NFL Player News

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.

Parkinson secured three of seven targets for 56 yards during Sunday's 20-17 overtime win against the Bears in the divisional round.

Parkinson and Puka Nacua tied as team leaders in terms of receiving yards versus Chicago, in a contest that saw Matthew Stafford be held without a passing touchdown while struggling against cold weather conditions. In three of his last four appearances, Parkinson now has drawn exactly seven targets, though notable receiving opportunities were also allocated to fellow tight ends Terrance Ferguson (five targets) and Tyler Higbee (two targets) in the divisional round. Los Angeles' crowded TE corps remains difficult to predict for fantasy purposes, but Parkinson will remain the favorite to lead Rams tight ends in receiving during the NFC Championship Game against Seattle this coming Sunday.

Hudson and the Bengals agreed to a one-year contract extension Monday.

Hudson played in 15 games for Cincinnati during the 2025 campaign, posting a 19-168-2 receiving line that was a near carbon copy of his 19-154-1 line from 2024, though he saw action in just 11 regular-season contests during that 2024 campaign. His past two seasons have paled in comparison to his 2023 campaign when he recorded 39 catches on 50 targets for 352 yards a touchdown across 12 regular-season games, but the Bengals value his contributions enough to keep in the fold for at least another season. Mike Gesicki will likely remain Cincinnati's No. 1 tight end next year, but Hudson could fill a bigger role if Noah Fant, who is slated to be a free agent, doesn't return.

Purdy said Monday that he will not require an offseason procedure to address the turf toe injury that hampered him early during the 2025 campaign, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Purdy's turf toe injury bothered him as early as Week 1, and, in conjunction with an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder, he was forced him to miss two games. In his return to action Week 4, he then aggravated the toe issue, resulting in a six-game stretch on the sidelines. Purdy said he'll continue strengthening the toe this offseason, but the issue won't cause him any limitations during team activities or require surgery. Across his nine combined regular-season appearances and two playoff tilts, Purdy completed an impressive 230 of 342 pass attempts for 2,569 yards, 22 touchdowns and three interceptions, while also rushing 47 times for 208 yards and three scores. Looking ahead to the 2026 campaign, however, Purdy's fantasy prospects look murky. George Kittle (Achilles) is recovering from a significant injury, while at wide receiver Jauan Jennings is staring down free agency, and injuries consistently hampered Ricky Pearsall in 2025.

The Broncos are expected to designate Dobbins (foot) for return from IR in preparation for the AFC Championship Game against the Patriots on Sunday, Luca Evans of The Denver Post reports.

Dobbins may not officially take the practice field until Wednesday, but it appears the veteran running back has a legitimate chance to be cleared for a return to action in time for Sunday's playoff matchup. He was spotted working on a side field last Wednesday, which was his first on-field work of any kind since he suffered a left Lisfranc injury Week 10. Of course, Dobbins may have to prove he's capable of handling full practice reps before being cleared to return to the lineup. If Dobbins does manage to get back on the field in time to face New England, he'll rejoin RJ Harvey, Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie in a rushing attack that figures to be increasingly featured with Bo Nix (ankle) having suffered a season-ending injury in the divisional round, leaving Jarrett Stidham to start this weekend.

Bourne finished the regular season with 37 receptions for 551 yards across 16 games played with the 49ers.

The veteran wideout returned to the club that he began his career with as an undrafted free agent back in 2017. Bourne was brought in to help fill the void left by injured starters Brandon Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall to begin the year. The 29-year-old Bourne was successful in that role, highlighted by back-to-back 142-yard outings in Weeks 5 and 6. Bourne will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but he's unlikely to land in a situation that would make him a viable fantasy target in 2026.

Robinson brought in his only target for one yard in Saturday's 41-6 divisional-round loss to the Seahawks.

Robinson was riding high from his best performance as a member of the 49ers in the wild-card round (6-111-1 versus the Eagles), but he came crashing back down to earth after gaining just one yard on his only touch against Seattle. The veteran wideout got off to a slow start with his new club after serving a three-game suspension to begin the year, and he would go on to post an underwhelming 22-276-1 receiving line across 14 games in the regular season. The 49ers were extremely thin at wide receiver in 2025, making Robinson's lack of involvement frustrating from a fantasy standpoint. The 32-year-old will be back with San Francisco next season for the final year of his two-year contract, likely serving as a depth piece for a retooled receiver room.

Hawes was not targeted during Buffalo's 33-30 divisional-round overtime loss to Denver on Saturday.

Hawes went untargeted in the Bills' playoff loss while fellow tight ends Dalton Kincaid (6-83-1) and Dawson Knox (3-32-0) both had multiple grabs. A rookie fifth-round pick, Hawes proved to be an impactful blocker, and while suiting up for all 17 regular-season games, he also managed a respectable 16-187-3 line (19 targets) despite operating as the clear No. 3 option at the position behind Kincaid and Knox. Kincaid is locked in as Buffalo's top pass-catching TE for 2026 and beyond, but Knox carries an exorbitant cap hit next season and will be a candidate to either restructure his deal this offseason or be cut, potentially paving the way for Hawes to handle increased opportunities.

Samuel secured one of three targets for two yards during Buffalo's 33-30 divisional-round overtime loss to the Broncos on Saturday.

Samuel missed the final seven games of the regular season, as well as the Bills' wild-card win over Jacksonville, due to an elbow injury, but he managed to return from IR in time to face off against Denver. With all of Joshua Palmer (ankle), Tyrell Shavers (knee) and Gabe Davis (knee) having been placed on IR in advance of the AFC divisional round, Samuel got a chance to handle an increased role on offense, playing 44 percent of the offensive snaps. Unsurprisingly, after he managed only a 7-81-1 line on nine targets across six regular-season appearances earlier in the year, he was unable to capitalize on the opportunity. Though Samuel remains under contract for one more year, Buffalo has a potential out in his deal this offseason for only $3.45 million in dead cap.

Robinson had three carries for four yards and one reception for three yards in Saturday's 41-6 playoff loss to the Seahawks.

Robinson was able to get involved in the offensive game plan in the divisional round after garnering no touches across seven offensive snaps (12 percent) in San Francisco's wild-card win over the Eagles. The power back was traded to the 49ers last August and offered a true change of pace to Christian McCaffrey's electric running style. Robinson finished the regular season with a 92-400-2 rushing line while appearing in 17 contests behind McCaffrey. The 26-year-old Robinson will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason and should have no problem finding work after averaging 4.1 YPC across four seasons as a pro.