NFL Player News

Evans had only one carry for nine yards in Saturday's playoff win over the Raiders, but he also had 103 kick-return yards.

Evans showed some of his offensive versatility in Week 18 against the Browns, but with Joe Mixon back in the driver's seat, Evans' biggest impact is on special teams.

Pollard carried the ball four times for 14 yards and caught both his targets for 12 yards in Sunday's 23-17 loss to the 49ers in the wild-card round.

The running back didn't see much action on offense, and Pollard's biggest contribution came on kickoffs, as he gained 50 yards on two returns. The third-year Memphis product put together his best season yet in the NFL, racking up 1,056 scrimmage yards and two rushing touchdowns over 15 games while working behind Ezekiel Elliott in the Dallas backfield. Pollard's 5.5 yards per carry put Elliott's 4.2 mark to shame, but with the starter still carrying a dead cap hit of over $30 million on his contract in 2022, Pollard's role doesn't seem likely to increase next year unless Zeke suffers a significant injury.

Mitchell carried the ball 27 times for 96 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 23-17 win over the Dallas in the wild-card round. He also saw two targets but lost 11 yards on his only catch.

The running back got the day started on a strong note for the 49ers by punching in a four-yard TD run on the team's first possession, giving San Francisco a lead it didn't relinquish. With Jimmy Garoppolo still nursing a thumb injury, the Niners will likely lean heavily on their run game again next weekend in the divisional round against the Packers, which should ensure a significant workload for Mitchell.

Elliott said after Sunday's 23-17 wild-card loss to the 49ers that he played through a partially torn PCL during the 2021 season, David Helman of the Cowboys' official site reports.

After doing just enough in Week 18 to surpass 1,000 rushing yards for the fourth time in six pro campaigns, Elliott didn't fare as well in Dallas' sole playoff game, eking out 31 yards on 12 carries and gathering in one of four targets for no yards. Game script played a role in his lack of touches, as the Cowboys were in catch-up mode for much of the contest, forcing Dak Prescott to go to the air 44 times. Afterward, Elliott provided an update on his health, which was reflected on injury reports for much of the season, first in Week 5 and then again Weeks 10-18. However, he didn't miss a game and doesn't expect to require surgery on his knee. Knowing that, Elliott should be back to full health by the start of the offseason program.

Thompson (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's wild-card matchup against the Steelers, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports.

Thompson was elevated from Kansas City's practice squad Saturday, but he won't suit up for the playoff opener since Darrel Williams (toe) is available. Derrick Gore and Jerick McKinnon will serve as the primary backup options behind Williams.

Williams (toe) is listed as active for Sunday's wild-card game against the Steelers, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Willliams approached the contest listed as questionable after practicing in a limited fashion this past week, but by Friday coach Andy Reid indicated that he thought the running back would be available Sunday, barring any pregame setbacks, per Herbie Teope of The Kansas City Star. With his availability for Kansas City's playoff opener confirmed, Williams is in line to head Kansas City's rushing attack versus Pittsburgh, with Clyde Edwards-Helaire (shoulder) ruled out for the third game in a row. Meanwhile, Derrick Gore and Jerick McKinnon are on hand to fill complementary/change-of-pace roles behind Williams.

Gainwell rushed the ball one time for six yards in Sunday's 31-15 loss to the Buccaneers in the wild-card round. He added five receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown.

Gainwell was the most productive running back for Philadelphia on Sunday, thanks in large part to game script. He had only two receptions for three yards in the first half, but he picked up gains of 20 and 16 yards as a receiver in the fourth quarter -- the latter of which went for a touchdown. Besides games when the Eagles' running back depth chart was depleted, Gainwell struggled to receive consistent touches in his rookie season. However, with Jordan Howard hitting unrestricted free agency and Boston Scott a restricted free agent this offseason, Gainwell could step into a bigger role in 2022.

Sanders (hand) recorded seven carries for 16 yards in Sunday's 31-15 wild-card round loss to the Buccaneers. He added three receptions for 12 yards.

Sanders accounted for seven of the team's nine rushing attempts by running backs in the game, though Jalen Hurts and game script lowered his overall volume. He was largely constrained by the Buccaneers' stout run defense, though he did tally one rush that went for a double-digit gain. Though Sanders managed his most efficient season on the ground in 2021, he will enter the final year of his rookie contract having failed to top 180 rushing attempts in any of his first three campaigns as a pro.

Vaughn rushed 17 times for 53 yards and a touchdown and brought in both his targets for nine yards during the Buccaneers' 31-15 win over the Eagles in an NFC wild-card matchup Sunday.

After logging all of five carries during last year's Super Bowl title run, Vaughn took on lead-back duties Sunday with Leonard Fournette (hamstring) and Ronald Jones (ankle) both out of action. The second-year back performed well with the extra workload and paid off for those rolling with him in fantasy playoff leagues and contests with a one-yard touchdown run just before the end of the first quarter. Vaughn has proven capable of handling a robust workload over the last several games due to the depleted state of the Buccaneers' backfield, but he could see a reduction in volume as soon as next weekend's divisional round if at least one of Fournette or Jones is back in action.

Perine had one carry for two yards without any targets in the passing game in Saturday's playoff win over the Raiders.

Perine occasionally was in the game on third down for Joe Mixon, but for the most part it was the latter handling the backfield workload. Teammate Chris Evans got as much work as Perine.