NFL Player News

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.

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.