Who Should I Start? Rashaad Penny or Alexander Mattison

Monday, January 15, 7:06 PM

Philadelphia Eagles running back Rashaad Penny (coach's decision) and free safety Reed Blankenship (groin) are inactive for Monday night's wild-card playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Penny was an interesting pickup for the Eagles in the offseason, but due to their crowded backfield, the 27-year-old was a complete non-factor in his first year with the team and finished the regular season with just 11 rushing attempts for 33 yards while catching one pass for a five-yard gain in three games played. He was active in the Week 18 regular season finale against the New York Giants, but the last time before that he was active was in Week 9. Blankenship was injured last week and didn't practice at all during the week. The 24-year-old's absence is even more bad news for an Eagles defense that collapsed at the tail end of the regular season.

Monday, March 18, 6:02 PM

Former Minnesota Vikings running back Alexander Mattison is signing an undisclosed deal with the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday, according to a source. Mattison is still only 25 years old and recorded 17 touchdowns in his five seasons in Minnesota after they took him in the third round in the 2019 draft out of Boise State. The 25-year-old was a disappointment in 2023 while taking over the lead-back role from Dalvin Cook, though, which is why Mattison was released this offseason. In 16 games (13 starts) last year, Mattison had a career-high 180 carries for 700 yards (3.9 yards per carry) and no rushing touchdowns while adding 30 catches for 192 yards and three touchdowns. Josh Jacobs is no longer in Vegas, but Mattison figures to work in a timeshare with Zamir White in his first year in Sin City in 2024.