rates of all other backs on the roster, culminating in Akers finishing Week 18 as the only back to see offensive snaps. Williams returns for his sophomore campaign as the current No. 2 back on the roster, but Akers has played his way into the clear starting role for 2023, which may limit the upside of the Notre Dame product.

Seattle signed Jones to its active roster Friday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Jones will provide depth at running back with DeeJay Dallas (ankle) listed as questionable for Saturday's wild-card matchup against the 49ers. The undrafted running back out of Notre Dame made four regular-season appearances with the Seahawks this season, totaling 11 touches for 34 yards across 26 offensive snaps.