NFL Player News

Ward (knee) is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Seahawks.

Ward was banged up in the second half of Sunday's matchup. Since James Conner (ribs) is also questionable to return, Eno Benjamin should see an uptick in usage out of the backfield.

Conner left Sunday's game against the Seahawks with a rib injury and is questionable to return.

Conner was injured in the fourth quarter of Sunday's contest, and it's not yet clear if he will be able to re-enter the game. Fellow running back Jonathan Ward also exited the game, leaving Eno Benjamin as the Cardinals' only healthy running back.

Jacobs (ribs) is listed as active for Sunday night's game against the Chargers.

Jacobs carried a 'questionable' designation into the weekend, but he'll give it a go in Sunday's regular-season finale, which has major playoff implications for both teams. With that in mind, look for Jacobs to handle as much work as his rib issue permits versus Los Angeles, with Peyton Barber and Jalen Richard available to spell him and work in complementary roles out of the Raiders' Week 18 backfield. Jacobs has ripped off 21 touches for 95 yards from scrimmage per game while scoring three rushing TDs over the last six contests.

Chubb rushed nine times for 58 yards and brought in his only target for two yards in the Browns' 21-16 win over the Bengals on Sunday.

Chubb predictably saw relatively limited action, and a bulk of his production against what was a much improved Bengals run defense this season came on a 35-yard scamper. The fourth-year pro finished with an impressive 1,259 rushing yards in 14 games, the second-highest tally of his career. With backfield mate Kareem Hunt (ankle) under contract through next season as well, Chubb figures to still operate as the primary early-down option for the run-heavy Cleveland attack in 2022.

Stevenson (head) returned to Sunday's game at Miami, Michael Giardi of NFL Network reports.

After spending parts of the second and third quarter out of the contest, Stevenson will rejoin Damien Harris and Brandon Bolden out of the Patriots backfield.

Barkley rushed 11 times for 30 yards and brought in three of four targets for 19 yards in the Giants' 22-7 loss to Washington on Sunday.

In a thoroughly forgettable 4-13 season for the Giants, Barkley had a similarly underwhelming campaign on an individual level and closed it out with one more pedestrian performance. While New York's mediocre run-blocking offensive line, the team's shaky quarterback situation, and -- especially early in the season -- Barkley's still-recovering knee likely bear the brunt of the blame for the talented back's lack of production, it's arguably fair to wonder whether the fourth-year pro also lacked explosiveness and vision at times, thereby leaving some yards on the field. At least partly supporting this notion is the fact that veteran backup Devontae Booker was actually appreciably more efficient than Barkley when filling in, although there won't be any question about the latter going into training camp as the clear No. 1 back again this coming summer for what will be a contract year, barring an offseason extension.

Cook rushed the ball 14 times for 79 yards in Sunday's 31-17 win over the Bears. He added one reception for three yards.

Cook bounced back from a dismal Week 17 performance to put up a passable line to close the season. He ripped off a gain of 25 yards early in the third quarter to account for nearly one-third of his total yardage, but he was held to single-digit gains otherwise. Despite ultimately winning by a comfortable margin, the Vikings played from behind for the first three quarters, limiting Cook to under 20 carries for the second consecutive game. Between time on the reserve/COVID-19 list as well as a shoulder injury, Cook was able to suit up in only 13 contests this season. Even so, he posted 1,159 rushing yards and 224 yards as a receiver while finding the end zone six times.

Dillon ran for 63 yards on 14 carries and caught a four-yard pass on one target against Detroit on Sunday.

Dillon started in place of Aaron Jones (knee) and played effectively enough, but his appearance was abbreviated in this meaningless game, denying him the pass-catching production he would normally project for in such a matchup. Fourth-string back Patrick Taylor took over for Dillon for most of the second half and turned 11 carries into 53 yards and a touchdown. Jones should be back by the time the Packers exit their first-round bye in the playoffs, so Dillon should return to a complementary role at that point. He finishes the regular season with 803 yards and five touchdowns on 187 carries (4.3 YPC) while catching 34 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns on 37 targets (91.9 percent catch rate, 8.5 YPT).

Taylor recorded 15 rushes for 77 yards in Sunday's 26-11 loss to the Jaguars. He added three receptions on four targets for 18 yards.

As expected, Taylor worked efficiently against Jacksonville's defense, an effort that was aided by runs of 23 and 13 yards. However, he was stuffed on fourth down multiple times, including once at the goal line at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Taylor also had game script working against him, with the Colts unexpectedly working from behind after the opening possession. The result was his lowest carry total since Week 6, and the first time he hasn't attempted at least 20 rushes in his last four contests. Despite the disappointing close to the campaign on both an individual and team level, Taylor racked up 2,171 total yards from scrimmage with 20 trips to the end zone across 17 games.

Murray rushed 16 times for 150 yards and a touchdown in the Ravens' 16-13 overtime loss to the Steelers on Sunday.

Devonta Freeman was sidelined with a ribs injury after just five carries, paving the way for Murray to carry the backfield load. The veteran back responded admirably, even ripping off a season-long 46-yard touchdown run that snapped a 3-3 tie. Murray had seen his carries rise back to 11 in Week 17 against the Rams, but Sunday's performance served as a reminder of his ability to perform effectively with an expanded workload, albeit against a weak run defense. Nevertheless, Murray does turn 32 later in January and is headed into unrestricted free agency, so his likeliest role in 2022 will be as a complementary back once again.