NFL Player News

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.

Harris (knee) didn't practice Wednesday, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

Harris has been managing a knee issue since Week 14 and has been a regular on Steelers injury reports ever since. However, the running back didn't miss any games during the regular season, and his listed absence Wednesday is presumably a continuation of the Steelers' recent trend of managing his practice workload. In the Steelers' Week 18 win over the Ravens, Harris paced the team's backfield by carrying 26 times for 112 yards and a touchdown, while adding five catches on as many targets for 21 yards. At this stage, there's nothing to suggest that his availability for Sunday's playoff opener against the Bills is in any danger.

Head coach Matt LaFleur said Dillon (neck/thumb) didn't practice Wednesday, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Dillon has yet to log any on-field work since suffering a stinger Week 17 at Minnesota, but he'll have two more chances this week to put himself on a path to play in Sunday's wild-card game in Dallas. Aaron Jones has been dominating the Packers backfield down the stretch, so if Dillon isn't able to suit up this weekend, Patrick Taylor and, to a lesser extent, Emanuel Wilson, would be the candidates to fill in behind Jones.

Perine carried three times for seven yards and caught three of four targets for 23 yards in Sunday's 27-14 loss to to Raiders.

Perine played 38 percent of the Broncos' offensive snaps in the contest, placing him behind starter Javonte Williams (41) but ahead of Jaleel McLaughlin (nine), the latter of whom exited early with a head injury. After signing a two-year, $7.5 million deal with Denver last spring, Perine finished his first season in Denver with 53 carries for 238 yards and a touchdown and a career-high 50 receptions for 455 yards. Heading into the final year of his contract in 2024, Perine should continue to compete for backfield snaps with Williams and McLaughlin.

Brown rushed 11 times for 43 yards and caught one of two targets for 10 yards in Sunday's 31-14 win over the Browns.

Brown continued to operate as the No. 2 running back behind starter Joe Mixon in the season finale, with the rookie's 11 carries marking his highest total of the campaign. Though he saw a larger role over the second half of the season, Brown's opportunities were fairly limited in 2023, as he totaled 44 carries for 179 yards and added 14 catches for 156 yards and a touchdown over 12 games. Though Mixon is under contract for 2024, he's owed a $3 million roster bonus March 16, so Brown's role heading into next season should come into focus by that date. Even if the Bengals elect to keep Mixon in the fold next season, it's possible that the 23-year-old Brown earns a larger role as part of a timeshare after Mixon continued to demonstrate middling efficiency as a rusher in 2023. Mixon has now finished with 4.1 yards per carry or fewer in each of the last five seasons.

Johnson (concussion) will be a limited participant in practice Wednesday, Chris Brown of the Bills Radio Network reports.

Johnson suffered a concussion in Sunday's win over the Dolphins, but he seems to have made progress on some level as he navigates the five-step protocol. He'll still likely need to get in a full practice Thursday or Friday, plus he'll need to be cleared by an independent neurologist before getting the green light to suit up in Sunday's wild-card game against the Steelers.

Nwangwu failed to record a single snap on offense in Sunday's 30-20 loss to the Lions.

Nwangwu was not on the field for any offensive snaps for the third straight game Sunday. Instead, he played 13 special teams in the contest. The veteran running back appeared in just nine games this season, dealing with a back injury that landed him on injured reserve early in the 2023 campaign. Nwangwu attempted five rushes for 13 yards as he was minimally involved in Minnesota's offense and contributed mostly as a member of the special teams unit. Entering the final year of his rookie deal, the 25-year-old will look to take a step forward as a contributor before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2025.

Funk was cut from the Ravens' practice squad Wednesday, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

Funk was added to Baltimore's practice squad Dec. 19, when Keaton Mitchell was placed on injured reserve after suffering a ruptured ACL. However, after the addition of fellow running back Dalvin Cook, the Maryland product was chosen as the odd man out, and his time with the Ravens will come to an end.

Mattison rushed seven times for 24 yards and caught his lone target for five yards in Sunday's 30-20 loss to the Lions.

Mattison continued to operate as the backup running back behind Ty Chandler, concluding a disappointing season for the former player. In 16 appearances, the 25-year-old carried 180 times for 700 yards (3.9 average) and failed to find the end zone as a rusher. Mattison did, however, score three times as a receiver while compiling 30 catches for 192 yards.Though he signed a two-year, $7 million contract last offseason while Minnesota eventual cut incumbent starter Dalvin Cook, Mattison's future atop the depth chart for the Vikings looks murky at best. Chandler will presumably slot ahead of Mattison heading into the start of the offseason program, though it wouldn't be surprising if the Vikings looked to upgrade the position group through the 2024 NFL Draft, free agency or trade.

McKinnon (sports hernia/pelvis) was spotted using crutches Tuesday at the Chiefs' facility and appears unlikely to return from injured reserve at any point during the postseason, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports.

McKinnon made his first appearance at team headquarters since he underwent surgeries Jan. 2 to address a sports hernia and a fractured pelvis. The 31-year-old missed the final three games of the regular season and is eligible to return beginning in the divisional round if the Chiefs are able to win their wild-card game against the Dolphins on Saturday, but the veteran running back doesn't look particularly close to resuming on-field work. McKinnon, who is scheduled to become a free agent this spring, finished his third season in Kansas City with 21 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown along with 25 catches for 192 yards and four scores on 32 targets over his 12 appearances.