NFL Player News

Brown signed a reserve/future contract with the Panthers on Monday.

Brown appeared in one game for Carolina in 2021 and spent the rest of the season on the practice squad. The rookie UDFA out of UAB will attempt to secure a roster spot in training camp for his second season.

The Eagles activated Scott (illness) from the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday.

Philadelphia returned all of its players on the virus list to the active roster ahead of Sunday's wild-card game in Tampa Bay, including three key skill-position players in Scott and Jordan Howard along with tight end Dallas Goedert. Meanwhile, No. 1 back Miles Sanders (hand) was sidelined along with Scott and Howard for the Eagles' Week 18 loss to the Cowboys, which allowed Kenneth Gainwell (12 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown, four catches for nine yards) to fill a three-down role. Sanders' status heading into the first round of the postseason this weekend isn't yet clear, but if he's not ready to go, Scott and Howard likely would share most of the carries, while Gainwell would serve as more of a change-of-pace option.

Reynolds rushed three times for two yards during Sunday's 37-30 win over Green Bay.

Reynolds was in the starting lineup with fellow tailback D'Andre Swift but both ended up finishing well behind Jamaal Williams in carries. Making matters worse for Reynolds is that he only went on to log five more offensive snaps en route to a poor stat line. He'll thus finish the season with 55 carries for 230 rushing yards while catching seven of eight targets for 52 receiving yards despite not joining the active roster until Week 14. While he should remain in a complementary role next season considering he, Swift and Williams all remain under contract in 2022, Reynolds' 26-carry, 112-yard performance Week 15 at least showed that he can be a worthwhile fantasy option if the Lions ever need him to lead the backfield.

Hasty had one carry for four yards and caught two of three targets for 21 yards in Sunday's 27-24 overtime win over the Rams.

Hasty served his usual third-down role with Elijah Mitchell (21-85-0) running at full strength. The 24-year-old stuck in his return/utility role on offense for the entirety of the 2021 campaign, finishing with 225 yards and a touchdown on 39 combined offensive touches across 11 active games. He will continue to spell Mitchell in the playoffs, but he won't be fantasy-relevant unless something catastrophic happens to the 49ers' backfield. Hasty should stick in San Francisco in 2022 given his familiarity with the offense and the low cost to keep him as an exclusive-rights free agent.

Ogunbowale had 11 carries for 30 yards and caught three of six targets for 25 yards during Sunday's 26-11 win over the Colts.

Ogunbowale played 68 percent of the offensive snaps and led Jacksonville's backfield with 14 touches, though Ryquell Armstead out-produced him with 11 touches for 62 yards. Ogunbowale took on a larger role down the stretch following injuries to James Robinson (Achilles) and Carlos Hyde (concussion), and he finished 2021 with 43 carries for 137 yards and one touchdown to go along with 13 catches for 114 yards and another score. The 27-year-old will enter next season as a restricted free agent, so he could return to the Jags in a depth role should the team tender him a contract.

Wilson was on the field for six offensive snaps (nine percent) and did not record a touch in Sunday's 27-24 overtime win over the Rams.

Elijah Mitchell (knee) was cleared of injury designation heading into the matchup, leaving Wilson in a reserve role with JaMycal Hasty handling third-down duties. The veteran tailback finishes the 2021 regular season with 294 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 79 carries (3.7 YPC), most of which came during a three-week stretch where Wilson filled in for an injured Mitchell. The 25-year-old has worked hard to earn a solid four-year run with the 49ers after going undrafted in 2018, but this appears to be a transition year for San Francisco's backfield, so Wilson may find himself in another uniform as he enters free agency this upcoming offseason.

Coach Matt Rhule said Monday that he "fully expects" McCaffrey (ankle) to remain with the Panthers for the 2022 season, Steve Reed of the Associated Press reports.

McCaffrey topped 400 touches during the 2019 campaign but has missed extended time in each of the last two seasons due to injuries. He appeared in 10 games across the last two years and rushed 158 times for 667 yards and six touchdowns while catching 54 of 60 targets for 492 yards and two touchdowns during that time. The 25-year-old has been mentioned in trade rumors recently, but it appears as though the Panthers are committed to bringing back their star running back in 2022.

Coach Andy Reid said Monday that Edwards-Helaire (shoulder) is making progress in his recovery, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports.

Edwards-Helaire was inactive for Saturday's regular-season finale after he was unable to practice ahead of Week 18, but Reid said that he expects the running back to get some work in ahead of Sunday's wild-card matchup against Pittsburgh. Whether the 22-year-old will be cleared for game action in time for the postseason opener remains to be seen, but Darrel Williams (toe) once again could be in line for a lead role if Edwards-Helaire is unavailable. If both Edwards-Helaire and Williams are sidelined, Derrick Gore is the next player in the Chiefs backfield, with Jerick McKinnon on hand as a change-of-pace option.

The Bengals activated Mixon (illness) from the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday.

Mixon was forced to miss the regular-season finale against Cleveland after testing positive for COVID-19, but now that he's cleared league protocols he can officially return to team facilities. Cincinnati's offense thus will have its star running back available in practice leading up to Saturday's wild-card round matchup against the Raiders.

Patterson ran four times for 11 yards and caught his only target for one yard during Sunday's 30-20 loss to the Saints.

Patterson posted his worst fantasy performance in the final game of what has been a breakout campaign for the versatile veteran. He finished the 2021 season with 153 rushes for 618 yards and six touchdowns while adding 52 receptions for 548 yards and five touchdowns through the air. Patterson signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Falcons last offseason and will certainly garner interest from around the league after his career year.