NFL Player News

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.

Jacobs told reporters Monday that he hopes to re-sign with the Raiders this offseason after rushing for a league-high 1,653 yards in the regular season, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.

Jacobs was a workhorse in his fourth NFL season, producing the league-high rushing total on 340 carries and scoring 12 touchdowns. The Raiders didn't pick up the 2019 first-round draft pick's fifth-year option prior to the season, resulting in Jacobs being an unrestricted free agent come March. After Jacobs responded with his best campaign as a pro, there's likely to be mutual interest between him and the Raiders, the later of whom will have the franchise tag at their disposal if the two sides aren't close on proposed compensation.

Sanders rushed 11 times for 33 yards in Sunday's 22-16 win over the Giants.

Sanders was able to suit up after being limited in practice by a knee issue, but he failed to make his usual impact. His 3.0 yards per carry represented his second-lowest mark of the season, and the Eagles seemingly didn't want to overwork him, as he only saw the field for 29 offensive snaps. It wasn't a triumphant conclusion to the season, but the fourth-year back nonetheless finished the year with career highs in rushing yards (1,269) and touchdowns (11). With the Eagles' win securing a first-round bye, Sanders could be back to full strength for the team's first playoff game in the divisional round.

Kelly signed a reserve/future contract with the Browns on Monday.

Kelly spent the entirety of the 2022 campaign on Cleveland's practice squad before being elevated prior to the Week 17 win against Washington. The running back wound up exclusively playing on special teams during this contest, and he's now totaled five carries over the past four seasons. Kelly will look to carve out a larger role with the Browns this offseason.

Hasty had three carries for five yards and failed to catch his lone target during Saturday's 20-16 win over the Titans.

Hasty opened the season in a reserve role but has worked as Jacksonville's No. 2 tailback since the departure of James Robinson, totaling 46 carries for 194 yards and two touchdowns along with 20 receptions for 126 yards and another score. The 26-year-old will be a restricted free agent this offseason, so he could return to Jacksonville in 2023.

The Lions signed Jefferson to a reserve/future contract Monday.

Jefferson will get another chance to carve out a spot with Detroit heading into the offseason. The 2021 seventh-round pick logged 15 carries for 74 yards and two touchdowns across seven games during his rookie season, though he spent the entirety of 2022 on the practice squad before being elevated for Sunday's regular-season finale versus the Packers. Jefferson never wound up taking the field against Green Bay, though his experience with the team was still enough to earn him a new deal heading into this offseason.

The Raiders signed Walter to a reserve/future contract Monday.

Walter first joined up with Las Vegas in July and spent the preseason with the team. However, the 5-foot-8 running back never managed to crack the team's final 53-man roster, as he spent the entirety of the 2022 campaign on the practice squad. Walter logged 26 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown over four games with the Jets in 2021, and he'll look to compete for an active roster spot heading into the 2023 season.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said that the fractured thumb Mostert suffered in Sunday's 11-6 win over the Jets is "serious," David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

With the running back having sustained what McDaniel described as a "significant break," Mostert's status for this weekend's wild-card game against the Bills is iffy, at best. McDaniel noted that "it's hard to know" if Mostert will be available this Sunday, but the Dolphins should gain more clarity on that front after assessing the 30-year-old in practices over the next few days. If Mostert ends up sitting out the postseason opener, Jeff Wilson would be in line to see an expanded role as the clear lead option in the Miami backfield.