NFL Player News

Grimes rushed six times for 25 yards in Sunday's 34-6 win over Tennessee.

Grimes led Houston's running backs in yards per carry, but head coach Bill O'Brien is content with him in a limited role while rolling all three of his backs every game.

Gray led the Jaguars with 31 yards on five carries in Sunday's loss to the Saints.

Gray joined the team off of the Dolphins' practice squad earlier in the month, and Sunday marked his first action in a Jaguars uniform. While listed as the backup to Denard Robinson, Gray ended up essentially splitting the workload with Robinson, though the Jaguars rushed only 15 times as a team after falling behind 24-0 in the first half. If primary starter T.J. Yeldon (knee) remains out, Robinson figures to enter Week 17's matchup with Houston as the No. 1 back, but Gray likely showed enough Sunday - he broke off a 23-yard run, the Jags' longest of the day - to warrant a minor backup role. If Yeldon is cleared to return, Gray may struggle to see the field.

Ellington (toe) returned from a three-game absence Sunday, taking seven carries for 40 yards and his sole target for five yards during a 38-8 win versus the Packers.

Both Ellington and Chris Johnson (broken tibia) incurred lengthy absences stemming from injuries suffered in Week 12, but the former's bout with turf toe was far less serious. In the eventual blowout of the Packers, Ellington received one carry on the Cardinals' second drive of the game, with David Johnson handling the rest of the RB reps. However, the lead was extended from 17 to 31 points in quick succession after halftime, giving Ellington a chance at sustained work. The eight total touches is in line with the reserve role that he served in behind the veteran Johnson earlier in the year, which owners can expect to continue as he spells the rookie in the season finale and beyond.

Williams totaled eight carries for 44 yards and one reception (on one target) for four yards, yet he lost a fumble during Sunday's win against the Packers.

After the Cardinals extended the lead from 17 to 31 within the first 5:30 of the third quarter, head coach Bruce Arians pulled lead back David Johnson from the contest, allowing Andre Ellington and Kerwynn Williams a few drives apiece to show off their wares. Ellington (turf toe) was given the first shot, but Williams actually earned one more snap (11 versus 10) down the stretch. Hurting his case for future work, Williams fumbled at the end of a five-yard run on Arizona's second-to-last possession. However, a healthy 5.3 YPC in limited usage likely won't spell the end of his appearances with the postseason imminent.

Richardson was released by the Browns on Tuesday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Richardson spent a couple of weeks with the team to help with depth, but he still hasn't appeared in a regular season game since 2013. A former seventh-round draft pick, he shouldn't have much trouble finding a team that will let him compete for a back-end roster spot in training camp next season.

Bolden was on the field for 27 of the Patriots' 56 snaps on offense in Sunday's 26-20 overtime loss to the Jets, ESPN's Mike Reiss reports. In the process, Bolden ran a team-high nine times for 30 yards and caught five passes on seven targets for 30 yards.

The report adds that for the second week in a row, Bolden didn't see any special teams work because of his expanded role in the Patriots' backfield. Looking ahead to Week 17, Bolden should continue to work in a committee with pass-catching back James White (22 snaps Sunday) and newcomer Steven Jackson, who saw just nine snaps in his debut with the team, but could see his role increase in the coming weeks. It's an arrangement that hampers Bolden's fantasy ceiling in the Patriots' regular season finale.

McKinnon (hamstring) had seven carries for 89 yards and two touchdowns, adding two catches for eight yards on three targets, in Sunday's 49-17 win over the Giants.

McKinnon put up gaudy garbage-time numbers for a second straight week, with nearly all of his rushing production coming after Adrian Peterson was done for the night. The second-year runner displayed patience and elite speed on a 68-yard touchdown, but the defense was so bad that he didn't even need to break a tackle. A third straight blowout is unlikely with the Vikings facing the Packers for the NFC North title in Week 17, meaning that McKinnon will likely fall back to his usual workload.

Rainey did not net any yards on two punt returns, fumbling twice but recovering both.

It was an unusual afternoon for Rainey, who yielded a kickoff return to rookie Donteea Dye and muffed back-to-back punts in the third quarter as well. Rainey actually gained three yards after recovering the first muff, but those were negated by a holding penalty on Alterraun Verner. Although he was unable to add to his impressive 2015 return totals Sunday, Rainey has already amassed 757 combined yards in kickoff and punt runbacks this season.

Sims gained 45 yards on four carries and secured three of five targets for 72 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 26-21 loss to the Bears.

The backup tailback had an outstanding afternoon, managing a career-high of 11.3 yards per carry on the strength of a game-long 29-yard run. He also had a spectacular 50-yard touchdown catch to open the second-half scoring, making a spinning catch at the 30-yard-line and streaking down the left sideline after Jameis Winston had scrambled away from pressure to find him. Sims enjoyed a more productive day than starter Doug Martin, and will look to close out a successful sophomore campaign in Week 17 against the Panthers.

Martin gained 49 yards on 17 carries and scored a rushing touchdown, while also securing one of three targets for seven yards in Sunday's 26-21 loss to the Bears. He also lost a pair of fumbles.

There had been talk during the week about Tampa doing what it could to help Martin get closer to the NFL rushing title, and the matchup against a porous Bears run defense certainly seemed to be in the fourth-year tailback's favor. However, Chicago had different ideas, frustrating Martin all afternoon and separating him from the ball on two different occasions. The pair of fumbles brought Martin's 2015 total to five, tying him for second in the league with Melvin Gordon for that dubious feat. Despite the difficult afternoon, Martin figures to still be within striking distance of Adrian Peterson and the rushing crown in Week 17.