NFL Player News

Per beat writer Ryan O’Halloran, Ball has made the “right kind of impression” in OTAs. That’s all good and well, but now 28, Ball played just 85 snaps for the Texans last season. His apparent ascension to No. 1 cornerback speaks to how thin the Jags’ secondary is. With Ball apparently locked into a starting job, third-rounder Dwayne Gratz and Marcus Trufant will compete for the other outside job with Mike Harris manning the slot.

Mims hauled in a 52-yard pass from Jarrett Stidham in the first quarter that helped set up a six-yard touchdown catch by Courtland Sutton two plays later. Despite the big play, it was another forgettable season for Mims overall, who continues to see light work in his third season in the league under Sean Payton. Despite showing flashes when the opportunity arises, Mims’ 276 routes run on the season, per PFF, were the fourth-most of any Broncos receiver this season, as were his 51 targets. A reliable option both on offense and special teams, Mims seems unlikely to offer much fantasy upside to his managers in 2026 after managing just 37-322-1 this season.

A successful rookie season officially comes to an end for Harvey, whose 12 touchdowns led all rookie running backs this season. The rookie second-rounder was as advertised this season. He flashed on the ground on his way to a 146-540-7 rushing line, while also soaking up 47 catches for 356 yards and another five scores. Harvey faced early competition from J.K. Dobbins to start the season, but a foot injury to Dobbins in Week 10 paved the way for Harvey to lead the Broncos backfield. Following the injury to Dobbbins, Harvey saw a 28 percent opportunity share and ranked ninth among all running backs with 29 targets from Weeks 11-18. Dobbins joined the Broncos on a one-year deal last offseason. Assuming he doesn’t return, the path to more touches should be clear for Harvey in 2026, making him a prime fantasy pick for managers.

Henry’s longest gain came on a nine-yard reception on the Patriots’ opening drive of the second half. What might appear to be a forgettable play on the surface, however, set up the Patriots for a fourth-and-inches, which was converted for a first down by Drake Maye on the following play, which positioned the Patriots to make their only field goal of the day, which put them up 10-7 and proved to be the difference maker. Henry has seen just five targets in the Patriots’ last two games, but could benefit from better weather in the Super Bowl, which is set to be played in San Francisco.

Boutte’s one reception came late in the second quarter after the Patriots forced a turnover of Jarrett Stidham. His short-reception helped set up Drake Maye for a six-yard touchdown run on the following play, but Boutte, like the rest of the Patriots’ offense, struggled to get anything going in this one. His six targets tied Stefon Diggs for the team lead on Sunday and marked the second-straight week in which he saw five or more targets. Boutte and the Patriots will now prepare to head to San Francisco where they will face an NFC opponent to be named later in the Super Bowl.

Facing a stout pass defense in snow conditions, Diggs’ numbers fell victim to both the weather and conservative game play. The veteran receiver’s biggest gain came on a forgettable six-yard reception in the first quarter and was later followed by a two-yard loss and then a three-yard reception. Diggs’ six targets led all Patriots pass-catchers, as he’s now seen five or more targets in all three playoff games. Now one win away from his first Super Bowl, we’ll see if Diggs can come up big for the Patriots in a few weeks to deliver a title back to New England.

There’s not much to see here, folks. Henderson handled just three of the Patriots’ 28 backfield carries in Sunday’s win, with his longest tote going for four yards. The rookie has had single-digit carries in two of the Patriots’ three playoff games this postseason and is averaging just 2.4 YPC on those carries. It’s possible he sees more work in the Super Bowl, but his usage will be hard to predict given his limited touches and lack of efficiency.

Hollins hauled in a 20-yard pass in the second quarter to convert a third-and-long, but the Patriots followed up his big play with a punt three plays later. The speedster later broke free on a flea-flicker play for a 31-yard gain, only to see that drive end with a missed field goal by Andy Borregales. Despite Hollins’ efforts not resulting in points, his impact on the passing game was obvious. Assuming he didn’t suffer any setbacks, he should be good to go in two weeks for the Patriots’ title game appearance.

Facing a stout defense and snowy conditions, the Patriots leaned heavily on Stevenson all afternoon. The fifth-year vet did what he could, but outside of a 12-yard run in the fourth quarter, the Broncos kept Stevenson bottled up on the day. Stevenson’s 25 carries led the Patriots’ backfield by a wide margin, as rookie TreVeyon Henderson was limited to just three carries on the day, and did not see a target. Stevenson should again be leaned on heavily in a few weeks with the Patriots one game away from their first Super Bowl, and will hopefully face better conditions in San Francisco.

Stidham’s best play of the game came on the Broncos’ second possession, when he caught the Patriots defense sleeping and aired out a 52-yard completion to Marvin Mims on a third-and-ten. Stidham would follow up that play two plays later with a six-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton to give the Broncos their only points on the day. A controversial fumble on a backwards pass by Stidham late in the second quarter put the Patriots in prime position to score their only touchdown of the game, and a late-interception in the fourth quarter officially sealed the Broncos’ fate. Stidham did what he could against a stout Patriots defense, but the added wrinkle of snowy elements in the second half further amplified his struggles. Sunday’s game marked the first time since 2023 that Stidham attempted a pass in a meaningful NFL game. The veteran quarterback remains under contract through the 2026 season and is unlikely to go anywhere this offseason.

Maye struggled through the air all afternoon, completing less than 50 percent of his passes while taking five sacks from the No. 1 sack defense in the league. Despite his offensive struggles, Maye and the Patriots took advantage of a turnover late in the second quarter, when Jarrett Stidham was ruled to have thrown a pass behind the line of scrimmage, which was recovered by the Patriots on Denver’s 12-yard line. Maye would complete a six-yard pass to Kayshon Boutte on the following play, then run up the middle on a QB draw on the following play for the six-yard score, tying the game before the half. On the opening possession of the second-half, Maye again relied on his legs, breaking free for a 28-yard run on third down to move his offense into the Broncos’ red zone. While they weren’t able to find the end zone on the drive, a 23-yard field goal by Andy Borregales to cap the drive proved to be more than enough for Maye and the Patriots, who spent much of the the second half grinding out the clock in snowy conditions. Now headed to the Super Bowl, Maye will become the second-youngest quarterback in NFL history to start Super Bowl (Dan Marino, 23 years and 127 days), and the first from the 2024 NFL Draft Class to make it to the big game. The game was far from pretty, but Maye again came up clutch and is one game away from hoisting his first Lombardi Trophy in just his second season. The Patriots now wait to see who they will play between the Rams and Seahawks.