NFL Player News
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AJ Dillon RB | CAR
Packers' AJ Dillon: Suffers fractured rib Saturday
Dillon sustained a broken rib during Saturday's divisional-round loss to the 49ers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Prior to his departure near the end of the first half, Dillon had seven carries for 25 yards and one touchdown. According to Rapoport, the injury is severe enough that it would have been difficult for Dillon to be ready for the NFC Championship Game, if the Packers had advanced. They did not, though, so Dillon will aim for a full recovery by the offseason program.
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Clyde Edwards-Helaire RB | KC
Chiefs' Clyde Edwards-Helaire: Back in action Sunday
Edwards-Helaire (shoulder) will join Jerick McKinnon and Derrick Gore out of the Chiefs backfield for Sunday's divisional-round game against the Bills with Darrel Williams (toe) inactive, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports.
Making his first appearance since Week 16 due to a bruised shoulder, Edwards-Helaire is swapping in for Williams, but the breakdown of touches between himself, McKinnon and Gore remains to be seen. McKinnon fared well in Kansas City's wild-card win against the Steelers, taking 12 carries for 61 yards and gathering in all six targets for 81 yards and one touchdown. On the season, though, Edwards-Helaire averaged 13.8 touches in his 10 appearances, so it stands to reason he'll have some sort of role.
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Matt Breida RB | SF
Bills' Matt Breida: Inactive for divisional round
Breida (coach's decision) is inactive Sunday against Kansas City.
Breida will be a healthy scratch for the fourth time in the last five games. Devin Singletary and Zack Moss will handle Buffalo's backfield duties once again.
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Darrel Williams RB | NO
Chiefs' Darrel Williams: Sitting out divisional round
Williams (toe) is inactive for Sunday night's divisional-round game against the Bills, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports.
After missing practice Wednesday and Thursday, Williams returned to a limited session Friday but will sit this one out. Meanwhile, Kansas City welcomes back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (shoulder) -- who last played Week 16 -- to a running back corps that also includes Jerick McKinnon, who led the team's ground game in last weekend's wild-card win over the Steelers, with Derrick Gore on hand in reserve. In Williams' absence, expect Edwards-Helaire to reclaim a solid share of the team's touches, with McKinnon involved as well in the wake of his effective outing in the Chiefs' playoff opener.
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Elijah Mitchell RB | PHI
49ers' Elijah Mitchell: Gains 71 yards on 20 touches
Mitchell rushed 17 times for 53 yards and caught three of four targets for 18 more yards in Saturday's 13-10 playoff win over the Packers.
The 49ers ran the ball early and often, but the Packers' defensive front was ready for that exact gameplan, leaving Mitchell with an inefficient rushing performance. The talented rookie finished second among both teams' position players with 20 total touches, which helped him put together a respectable 71 total yards of offense despite the low efficiency. Those looking to roll with Mitchell in the championship round won't find much of a soft matchup against either the Bucs or Rams, who both boast talented defensive lines. That said, Mitchell should safely clear 15 carries regardless of opponent next Sunday, a feat the back has accomplished in seven consecutive contests.
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AJ Dillon RB | CAR
Packers' AJ Dillon: Scores TD in playoff loss
Dillon (chest) rushed seven times for 25 yards and a touchdown during the Packers' 13-10 loss to the 49ers in their NFC divisional-round matchup Saturday night. He exited the game for good due to his injury late in the first half.
Dillon's final carry of the night came with 56 seconds remaining in the second quarter. The bruising back did provide those rolling with him in postseason fantasy contests one highlight, that being his six-yard touchdown run with 9:25 remaining in the first quarter that opened the scoring on the night. Despite the disappointing outcome from a team perspective Saturday night, Dillon's second season was certainly a success that was highlighted by 803 rushing yards and seven total touchdowns over 17 games.
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Aaron Jones RB | MIN
Packers' Aaron Jones: Paces pass catchers in loss
Jones rushed 12 times for 41 yards and brought in nine of 10 targets for 129 yards during the Packers' 13-10 loss to the 49ers in their NFC divisional-round matchup on Saturday night.
Jones led the Packers in rushing yards, but it was his pace-setting receiving yardage tally that made his night a spectacular one for fantasy purposes. The fifth-year back also tied Davante Adams for the team lead in receptions, with the highlight of his night a spectacular 75-yard catch and run down the right sideline just before halftime. Jones logged his fewest carries since 2018 this past regular season as backfield mate AJ Dillon (chest) increasingly expanded his complementary role with strong play, and both backs are likely to be deployed in a similar arrangement in the 2022 campaign.
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D'Onta Foreman RB | CLE
Titans' D'Onta Foreman: Produces in relief
Foreman rushed the ball four times for 66 yards in Saturday's 19-16 divisional-round loss to the Bengals.
Foreman was relegated to backup duties due to the return of Derrick Henry (foot). Though that limited his opportunities, he was effective when called upon by ripping off gains of 45, 10 and nine yards. Tennessee's season ended in disappointing fashion, but it was very successful for Foreman from a personal perspective. He earned a career-high 133 carries to gain 566 yards and three touchdowns, which came primarily when he served as the team's lead back while Henry was sidelined. Foreman will enter the offseason as an unrestricted free agent and should finally be able to land a deal and earn a fairly substantial role in a backfield.
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AJ Dillon RB | CAR
Packers' AJ Dillon: Dealing with chest injury
Dillon is questionable to return to Saturday's playoff game against San Francisco due to a chest injury.
The exact nature and severity of the injury are not yet clear. Dillon's absence may mean Aaron Jones faces less competition for carries for the remainder of the game.