NFL Player News

Brightwell (hamstring) played in seven games during the regular season, rushing nine times for 19 yards and adding five catches on seven targets for 47 yards.

Most of Brightwell's work came on special teams, though he did get four carries in both Week 3 and Week 4 while Saquon Barkley was out with an injury. Brightwell didn't do much with those opportunities, and he had only one carry over his other five contests combined. The third-year pro's campaign came to a halt after he suffered an ankle injury that eventually landed him on IR, and though he was designated to return ahead of Week 16, New York didn't end up activating him. The Giants' running-back room is in flux heading into the offseason, with Barkley and veteran Matt Breida set to be free agents. Brightwell, 2023 rookie Eric Gray and Jashaun Corbin are New York's three RBs currently under contract for next year, with Gray the most likely of the three to take on a lead-back role if Barkley doesn't return and the team doesn't add a starting-caliber replacement.

Breida went without a carry while playing five snaps on offense in Sunday's 27-10 win over the Eagles.

Breida ended the regular season with 55 carries for 151 yards and a touchdown while catching 17 of 21 targets for 88 yards over 17 games. He played second fiddle behind workhorse Saquon Barkley for most of the season, but even when Barkley was sidelined from Weeks 3 through 5 due to injury, Breida couldn't get much going on the ground as the fill-in starting running back. The seventh-year veteran's role decreased as the campaign wound down, and he played only eight offensive snaps without logging any stats over the final two weeks. That drop in opportunity came as New York gave rookie Eric Gray a longer look, perhaps signaling the team's desire to use him more as a ball carrier next season. Meanwhile, Breida is set to hit free agency and is far from a certainty to return to New York in 2024. He has durability going for him, having played all 34 regular-season games for the Giants over the past two season, but after averaging a meager 2.7 yards per carry in 2023, he'll likely be looking at a backup role regardless of where he lands.

Sanders carried three times for 18 yards across six snaps in Sunday's 9-0 loss to the Buccaneers.

Sanders was a major disappointment in his first season in Carolina after inking a four-year, $25.4 million contract in the offseason. After producing a career-best 1,347 yards from scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns for the Eagles in 2022, Sanders' numbers took a big step back while he moved to a dreadful Carolina offense. He finished the campaign with a career-low 129 carries for 432 yards (3.3 average) and one touchdown to go with 27 catches for 154 scoreless yards on 41 targets over his 16 appearances. Sanders' poor efficiency as a rusher eventually resulted in him falling behind Chuba Hubbard on the depth chart, with Sanders failing to log double-digit targets in any of his final four contests. With Sanders and Hubbard under contract next season, the two could be thrust into a competition for the starting role heading into 2024 while the Panthers bring in a new coaching staff.

The Chargers signed Patterson to a reserve/future deal Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Patterson wasn't able to make his way onto the field this season, but he'll now get a chance to compete for a spot on the Chargers' 53-man roster for 2024. He probably lacks the size to ever take on a workhorse role.

Strong (back) was a limited participant at practice Wednesday, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.

Strong was unable to practice Tuesday, so his presence at Wednesday's session represents a step in the right direction. Even still, he'll probably need to practice in full Thursday to avoid carrying an injury designation into Friday and possibly Saturday.

Wilson rushed nine times for 45 yards in Sunday's 21-14 loss to Buffalo.

Wilson worked as the No. 2 option out of the backfield behind De'Von Achane (toe) while Raheem Mostert (knee) was sidelined Sunday. He was efficient in limited action, though not to the extent that Mostert and Achane have proven this season, and the Dolphins appear optimistic that their top two tailbacks will be available for Saturday's wild-card game in Kansas City. Mostert's availability looks the most up in the air, but if either he or Achane is sidelined for the playoff opener, Wilson will again be in line for an elevated role. Across 10 regular-season appearances, Wilson accrued 188 rushing yards on 41 attempts (4.6 average), plus 14 catches for 85 yards on 17 targets.

Achane (toe/ribs) was listed as a limited participant on Wednesday's injury report, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

The same goes for Raheem Mostert, whose status for Saturday's wild-card game against the Chiefs is more of a question mark than Achane's following absences for Weeks 17 and 18 due to ankle and knee injuries. Achane took 29 touches for 198 yards and two touchdowns the past two weeks, and he should be ready to go for the postseason opener, be it as Miami's lead back or coming off the bench behind Mostert. The Dolphins should hold a more strenuous practice Thursday, after not practicing Tuesday and holding a walkthrough Wednesday.

Mostert (knee/ankle) is listed as a limited participant on Wednesday's injury report, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

The Dolphins didn't practice Tuesday and held a walkthrough Wednesday, allowing Mostert to get consecutive "limited" tags without actually doing much. Mostert's participation Thursday should prove more meaningful, and he said Wednesday that he's feeling good but isn't sure whether he'll be available for Saturday's wild-card game at Kansas City, according to Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald. The running back also mentioned that both his ankle and knee injuries are factors in any decision about his status for the weekend, with neither health issue considered more concerning than the other, per Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post.

Jones (knee/finger) was a limited participant at Wednesday's walkthrough, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Since returning from a three-game absence due to a sprained MCL back in Week 15, Jones has endured practice restrictions for five weeks running. It hasn't stopped him from accruing 100 yards on the ground in each of the past three games, a span in which he's racked up 70 touches for 406 yards from scrimmage. Fellow running back AJ Dillon (thumb/neck) once again didn't mix into drills Wednesday, so Jones may remain the Packers' primary running back in Sunday's wild-card game at Dallas if the former is unable to suit up. First, Jones will need to get through this week unscathed in order to do so.

Hunt (groin) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.

Hunt has been managing a groin injury of late, but he hasn't been forced to miss any games because of the issue. Based on his recent trend of practice participation, expect Hunt to log a full session Thursday approach Saturday's playoff opener against the Texans without an injury designation. Assuming that comes to pass, Hunt will be in line to reclaim his key complementary role out of the backfield behind starter Jerome Ford. Both backs were used sparingly in the Week 18 loss to the Bengals, as the Browns rested several regulars with the team having been locked in as the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs.