NFL Player News

Patterson rushed five times for 18 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 30-17 win over Tampa Bay. He also caught two of three targets for one yard.

Patterson took a back seat to Tyler Allgeier during the Falcons' season finale, but the veteran salvaged his Week 18 production by recording Atlanta's lone rushing touchdown during the win. After totaling 122 rushing attempts for 619 yards and six touchdowns over his first 10 appearances, Patterson saw just 22 rushes for 77 yards over the final three games of the season, though he did record two touchdowns during that stretch. He ultimately finished with career highs in rushing yards (695) and rushing touchdowns (eight), but he saw a significant regression in his passing-game production, as he caught just 21 passes for 122 yards after registering 52 receptions and 548 yards a year ago. Overall Patterson's season wasn't disappointing, but there were certainly signs that his prolific 2021 campaign was an outlier compared to his normal production. His cap hit for 2023 is $5.5 million, which is a sizable contract and suggests he'll have a solid role next year, but after Allgeier's impressive rookie campaign, Patterson may be relegated to backup duties moving forward.

The Colts signed Shampklin to a reserve/future contract Tuesday, per the team's official site.

Shampklin originally signed with the Cowboys back in May of 2022 as an undrafted free agent, but after he sustained an unspecified injury during one of Dallas' preseason games, he was let go by the organization with an injury settlement prior to Week 1. The rookie running back eventually joined Indianapolis' practice squad in December, but he ultimately failed to make any game-day appearances this past season. He's now in a position to compete for a roster spot throughout the summer and into training camp.

McKinnon tallied two rushes for six yards and hauled in two of three targets for no gain but scored a touchdown during Saturday's 31-13 victory against Las Vegas.

McKinnon didn't turn in his best fantasy effort of the bunch to close out the regular season, but he did extend his touchdown streak to six consecutive games with a receiving score against the Raiders, marking his eighth receiving touchdown over that span. He also added one rushing touchdown in that six-game stretch, giving him nine scores overall after tallying just one through the first 11 games. He figures to remain involved in Kansas City's backfield for the postseason run, presumably sharing reps with Isiah Pacheco and possibly Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle) if he's cleared to return.

The Panthers signed Brown to a reserve/future contract Monday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.

Brown spent most of the 2022 season on Carolina's practice squad, aside from being called up to the active roster for Weeks 8 and 9. In those contests, Brown handled nine carries for 43 yards while also securing two catches on three targets for 10 yards. He'll compete for a roster spot heading into the 2023 campaign.

Rountree reverted to the Chargers' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's transaction log.

Rountree saw some action during garbage time of Sunday's regular-season finale against Denver. The second-year running back wound up playing eight of his 21 snaps on offense, recording three carries for four yards and a one-yard catch during the fourth quarter. Rountree recorded 13 carries for 19 yards and two receptions (on two targets) for 14 yards over the final two weeks of the regular season.

Vaughn rushed eight times for 26 yards and secured both targets for eight yards in the Buccaneers' 30-17 loss to the Falcons on Sunday.

Vaughn logged a season-high 16 snaps from scrimmage and another 14 on special teams, leading to his most elevated touch total of the campaign. Even when factoring in Sunday's workload, Vaughn recorded a career-low 17 carries and four targets this season despite playing in a career-high 15 games; he's almost certainly slated for special-teams work exclusively during the upcoming postseason.

Robinson finished the 2022 season with 110 carries for 425 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games split between the Jaguars and Jets. He added 11 catches for 51 yards and two touchdowns on 14 targets.

Robinson got off to a strong start in Jacksonville with four scrimmage touchdowns through three games, but he struggled the rest of the season while battling a sore knee and was consistently inactive due to coach's decisions down the stretch with the Jets. The 24-year-old running back will be a restricted free agent this offseason, but New York may not have much interest in retaining his services given his poor play after being acquired in a midseason trade. Robinson had 22 scrimmage touchdowns in his first 31 NFL games prior to the drastic downturn, so some team likely will take a chance on him in 2023, even if the Jets don't.

Johnson played 10 snaps on special teams and did not play on offense in Sunday's 28-14 loss to Pittsburgh in Week 18.

Johnson finished the year with just seven touches -- four rushes and three receptions -- and heads quietly into the offseason. It was a different tale last season, after Johnson capably filled in for injured backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, rushing 100 times for 534 yards and three touchdowns. There's very little mileage on Johnson, who turns 27 in February. The Browns are expected to go with Jerome Ford as the top backup to Chubb, and Johnson likely feels ready for a bigger role than he had in 2022. Both he and Kareem Hunt are in the final year of their deals and will entertain offers from other teams.

Ford returned five kickoffs for 93 yards and did not play on offense in Sunday's 28-14 loss to the Steelers in Week 18.

Ford, who had a season-high five carries last week, was not used as a running back Sunday. Instead, the Browns went with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, much as they did all season. Hunt and fellow back D'Ernest Johnson are in the final year of contracts expected to hit the open market in March. Ford appears poised to become the top backup to Chubb next season.

The Falcons signed Ratkovich to a reserve/future contract Monday.

Ratkovich suffered a torn ACL during a pre-draft workout with the Packers in April. The fullback out of Northern Illinois then went undrafted and did not land his first contract until signing with the Falcons' practice squad Dec. 27. Ratkovich will now get a chance to build on this brief stint while possibly competing with Keith Smith for a starting role this offseason.