NFL Player News

Akers (illness) is listed as active for Monday's wild-card game against the Rams.

Akers wasn't able to practice Saturday due to an illness, which left him questionable for the Vikings' playoff opener. Despite the ailment, he'll be able to suit up Monday and serve as the primary backup to starting RB Aaron Jones, which has amounted to 6.2 touches for 29.1 yards from scrimmage per game and three total TDs in 12 appearances for Minnesota this season.

Badie rushed twice for eight yards in Sunday's 31-7 wild-card round loss to the Bills.

Badie played just three of the Broncos' 42 offensive snaps in his first game back from a long stint on injured reserve due to a back injury suffered in Week 4. The 24-year-old running back missed the remainder of the regular season, finishing the year with just 11 carries for 86 yards while catching all three of his targets for minus-2 yards. Badie also lost one fumble in his three games played. The Missouri product remains under contract for the 2025 season, and he'll likely compete with fellow running backs Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime next season while Javonte Williams could be headed out of Denver as an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The Broncos could, however, choose to sign a free-agent running back this offseason or address the position in the draft, adding more competition ahead of the 2025 campaign.

Ekeler took eight carries for 27 yards and caught three of four targets for 26 yards in Sunday's 23-20 win at Tampa Bay.

Ekeler's 11 touches and 47 percent snap share put him slightly behind Brian Robinson, who had 10 carries for 16 yards and four catches (on five targets) for 22 yards while playing 53 percent of snaps. Neither RB found much room against a tough Tampa Bay run defense, and they'll now face another one of the NFC's top run-stuffing teams -- at least on paper -- when they head to Detroit in the divisional round. The Lions probably aren't as difficult to run on as many statistics suggest, as they've lost a slew of defenders to season-ending injuries, including DE Aidan Hutchinson (leg) and DT Alim McNeill (knee).

Luepke carried the ball 12 times for 38 yards and caught 12 of 16 targets for 111 yards over 16 regular-season games in 2024.

The second-year fullback saw more snaps on offense (304) than he did on special teams (170), a reversal of his usage as a rookie. Luepke didn't get many touches, but he did flash some ability as a pass catcher when called upon and set career highs in receptions and receiving yards. With the Dallas backfield in flux once again as Rico Dowdle heads into free agency, Luepke could see his touch volume increase once again in 2025, but he's still very unlikely to be much of a fantasy asset.

Jennings finished the 2024 regular season with 13 carries for 33 yards in three games with the Patriots.

Jennings, who originally joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent last May, didn't make the team's initial 53-man roster and spent the bulk of his 2024 season on the practice squad. The Florida A&M product remains under contract with New England in 2025 and will thus have an opportunity compete for a complementary role in a backfield that's currently led by Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson and figures to add some depth options this offseason.

Chestnut rushed the ball 22 times for 102 yards across 17 games during the 2024 season. He added two receptions on three targets for 11 yards.

Chestnut served as Tennessee's third-string running back for most of the season, behind Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears (head). Chestnut did manage a career-high 22 carries, though his most significant step forward was his increased involvement on special teams, as he served as one of the team's primary kick returners and tallied 337 yards in the role.

Robinson was held to 16 yards on 10 carries while catching four of five targets for 22 yards in Sunday's 23-20 win over the Buccaneers.

Robinson failed to generate any running lanes against Pro Bowl DT Vita Vea and the interior of Tampa Bay's defense. Quarterback Jayden Daniels wound up leading the Commanders in carries (13) as the rushing offense was forced to operate outside of the numbers in the second half. Robinson also had to deal with the presence of veteran backup Austin Ekeler, who was activated from IR in Week 18 and poached 11 touches for a combined 53 yards in Sunday's narrow victory. With a shared backfield and a potential pass-heavy game plan set for the divisional round, Robinson makes for a marginal DFS option against the Lions on Saturday.

Irving rushed 17 times for 77 yards and brought in both targets for six yards in the Buccaneers' 23-20 wild-card loss to the Commanders on Sunday night.

Irving once again comfortably outpaced backfield mate Rachaad White, who logged just three total touches (one carry, two receptions). The rookie put together a solid performance that included his seventh tally of over 70 rushing yards in the last nine games. However, Irving was stuffed for a two-yard loss on a third-and-1 play at the Commanders' 12-yard line with 5:32 remaining, forcing the Buccaneers to settle for a field goal instead of extending the drive and possibly scoring a go-ahead touchdown. Irving's productive day came in the wake of a standout rookie season that exceeded expectations, during which he recorded 207 carries for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns while adding a 47-392 receiving line on 52 targets across 17 games. Irving also turned the ball over just once (two fumbles total) and should head into his second season with a firm grasp on the No. 1 back role.

Jacobs rushed the ball 18 times for 81 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 22-10 loss to the Eagles. He added three receptions on three targets for 40 yards.

Jacobs was the driving force behind Green Bay's comeback attempt in the second half, with the highlight being an impressive 32-yard touchdown run at the close of the third quarter. He also chipped in long receptions of 15 and 14 yards to close his campaign on a strong note. After posting a career-best 16 touchdowns while tallying 1,671 yards from scrimmage during the regular season, Jacobs will almost certainly be back to lead the backfield for the Packers in 2025.

Barkley carried the ball 25 times for 119 yards and caught both his targets for four yards in Sunday's 22-10 wild-card round win over the Packers.

The star running back could have produced even bigger numbers, but on his final tote of the day he elected to slide with nothing but open field in front of him to run out the clock, settling for a 17-yard gain rather than a potential 76-yard touchdown. It was still Barkley's first 100-yard playoff game in three tries after he managed a total of 114 yards on 18 carries over two postseason contests with the Giants. Barkley now has 2,124 rushing yards on the year between the regular season and the playoffs, the fifth-highest total of all time but still a fair distance behind Terrell Davis' NFL record of 2,476, set in 1998. Another big performance for Barkley, and another Philly win, in the divisional round could put that mark within reach.