Mike

Boone

Hubbard was listed as questionable with a knee injury for the Week 17 matchup with the Buccaneers and Panthers head coach Dave Canales said he expected the 25-year-old running back to play after Friday’s practice. He was having a great season that included earning a rare midseason extension at the position seemingly no teams want to reward with long-term contracts. Hubbard was a borderline RB1 heading into fantasy championship week, but now his managers will be scrambling for other options. Mike Boone will likely start in Hubbard’s absence with Miles Sanders also on injured reserve. Boone is in flex consideration as more of a desperation play as he doesn’t offer nearly the same upside as Hubbard.

Boone managed four carries for seven yards in Week 1’s disaster before being a healthy scratch in three of the next four weeks. He’ll try to catch on elsewhere as a backup.

It’s a quiet list for the league’s worst team.

Boone was a one-time deep-league fantasy darling with the Minnesota Vikings and was competing with Raheem Blackshear for the third spot in the running back room with Johnathon Brooks recovering from his knee injury. Instead, Boone will try to find a practice squad spot with another team. Other veterans like Ike Botther and Jacob Hollister are likely to find new teams within the next few days.

Singletary continued to split carries with Dameon Pierce, and while he was less successful on the ground, he was far more involved in the passing game. Singletary was also on the field more on the Texans’ final drive of the fourth quarter, which might suggest some trust from the coaching staff. Yet, as if it wasn’t enough that we waited to see if the Texans came out of the bye featuring Singletary or Pierce, it seems that the team was also determined to get Mike Boone more work. While Boone primarily operated as the third-down back, he missed in with some red zone snaps as well. This situation was tricky enough to figure out when there were just two backs; now with three involved, it might be time to avoid the Texans backfield for now.

Boone joined the Texans on a two-year, $2.4 million contract this offseason but won’t be joining the team in Week 1. Boone was left fighting for backup duty with Devin Singletary and Dare Ogunbowale, and is once again in search of a new home. Boone has rushed for just 137 yards over the last two seasons and is unlikely to see any significant playing time in 2023. In addition to Boone, the Texans also released DE Derek Rivers.

Details of the contract haven’t been released yet, but it’s likely a one-year deal. Boone started his career in Minnesota, joining the Vikings as a UDFA. After three years, he signed with the Broncos but never got a chance to make an impact in Denver. Boone rushed 28 times for 137 yards in two years with the Broncos. He will serve as a backup to Dameon Pierce and a special teams contributor in Houston.

Boone injured the same ankle that had previously landed him on injured reserve. The timeline for recovery from a high ankle sprain makes a return for the regular season difficult, and it’s not necessary for the Broncos to rush Boone back in a lost season. Boone is entering his age-28 season and will be an unrestricted free agent. He’s likely to land a short-term deal as a depth back.

It’s reportedly the same ankle that put him on injured reserve last month. It sounds likely that Boone’s season will be over. Boone finishes with a 24/102 line on the ground and a 9/96 line through the air. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the season.

He was carted off after a defender landed awkwardly on his leg. Boone had three carries for two yards and two catches for 27 yards before leaving. Marlon Mack received extended playing time in Boone’s absence and profiles as the main backup for Latavius Murray as the Broncos try to close out a lost season.