NFL Player News
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Clyde Edwards-Helaire RB | KC
Chiefs' Clyde Edwards-Helaire: Returns to full practice
Edwards-Helaire (shoulder) practiced fully Wednesday.
Edwards-Helaire didn't practice this past Thursday and Friday before ultimately being ruled out ahead of Kansas City's win over Pittsburgh in the wild-card round, but the running back's return to a full session to begin the current week presumably paves the way for him to return to the field Sunday against the Bills in the divisional round. With that in mind, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com relays that head coach Andy Reid noted that Edwards-Helaire "moved around well" Wednesday, but reiterated that the real test for the 2020 first-round pick will come Thursday.
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Ronald Jones RB | DAL
Buccaneers' Ronald Jones: Still not practicing
Jones (ankle) didn't take part in Wednesday's practice.
Jones has yet to step on the practice field since injuring his ankle in the Week 17 win over the Jets. As for the rest of the Buccaneers backfield, Leonard Fournette (hamstring) remains on injured reserve, and Giovani Bernard (hip/knee) was a limited participant Wednesday, leaving Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Le'Veon Bell and practice squad member Kenjon Barner as the healthy options at the position. Until Jones joins his teammates in some drills, he doesn't seem like a candidate to be available for Sunday's divisional-round matchup with the Rams.
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Corey Clement RB | ARI
Cowboys' Corey Clement: Sees limited touches in 2021
Clement finished the regular season with 33 carries for 140 rushing yards and six catches on seven targets for 29 yards and a touchdown.
While he suited up for all 17 games in his first season with Dallas, Clement was mainly used on special teams and saw double-digit snaps on offense only three times. He was able to score his only TD against his former club the Eagles in Week 18, however. A free agent in the offseason, Clement could return to the Cowboys but will fill a depth role in the backfield wherever he ends up in 2022.
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Darrel Williams RB | NO
Chiefs' Darrel Williams: Misses practice
Williams (toe) didn't practice Wednesday, while Clyde Edwards-Helaire participated in some capacity, Herbie Teope of The Kansas City Star reports.
Williams played through the injury in Sunday's 42-21 win over the Steelers, but he was limited to a backup role (eight snaps) and finished with four yards and a lost fumble (which T.J. Watt returned for a touchdown). With Edwards-Helaire missing the game altogether, Jerick McKinnon was the lead back and ultimately took 18 touches for 142 yards and a touchdown. The Chiefs' coaching staff hasn't revealed whether McKinnon will get the chance to repeat that workload Sunday against Buffalo in the divisional round, with Edwards-Helaire perhaps now the bigger threat than Williams.
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Derrick Henry RB | BAL
Titans' Derrick Henry: Takes contact without setbacks
Henry (foot) responded well to contact Tuesday and will now continue practicing throughout the rest of the week, with the Titans likely waiting until Friday to decide on his availability for Saturday's divisional-round game against Cincinnati, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.
The fact that the Titans made Henry available to speak to the media Wednesday might be taken as another sign he's headed in the right direction, especially after the running back said that his surgically repaired foot didn't feel any different than it did pre-injury, despite him having a steel plate inserted a couple months ago, per Davenport. Henry will still need to make it through a couple more practices without setbacks, and he may not quite be in peak condition after the long layoff, but he should have a big role if he plays. To that end, neither player nor the coaching staff provided much hint on workload expectations for Saturday, with offensive coordinator Todd Downing merely saying Henry would be "monitored in the game" if he's "given the green light," according to Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site.
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John Kelly RB | CLE
John Kelly: Signs futures deal
The Browns signed Kelly to a reserve/future contract Wednesday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Kelly made four appearances for the Browns this season and played almost exclusively on special teams. However, he did see three offensive snaps in Week 7 and totaled two rushes for 13 yards during the game. With Kareem Hunt, Nick Chubb and Demetric Felton all under contract for 2022, it's likely Kelly will garner a similar workload for Cleveland next year.
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Brandon Bolden RB | LV
Patriots' Brandon Bolden: Catches 41 passes this past season
Bolden finished the regular season with 44 carries for 226 yards and a rushing touchdown to go along with 41 catches (on 49 targets) for 405 yards and two receiving scores in 17 games.
He added four receptions for 27 yards on six targets in last weekend's blowout loss to the Bills in the wild-card round. Bolden, a noted special-teams contributor in the past, moved into a larger role on offense after James White's season-ending hip injury in Week 3 created a need for a new pass-catching back. As the 2022 campaign approaches, Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson will reprise their roles a New England's top early-down options, while both White and Bolden are eligible for free agency this offseason.
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Rhamondre Stevenson RB | NE
Patriots' Rhamondre Stevenson: Complements Harris in Year 1
Stevenson finished the 2021 regular season with 133 carries for 606 yards and five touchdowns to go along with 14 catches (on 18 targets) for 123 yards in 12 games.
He added eight carries for 27 yards and four receptions for 33 yards in last weekend's blowout loss to the Bills in the wild-card round. Per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, Stevenson, who wasn't much of a factor in the Patriots offense until Week 5, finished the regular season with an overall 24.7-percent snap share. He emerged as an early-down factor alongside No. 1 back Damien Harris, who handled a 36.2-percent share over the course of the season. As the 2022 campaign approaches, the two will continue to form a solid 1-2 backfield punch, while the team's change-of-pace options have yet to be cemented, given that both James White (hip) and Brandon Bolden are eligible to become free agents this offseason. Though Harris continues to profile as New England's top back, there should be enough touches available for Stevenson in 2022 to have a degree of weekly fantasy utility, even when both backs are available. If and when Harris is out or limited for any reason, however, Stevenson would be in line for an uptick in his workload and fantasy production.
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Jake Funk RB | JAC
Rams' Jake Funk: Rushes twice against Cards
Funk rushed twice for five yards during the 34-11 wild-card round victory over Arizona on Monday. He played four offensive snaps.
The seventh-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft matched his regular-season numbers against the Cardinals on Monday. Funk rushed once in the second quarter and on the final offensive play of the game for the Rams, and he projects to have a limited role again this week against the Buccaneers with Cam Akers and Sony Michel healthy and running well.
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Elijah Mitchell RB | PHI
49ers' Elijah Mitchell: Limited practice on tap
Mitchell (knee) will practice in a limited capacity Tuesday, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
As has been the norm for Mitchell since he sat out Weeks 14-16 due to knee irritation, he's again being limited at practice, likely to keep him as fresh as possible with the 49ers in the midst of the playoffs. In the three games since being shut down, he's served as the team's workhorse running back with 69 carries for 300 yards and one touchdown to go with three catches on four targets for zero net yards and another score. Thursday's injury report will reveal whether or not Mitchell goes into the weekend with a designation for Saturday's divisional-round contest at Green Bay.