NFL Player News

Gainwell rushed 12 times for 112 yards and a touchdown and brought in one of two targets for nine yards in the Eagles' 38-7 divisional-round win over the Giants on Saturday night.

Gainwell ended up logging just five rush attempts fewer than Miles Sanders, with game script heavily tilting toward the ground attack as the night unfolded. Gainwell, a second-year back, is still most likely to operate in a change-of-pace, low-volume role in an NFC Championship Game battle versus either the Cowboys or 49ers a week from Sunday, but Saturday night's performance, which was highlighted by a 35-yard scoring scamper with 1:51 remaining, served as a reminder of his considerable upside.

Barkley rushed nine times for 61 yards and brought in two of three targets for 21 yards in the Giants' 38-7 divisional-round loss to the Eagles on Saturday night.

Barkley's otherwise quiet night was highlighted by a 39-yard scamper on the Giants' only scoring drive, and his overall touches were limited by game script. The talented back finished a resurgent regular season with 1,312 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 295 carries while also bringing in 57 of 76 targets for 338 yards, and he didn't lose a fumble across 16 games. However, he logged just nine carries apiece in the Giants' two postseason contests, although he did score twice in the wild-card win over the Vikings. Barkley is slated to become an unrestricted free agent at the start of the new league year, but given this season's results, there should certainly be interest in keeping him in the Big Apple.

Sanders rushed 17 times for 90 yards in the Eagles' 38-7 divisional-round win over the Giants on Saturday night.

Sanders started ripping off solid gains beginning on the Eagles' second possession, and he ultimately got some rest in the fourth quarter with Philadelphia comfortably ahead. Sanders' lack of a pass-catching role and his minimal red-zone opportunities do make him a bit of a fantasy wild card, but even with the success of backfield mates Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott on Saturday night, Sanders should still retain a lead role for a conference championship clash versus the Cowboys or 49ers a week from Sunday.

McKinnon rushed the ball 11 times for 25 yards in Saturday's 27-20 win over the Jaguars.

McKinnon was stymied as a runner, and he was narrowly out-touched by Isiah Pacheco. While he was bottled up on the ground, the more surprising part of McKinnon's performance was the fact that he was not targeted in the passing game. That likely had to do with Patrick Mahomes' ankle injury early in the contest as well as the game script, and the Chiefs could opt to keep McKinnon in the backfield more regularly to serve as an extra blocker in next week's AFC Championship Game.

Pacheco rushed the ball 12 times for 95 yards in Saturday's 27-20 win over the Jaguars. He added one reception for six yards.

Pacheco paced the Chiefs' backfield with 13 touches, and he was narrowly more involved than Jerick McKinnon. Pacheco made the most of his opportunity, and his effort was highlighted by a 39-yard gain midway through the second quarter -- a run that set up a one-yard touchdown catch for Travis Kelce two plays later. It remains to be seen how work will be split between Pacheco and McKinnon moving forward, particularly if the Chiefs find themselves in negative game script at any point during the AFC Championship Game.

Etienne rushed the ball 10 times for 62 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 27-20 loss to the Chiefs. He added three receptions for 18 yards.

Etienne paced the Jaguars' backfield in touches, though their gameplan quickly became pass-heavy as the team attempted to keep pace with the Chiefs. Despite the limited volume, Etienne still was a spark in the offense, particularly early in the fourth quarter when he found the end zone on a four-yard rush. His receiving volume remained underwhelming, though Etienne managed three receptions for the third time in his last five games. He will now look toward his third NFL season, and he should be expected to serve as Jacksonville's lead back in 2023.

The Chiefs didn't activate Edwards-Helaire (ankle) from injured reserve ahead of Saturday's divisional-round game against the Jaguars, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

On Tuesday, Edwards-Helaire mixed into drills for the first time since sustaining a high-ankle sprain Week 11. Getting designated for return from IR gave the third-year pro a chance to get back on Kansas City's active roster, but coach Andy Reid quelled that notion Thursday, telling Nate Taylor of The Athletic that the team was unlikely to make such a transaction. Because that has come to pass, Edwards-Helaire will remain sidelined while Isiah Pacheco, Jerick McKinnon and Ronald Jones man the backfield.

Mostert (thumb) had 181 carries for 891 yards and three touchdowns across 16 appearances with the Dolphins in 2022. He also secured 31 of 42 targets for 202 yards and two touchdowns.

Mostert bounced back in impressive fashion by reuniting with coach Mike McDaniel on a one-year deal in Miami, but he's scheduled to hit free agency during the offseason. The same is true for in-season trade addition Jeff Wilson along with Salvon Ahmed and Myles Gaskin. This year's class of free-agent and rookie running backs promises serious potential, so it remains to be seen whether the Dolphins will have serious interest in bringing back the 30-year-old Mostert. A broken thumb sidelined Mostert during Miami's wild-card loss to the Bills, but there's no indication he's in danger of missing any offseason activities.

The Eagles signed Brooks to a reserve/future contract Thursday.

Brooks is now slated to stick around Philadelphia into both the offseason and training camp after he reached a new deal with the Eagles on Thursday. The undrafted rookie running back has yet to suit up for his first NFL game.

Coach Andy Reid said Thursday that the Chiefs are "probably not" activating Edwards-Helaire (ankle) from injured reserve ahead of Saturday's divisional-round game against the Jaguars, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports.

Edwards-Helaire has been sidelined since sustaining a high-ankle sprain back in Week 11, missing the final seven contests of the regular season as a result. After the team's first-round bye, he finally returned to practice Tuesday, but it appears he isn't quite healthy enough to get back on the active roster. Ultimately, Kansas City has until 4:00 p.m. ET on Friday to make such a decision. In the meantime, Isiah Pacheco, Jerick McKinnon and Ronald Jones will continue to man the Chiefs backfield.