NFL Player News

Williams rushed 17 times for 104 yards and a touchdown and brought in four of eight targets for 29 yards and another score during the Chiefs' 31-20 win over the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV on Sunday. He also fumbled once, but it was recovered by the offense.

Had it not been for Patrick Mahomes' spectacular second-half performance, Williams arguably had a rightful claim to MVP honors with his impressive performance in a stadium he once called his home field. The former Dolphin consistently fought successfully for yardage against a stingy 49ers defense, and he sealed the victory courtesy of a back-breaking 38-yard scoring scamper with 1:12 remaining in the contest. A drive earlier, Williams got into the end zone through the air, successfully getting the ball across the goal line just before his foot stepped out of bounds for a five-yard, go-ahead touchdown. Williams missed five games during the regular season due to injury, but he played a pivotal role in the postseason with six total scores (four rushing, two receiving). Williams enters the final year of his contract in 2020 and is on the books for $1.85 million, a highly reasonable figure for a lead back with his upside.

Patterson (concussion) suited up for the NFC squad in the Pro Bowl on Sunday, finishing with one tackle.

Patterson rebounded from a Week 17 concussion to represent the Bears in the all-star game. He was selected as a return specialist for a contest that doesn't use kickoffs to begin drives, so the tackle was his lone contribution. Patterson is signed with the Bears through 2020, but the team can free up $5.25 million in cap space if he's cut during the offseason, per OvertheCap.com.

Gardner has signed with the Seattle Dragons of the XFL.

Gardner had a solid AAF campaign with 4.9 yards per carry and three touchdowns over eight games, but offseason shoulder surgery hurt his chances of making an NFL squad. He'll look to showcase his skills with the Dragons in hopes of drawing NFL interest again in 2020.

Wilkins (knee) finished the 2019 season with 51 rushes for 307 yards and two touchdowns while catching seven passes for 43 yards over 14 regular-season games.

When Marlon Mack fractured his hand, Wilkins was in line for additional usage, but Johnathan Williams took over as the bell cow instead. Wilkins logged double-digit carries on just one occasion, but he averaged 6.0 yards per carry. The 25-year-old running back's knee injury doesn't appear to be an issue for 2020. He's under contract for next year as well, but his playing time will likely be inconsistent with Mack and Nyheim Hines returning as well.

Blasingame played 44 offensive snaps but did not touch the ball in three playoff games.

The 23-year-old saw similar usage in six regular-season games after being signed to the 53-man roster in mid-November, though he did see minor involvement in the passing game with four catches for 54 yards. Blasingame remains under contract for 2020, but his reserve role and $585,000 salary don't provide much roster security.

Williams appeared in 11 regular-season games with the Bengals in 2019 but did not record a single carry.

Williams missed the first two games of his rookie season due to a foot injury, and he was limited to special teams upon returning to action. Cincinnati's backfield simply didn't leave the 22-year-old any room for opportunity behind Joe Mixon, as Giovani Bernard cleaned up the change-of-pace reps. The Texas A&M product isn't likely to carry much, if any, fantasy value to begin the 2020 season.

Hill finished his rookie season with 58 carries for 225 yards and two touchdowns while adding eight catches for 70 yards on 15 targets.

Baltimore leaned on Lamar Jackson, Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards in the run game, leaving very little room for Hill most weeks. His season high in carries (10) came in a week where Ingram and Jackson were rested to get ready for the playoffs, and his second-highest total (seven) came in a blowout win over the Dolphins in the season opener. The explosiveness Hill showed in college didn't carry over right away in the NFL, either, as he managed just 3.9 YPC. Hill could be in line for a bigger role in 2020, but that would take the Ravens passing on re-signing Edwards, which seems unlikely. The Oklahoma State product does not have a clear path to production heading into the 2020 offseason.

Clement (shoulder) is set to become a restricted free agent in March, NJ.com's Mike Kay reports.

A Super Bowl hero at the end of his rookie season, Clement took a step back in 2018 with 3.8 yards per carry and then played just four games in 2019 before landing on injured reserve with a shoulder injury that required surgery. The Eagles may still value him for his versatility on both offense and special teams, but there's no real justification for using a first- or second-round RFA tender on the 2017 UDFA. An original-round tender would allow the Eagles to retain Clement at a reasonable price, or at least have the right of refusal if he gets an offer sheet from another team. Clement will need to prove his health and compete for a 53-man roster spot in 2020, be it with the Eagles or another team.

Thompson took one carry for seven yards and failed to catch his lone target in Sunday's 35-24 win over the Titans.

LeSean McCoy was a healthy scratch, while Damien Williams led the backfield in carries (17), targets (six) and snap share (85 percent) for a fourth consecutive game. Thompson played 11 offensive snaps (16 percent) in Sunday's victory, and he isn't likely to see much more in the Super Bowl unless Williams suffers an injury.

Williams, who rushed four times for nine yards in the playoffs, finished the 2019 season with 107 carries for 460 yards (4.3 yards per carry) and a touchdown while catching 39 passes for 253 yards and five scores over 14 regular-season games.

After splitting backfield duties with Aaron Jones last season, Williams slipped to the clear No. 2 role in 2019 as Jones developed into a stud running back. Williams filled an important change-of-pace role that helped keep Jones fresh, but the former still made an impressive offensive impact, as he tied Davante Adams for the team lead in receiving touchdowns. Both Jones and Williams are entering the final year of their contracts in 2020, and Williams will be worth a late-round pick as a handcuff.