Rex Burkhead

Rex Burkhead

33-Year-Old Running BackRB
 Free Agent  
Free Agent
2023 Fantasy Outlook
There was no outlook written for Rex Burkhead in 2023. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.
RANKS
$Signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Texans in January of 2022.
Announces retirement
RBFree Agent
February 5, 2024
Burkhead announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday.
ANALYSIS
Now 33 years old, Burkhead spent the 2023 season out of the league after going unsigned as a free agent. Selected in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Bengals, Burkhead spent the first four years of his career in Cincinnati followed by four seasons with the Patriots and his final two with the Texans. In total, Burkhead amassed a career 488-1,908-17 rushing line and 192-1,534-9 receiving line across 115 contests. He made it to a pair of Super Bowls with New England, winning a ring in 2018. Burkhead notably scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime to beat the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game that postseason.
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2022
2021
2020
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2018
2017
2016
2022 NFL Game Log
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2021 NFL Game Log
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2020 NFL Game Log
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2018 NFL Game Log
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Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Rex Burkhead lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
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2023 Rex Burkhead Split Stats
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Measurables Review View College Player Page
How do Rex Burkhead's measurables compare to other running backs?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
5' 10"
 
Weight
215 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash
4.73 sec
 
Shuttle Time
4.09 sec
 
Cone Drill
6.85 sec
 
Vertical Jump
39.0 in
 
Broad Jump
125 in
 
Bench Press
21 reps
 
Hand Length
9.75 in
 
Arm Length
30.88 in
 
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Rex Burkhead See More
2023 Houston Texans Preview: Roster Moves, Depth Chart, Schedule, Storylines and More
245 days ago
After back-to-back directionless seasons, the Texans are embarking on a full rebuild under the guidance of new coach Demeco Ryans and rookie QB C.J. Stroud.
Backfield Breakdown: 2022 Running Back Recap and Early 2023 Fantasy Rankings
January 11, 2023
Jerry Donabedian looks at top performers from 2022 and checks in on players rehabbing serious injuries or potentially headed for free agency.
Box Score Breakdown: Snaps, Routes, Air Yards & Usage Rates from Week 18
January 9, 2023
James Cook got more snaps and carries than Devin Singletary even with the Bills playing their starters for the entire game Sunday.
Weekly Rankings: Week 18 Value Meter
January 3, 2023
Christian McCaffrey has another plus matchup in Week 18 against Arizona.
Backfield Breakdown: Week 17 RB Usage and Week 18 Waivers Preview
January 2, 2023
Cam Akers took on the third-largest snap share of all running backs Week 17, playing more than three-fourths of the Ram' snaps for a third straight week.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
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2013
Nine seasons into his NFL career and playing for his third team, Burkhead put up a career-high 613 scrimmage yards in 2021. That was mostly thanks to a Week 16 clash with the Chargers in which he racked up 149 rushing yards and two TDs, as he didn't reach 50 rushing yards in any other game. The 32-year-old has proven an able jack-of-all-trades who can handle snaps in any situation, but he's never going to be any team's first choice as a lead back given his lack of speed and agility, particularly at this stage of his career. The Texans may decide Burkhead is one of the better options the team has, particularly on passing downs, but he's unlikely to repeat his volume from the second half of last season in a backfield where rookie Dameon Pierce now appears to be the lead guy.
Burkhead joins a crowded Texans backfield that also includes David Johnson, Mark Ingram and Philip Lindsay. In that context it's not clear exactly where the versatile back shakes out in the rotation, but he figures to get some work in passing situations. The nine-year veteran is coming off ACL surgery Dec. 1, and it's unclear if he'll much of a factor out of the gate this season.
From an efficiency perspective, Burkhead is coming off his best season in a Patriots uniform. His 302 rushing yards on 4.6 yards per carry were his most since 2016 with the Bengals, and he set a career high in receiving yards with an eye-popping 10.3 yards per catch. Unfortunately, that efficiency didn't result in a big workload increase. James White continued to be the team's primary receiver out of the backfield, while Sony Michel maintained a firm grasp on the early-down role despite subpar results. In fact, Burkhead didn't get double-digit touches in a game after sustaining a foot injury in Week 4, and most weeks he saw as much action on special teams as he did on offense. The 29-year-old jack-of-all-trades remains valuable to New England, but with second-year back Damien Harris pushing for playing time as well, Burkhead's role could dwindle even further, and the offense as a whole could flounder without Tom Brady at the wheel.
