NFL Player News

Williams (hamstring) carried 41 times for 141 yards (3.4 YPC) and caught 15 of 19 targets for 167 yards across 12 games before the Chiefs placed him on injured reserve in December.

Prior to being shut down with the hamstring issue, Williams had shown improvement in his second professional season, taking on a greater role on passing downs while also seeing action on special teams. Williams should be fully recovered from the hamstring issue by the time training camp arrives, putting him on track to enter the final season of his rookie deal in optimal health. He'll likely return to a similar depth role in the backfield in 2020, as both Damien Williams and Darwin Thompson remain under contract.

Drake and the Cardinals have engaged in contract talks, with GM Steve Keim saying he hopes to re-sign the running back, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Keim also commented on David Johnson, whose $10.2 million base salary for 2020 is fully guaranteed. Specifically, Keim said Johnson won't be released this offseason, adding that the 28-year-old should still have a key role on offense even if he isn't the starter. There aren't many teams in the modern NFL giving large contracts to multiple running backs, but the Cardinals arguably could make it work while they have QB Kyler Murray on a rookie deal. Drake certainly made his case for a handsome payday, averaging 80.4 rushing yards per game and 5.2 yards per carry in eight appearances for the Cardinals. He was limited to a 6.1-yard average on 28 catches, but that's largely because his average depth of reception was 3.2 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Johnson, on the other hand, had an average depth of 4.1 yards beyond the LOS on his 36 receptions, producing 10.3 YPR.

Penny (knee) used a stationary bike Tuesday, taking a step forward in his rehab from a torn ACL, NFL.com's Kevin Patra reports.

Penny tore up his knee Week 14 and had surgery later in December. Coach Pete Carroll said the injury involved damage beyond an ACL tear, but Carroll also mentioned in early January that the Seahawks were pleased with Penny's early progress. The 24-year-old faces a challenge to make it back on the field for the early part of the 2020 campaign, while backfield mate Chris Carson is expected to recover from a hip fracture without needing surgery, potentially returning to practice as soon as May or June.

Steelers GM Kevin Colbert still views Conner (quadriceps) as a starting running back, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. "We hope James can regain it," Colbert said. "And, if he's healthy, there's no reason he shouldn't. We don't want to say we don't have a starting running back because we feel we do."

Colbert said Conner was a disappointment in 2019 but also acknowledged that the running back was one of the top players at his position the year prior. There were still some flashes of good form last season, namely a four-week stretch from late September to late October in which Conner produced 449 total yards and five touchdowns. His season-end mark of 4.0 yards per carry fell a half-yard shy of his 2019 number, but it was still better than what Benny Snell (3.9 YPC) and Jaylen Samuels (2.7 YPC) managed in the same broken offense. Conner is entering the final season of his rookie contract in 2020, while Snell and Samuels both are signed beyond the upcoming season. There hasn't been any substantiative update on the quad injury that prevented Conner from playing Week 17.

Thompson had two carries for seven yards during three postseason appearances with the Chiefs. He also drew two targets, but failed to record a reception.

Thompson was relegated to a depth role behind Damien Williams during the Chiefs' postseason run, culminating in a Super Bowl victory over the 49ers in which the rookie was held to zero yards on his lone carry. He didn't find much success on the ground in the regular season either, logging 37 carries for 128 yards and one touchdown across 12 games while hauling in nine of 10 targets for 43 yards. Given that Williams is still under contract for 2020, Thompson lacks an immediate clear path to fantasy relevance.

Wilson had 27 carries for 105 yards and four touchdowns, adding three receptions for 34 yards and another score in 10 games this season.

Wilson began the year on the 49ers' practice squad for the second season in a row, and he was quickly promoted to the main roster in Week 2 after Tevin Coleman suffered a multi-week injury. The 24-year-old was effective early on as a goal-line back, scoring all four of his touchdowns in the first two games following his promotion. Wilson saw his role reduced significantly as the backfield returned to full strength, and he should find himself in a similar situation to begin the 2020 season with all three of the backs ahead of him on the depth chart under contract.

Breida finished the 2019 season with 123 carries for 623 yards and a touchdown, also contributing 19 receptions for 120 yards and another score in 13 games.

Breida did most of his damage through the first nine games of the season as a co-starter (542 rushing yards and 110 receiving yards) before going down to injury against Seattle in Week 10. The 49ers' backfield landscape had shifted upon his return in Week 14, as Raheem Mostert had emerged as the team's top option with Tevin Coleman serving as the "1B" option. Breida suffered a case of fumbleitis down the stretch, coughing the ball up three times despite touching the ball just 23 times over five games following his injury layoff. The 24-year-old's talent as a rusher is unquestioned (5.1 yards per carry this year), but the combination of his ball security issues and the breakout performance of Mostert kept the speedy back as a healthy scratch during the team's unsuccessful Super Bowl run. All three of San Francisco's contributing backs in 2019 are under contract for 2020, so Breida figures to begin next season third on the depth chart barring any unforeseen changes this upcoming offseason.

McKinnon (knee) hopes to stay with the 49ers, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports. "I'm willing to do whatever," McKinnon said. "The organization knows I want to be a part of this team, so when that time comes there will be a talk between both parties."

Still rehabbing from Sept. 3 surgery, McKinnon missed the entirety of the past two seasons with right knee injuries. He'd presumably need to accept a pay cut to have any shot at sticking with the 49ers for 2020, as he's scheduled for a non-guaranteed $6.5 million base salary in the third season of a four-year, $30 million contract, per overthecap.com. It isn't clear how far along McKinnon is in his rehab process, nor is it clear he'll have a role in the San Francisco offense if he returns to health and accepts a pay cut. Fellow running back Raheem Mostert is under contract through 2021, and Matt Breida's status as a restricted free agent suggests he'll likely be back with the team. Tevin Coleman may end up being a cap casualty, but even then the 49ers would have Jeff Wilson ready to battle for a backup role.

Henry said last week on "The Rich Eisen Show" on Fox Sports Radio that Ezekiel Elliott's six-year, $90 million contract is "the floor" for what he'll be seeking this offseason.

To be fair, Eisen asked a leading question and Henry merely agreed. There are a slew of teams with enough cap space to hand the 26-year-old a contract similar to Elliott's, but recent history mostly shows buyer's remorse with regard to long-term deals for running backs. Henry has one major advantage over Todd Gurley, Devonta Freeman and other positional counterparts: he averaged just 180 touches over his first three seasons before his count ballooned to 409 (including playoffs) in the final year of his rookie contract. Henry made it clear his preference is to stay with the Titans, though he presumably won't be thrilled if that happens via the franchise tag.

Mostert carried the ball 12 times for 58 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's 31-20 Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs. He also hauled in his only target for two yards.

Though Mostert didn't come close to replicating his 220-yard, four-TD NFC Championship Game performance, he once again operated as the 49ers' top running back end and led the team's backfield while averaging a respectable 4.8 YPC. Given his efficiency, and the fact that San Francisco possessed a 10-point lead with the ball during the fourth quarter, it's fairly surprising that Mostert wasn't leaned on more heavily. The 27-year-old has two more years remaining on his contract with the 49ers, and he figures to factor in as at least a key contributor in the team's backfield for the 2020 season, with realistic upside of serving as the 49ers' No. 1 option. Of course, coach Kyle Shanahan's notoriously unpredictable tendency to rely on different lead backs on a game-to-game basis could put a damper on Mostert's fantasy value in 2020.