NFL Player News

Bolden finished the regular season with 15 carries for 68 yards and three touchdowns and nine catches on 11 targets for 111 yards and a receiving score over the course of 15 games.

Bolden, who spent the previous season with the Dolphins, returned to the Patriots in 2019, reprising his role as a versatile backfield depth option and core special teamer. He's under contract with New England through the 2020 season and is thus slated to continue to work in the complementary role that he's handled capably since joining the franchise as an undrafted free agent in 2012.

Johnson returned two kickoffs for 76 yards and one punt for nine yards in a 33-23 loss to the Bengals in Week 17.

Johnson returned the opening kickoff 47 yards, setting up Cleveland's first score 81 seconds into the game. The 23-year-old running back had some early contributions on offense in 2019 while Dontrell Hilliard was sidelined due to a concussion and while Kareem Hunt served an eight-game suspension. Once those two backs were available, however, Johnson mainly became a special-teams contributor. The all-purpose back from South Florida is under team control for another two seasons, so he's expected to compete for a job as the third running back and primary returner in 2020.

Cook (shoulder) is optimistic he'll play this weekend after sitting out the last two games. "I've been putting the time in and I feel good" he said Tuesday, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports.

The 24-year-old went through warmup drills prior to a Week 17 loss to the Bears, so it's not a major surprise he's still upbeat a couple days later. The Vikings will release their first injury report of the week Wednesday, which should clarify Cook's status, but for now the star running back appears on track to retake the field Sunday at New Orleans.

Thompson collected 17 yards on four carries and reeled in his only target for a loss of four yards in the regular-season finale Sunday versus the Chargers.

Thompson's 12 offensive snaps Sunday represent an increase compared to the six he logged against Chicago, but it doesn't exactly position him as a fantasy threat during the postseason. The rookie finished the 2019 regular season with 37 carries for 128 yards and a touchdown, and recorded just nine grabs for 43 yards over the 12 games in which he appeared. With Damien Williams under contract again in 2020, Thompson's immediate fantasy future doesn't appear bright.

Abdullah ran for 22 yards on six carries and added 14 yards on three catches during Sunday's 21-19 loss to Chicago.

Abdullah took on the RB2 role, again, with both Dalvin Cook (shoulder) and Alexander Mattison (ankle) resting in what was a meaningless game for the Vikings. Not that 36 yards is too much to get excited about, but it'd be foolish to expect even that Sunday against the Saints. Abdullah has had 24 touches in the past three games with the top of the depth chart dinged up, but only 14 touches prior to that this season. Assuming Cook and/or Mattison are ready to play, Abdullah's role should be very limited.

Sanders underwent an MRI this week that revealed a low-grade ankle sprain, leaving coach Doug Pederson optimistic that the rookie is "going to be OK" for Sunday's wild-card matchup with the Seahawks, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

According to Pelissero, the inflammation in Sanders' ankle is a greater worry at this stage than the sprain itself, so the running back should be ready to go by the weekend if the swelling subsides as the Eagles anticipate. While Sanders should retain a leading role in the Philadelphia backfield if active Sunday, Pederson suggested that Jordan Howard could be included in the game plan after returning from a six-game absence due to a shoulder stinger in Sunday's win over the Giants, but not seeing any action. Boston Scott, who scored three touchdowns in the division-clinching Week 17 victory, also remains on hand.

Thomas worked out with the Seahawks on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The Seahawks continue to explore options at running back with a handful of their own backs landing on injured reserve last week. Thomas last played for the Vikings in 2018, where he recorded 30 rushing yards on eight attempts across five games.

Ozigbo had nine carries for 27 yards and caught three of five targets for 23 yards in Sunday's win over the Colts.

The 23-year-old worked as the Jaguars' No. 2 running back behind Ryquell Armstead with Leonard Fournette (neck/illness) sidelined, but he only ended up receiving three fewer touches than Armstead. Ozigbo appeared in 10 games in 2019 but didn't touch the ball prior to Sunday. Fournette and Armstead should enter 2020 in the starting and backup roles, respectively, likely leaving Ozigbo with zero fantasy relevance without injury or a change of scenery.

Reynolds signed a reserve/future contract with Atlanta on Monday, Will McFadden of the team's official site reports.

Reynolds suited up in three games for the Redskins this season before he was signed to the practice squad by the Falcons. He'll add depth to an already deep running back depth chart.

Williams (shoulder) relayed that he would've played in this past Sunday's 23-20 win over the Lions if it were a playoff game, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Williams will take the extra week of rest after the Packers secured the No. 2 seed, and there's little doubt that he'll be ready for whichever team is coming to town Jan. 12. The third-year back continues to work as the No. 2 behind Aaron Jones, and Williams averaged 10.4 touches per game during the regular season. While he's slated to be ready, Williams' status will be confirmed when the Packers release their practice reports leading up to the divisional-round game.