Burkhead's second go-round with New England didn't amount to much. A Week 3 neck injury cost him half the season, and by the time he got healthy, Sony Michel had firmly established himself at the top of the depth chart. With James White dominating action on passing downs, there simply weren't many snaps left over for other running backs, and Burkhead's efficiency suffered with his erratic workload - he saw double-digit touches just once within the last five weeks of the regular season. When he's 100 percent healthy, Burkhead has the ability to make a contribution in almost any situation, but the Patriots made it clear they aren't counting on him when they used a third-round pick on Damien Harris, a back with a similarly versatile skill set and more upside than the veteran. Burkhead should still have a role in New England, but it could increasingly come on special teams in a young, crowded backfield.
Underappreciated and buried on the depth chart in Cincinnati for the first four seasons of his career, Burkhead appeared to be in line for a bigger role in New England after signing as a free agent last offseason, but a Week 2 rib injury put a damper on his sleeper status. Once he was 100 percent healthy, Burkhead showed what he could do by scoring seven TDs in a six-game stretch out of the Patriots' bye before a knee injury cut short his regular season. Burkhead isn't the biggest or fastest back, doesn't have the softest hands or run the sharpest routes, and he doesn't have electric moves in the open field or uncanny vision, but he's at least competent in all aspects, making him a great fit who can step up in any situation. The selection of Sony Michel in the first round presents a significant threat to Burkhead's workload - the signing of former Bengals teammate Jeremy Hill, less so - but Tom Brady finds ways to get the ball to players he trusts, and Burkhead seemed to earn that trust last year.
Injuries to both Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill forced the Bengals to give Burkhead a much larger role in the offense than they expected last season, and he stepped up down the stretch, gaining more than 200 combined yards with two touchdowns over the final two games. An athletic and elusive runner, Burkhead lacks breakaway speed but has proven to be a nearly ideal backup as he can contribute in just about any situation. Now a Patriot, his prospects for significant value didn't really improve with the move, as he's now the jack-of-all-trades running back on a depth chart that features a goal-line option in Mike Gillislee and two pass catchers in James White and Dion Lewis. Coach Bill Belichick's mix-and-match style could provide Burkhead with a big game or two, but don't expect consistent production.
In his third season, Burkhead found himself buried on a Bengals running back depth chart full of young talent. He was only given four rushing attempts last season but became a contributing factor in the passing game, hauling in 10 receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown. While it seems unlikely the fourth-year back sees major carries this season, he'll continue to develop as a pass-catcher, boosting his fantasy value for deeper leagues.
After missing the first month of the season with a knee injury, Burkhead spent most of his time on special teams coverage for the Bengals, getting just 33 offensive snaps compared to 113 on special teams. He's a capable pass-catching back, grabbing seven receptions on 10 targets for 49 yards, but as long as Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard are around, Burkhead is going to be limited to mop-up and change-of-pace duty.
Burkhead is buried on the Bengals depth chart behind Giovani Bernard, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cedric Peerman and rookie Jeremy Hill.
Burkhead, a rookie out of Nebraska, will mostly be a reserve running back for the Bengals.
More Fantasy News
Heads to free agency
RBHouston Texans
January 14, 2023
Burkhead caught one of two targets for one yard in a 32-31 victory over the Colts in Week 18.
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Targeted five times in loss
RBHouston Texans
January 2, 2023
Burkhead caught three of five targets for 10 yards and did not have a rushing attempt in Sunday's 31-3 loss to the Jaguars.
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Scores on fumble recovery
RBHouston Texans
December 26, 2022
Burkhead caught both his targets for seven yards and recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown in Saturday's 19-14 win over Tennessee.
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Used as target only
RBHouston Texans
December 19, 2022
Burkhead did not have a carry and caught two of four targets for 17 yards in Sunday's 30-24 overtime loss to Kansas City.
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In line for more work
RBHouston Texans
December 16, 2022
Burkhead is poised for a bigger role Sunday versus the Chiefs with Dameon Pierce (ankle) ruled out.
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