NFL Player News

The Broncos designated Dobbins (foot) to return from injured reserve Monday, Aric DiLalla of the team's official site reports.

Dobbins suffered a foot injury Week 10 against the Raiders that required surgery and a stint on IR, from which he missed the final seven games of the regular season and also Saturday's divisional-round win against the Bills. On Nov. 26, coach Sean Payton told Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post that Dobbins may be able to return later in the campaign, and now that his 21-day practice window has opened, he has a chance to return for either or both of the AFC Championship Game against the Patriots or Super Bowl LX if Denver advances that far. The team will submit its next practice report Wednesday, at which point his base line activity level will become known in advance of the first contest. If Dobbins isn't able to return this weekend, a combination of RJ Harvey, Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie will continue to man the Broncos backfield.

The Bills signed Gosnell to a reserve/future contract Monday.

Gosnell came to Buffalo as an undrafted free agent this spring and spent the campaign on the Bills' practice squad. He'll remain with the organization during the offseason and will get a chance to compete for a roster spot ahead of the 2026 campaign.

Buffalo signed Gore to a reserve/future contract Monday.

Gore has yet to log a regular-season NFL snap, but he got into both of Buffalo's postseason games this year, tallying four snaps on offense and 10 on special teams while recording one catch for six yards. The Southern Miss product will remain with the organization and will get an opportunity to compete for a roster spot ahead of the 2026 campaign.

Rams head coach Sean McVay said Monday that he doesn't expect Forbes' shoulder injury to impact his availability for Sunday's NFC Championship Game against Seattle, Adam Grosbard of The Orange County Register reports.

Forbes hurt his shoulder early in Sunday's divisional-round win over the Bears and ended up logging just four defensive snaps, though he was never officially ruled out from returning. McVay's comment Monday suggests that Forbes' issue isn't serious, so he's trending toward being available against the Seahawks. Still, Forbes' level of participation in practice this week should help determine whether he'll get an injury designation heading into the weekend.

Young experienced soreness in his knee Sunday night, Adam Grosbard of The Orange County Register reports.

Young's defensive snap share was just 43 percent in Sunday's divisional-round win over Chicago, though it's not clear if the knee issue had anything to do with his reduced time on the field. He still made an impact with five tackles (one solo) and a QB hit. Rams head coach Sean McVay said Monday that he doesn't expect the injury to impact Young's availability for Sunday's matchup versus Seattle in the NFC Championship Game, though it still bears watching the pass rusher's practice participation throughout the week to get a read on how bothersome the issue is.

Cross (foot) has been deemed day-to-day by Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.

Cross suffered a foot injury in Saturday's divisional-round win over San Francisco and wasn't able to finish the contest. Given Macdonald's assessment of Cross's status, the left tackle's likelihood of playing Sunday versus Los Angeles seems to be up in the air. Should Cross not be able to suit up, Josh Jones (knee) or Amari Kight could be asked to move into a starting role.

Akers may be elevated to the active roster for Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Rams as a result of Zach Charbonnet being lost for the remainder of the postseason due to a torn ACL, per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic.

Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker took on the vast majority of the work out of Seattle's backfield during the regular season, joining forces in a near-even offensive snap split. However, Walker figures to now log more of a workhorse role with Charbonnet out of the picture. George Holani (hamstring) remains on IR, so backup duties behind Walker seem likely to fall to Akers and/or Velus Jones. Jones was elevated for Saturday's win over San Francisco and could get the first crack at backing up Walker, though Jones produced just 10 yards on six carries in that contest and has recorded a grand total of just seven carries for 43 yards over the past two regular seasons. Akers, meanwhile, hasn't logged a carry since Week 3 (when he was still with the Vikings), but he has much more experience than Jones and has seven career postseason games (including five starts) under his belt, over which he's posted a 118-432-2 rushing line and 11-127-0 receiving line.

Buffalo signed Hardman to a reserve/future contract Monday.

Hardman more than earned a new deal with the Bills during Saturday's 33-30 divisional-round overtime loss to Denver, in which he turned his only catch into a four-yard touchdown on two targets. That score, Hardman's first catch since the 2024 campaign, appeared identical to the walk-off touchdown he logged in Super Bowl LVIII to secure an overtime win for the Chiefs. Hardman also appeared in two-regular season games for Buffalo in 2025, though in that span he failed to secure his only target. His added opportunities versus the Broncos came with all of Joshua Palmer (ankle), Tyrell Shavers (ACL) and Gabe Davis (ACL) having been placed on IR the week prior. Now, Hardman will get a chance to compete for a depth role this offseason.

Burden secured three of seven targets for 24 yards during Sunday's 20-17 overtime loss to the Rams in the divisional round. He also ran the ball once for a gain of zero yards.

Burden drew the third-most targets of any Bears' skill-position player Sunday, trailing only Colston Loveland (concussion) and DJ Moore, but he struggled to get much going versus Los Angeles' stout defense and finished fifth on the team in terms of receiving yards. While Burden was relatively quiet in his two postseason showings, he's decidedly coming off an impressive rookie campaign. Across 15 regular-season appearances Burden tallied a 47-652-2 line on 60 targets, including two 100-yard games. He also rushed six times for 37 yards and compiled 223 yards as a kick returner. Burden's YAC ability, chemistry with Caleb Williams and fit in head coach Ben Johnson's offense promise to make him a popular Year 2 breakout candidate.

Jones could take on an elevated role in Seattle's backfield after Zach Charbonnet suffered an ACL tear in Saturday's divisional-round win over San Francisco, Jeff Howe of The Athletic reports.

Charbonnet's postseason is over due to the injury, leaving Kenneth Walker alone atop the Seahawks' RB pecking order. The duo of Walker and Charbonnet consistently shared the backfield in a near-even split during the regular season, but chances are Walker will be tasked with taking a higher percentage of handoffs with Charbonnet out of the picture. Nonetheless, there's now an opportunity for another RB to make an impact as Walker's backup, and Jones certainly figures to be in the mix. He was elevated ahead of Saturday's victory and served as the team's third RB against the 49ers, carrying six times for 10 yards. It was just the second time this season that Jones logged any carries during a contest, but the only other healthy running back currently on Seattle's roster or practice squad is Cam Akers.