NFL Player News

Williams caught 24 passes (on 42 targets) for 354 yards and two touchdowns while rushing three times for 29 yards and one touchdown over 12 regular-season games in 2023.

While Williams -- who missed the first four games of the year due to a gambling-related suspension -- has not truly lived up to his first-round pedigree through two seasons, he seems to be making strides in the right direction. After starting the season consistently logging less than half of the offensive snaps, the Alabama product finished the year seeing at least two-thirds of them while serving as the No. 2 wide receiver behind Amon-Ra St. Brown. Williams then made a number of catches over three playoff games, ultimately putting together a two-touchdown performance in a loss to the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. Unless Detroit brings in significant competition at wide receiver, Williams could be in store for a breakout 2024 campaign as an ascending talent within a high-scoring offense.

Samuel (hamstring) returned to Sunday's game against the Chiefs, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Samuel went down with a non-contact injury midway through the third quarter but wasn't forced to miss any time. He'll return to his typical role in the 49ers offense.

Samuel is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Chiefs due to a hamstring injury, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Samuel pulled up in the middle of a route in the third quarter and received attention from the trainers on the field. He was able to walk to the sideline without assistance and has since been examined in the blue tent. His absence would be a big blow to the San Francisco offense, with Jauan Jennings likely to be asked to step up in Samuel's absence.

Toney (coach's decision) is inactive for Super Bowl LVIII against the 49ers on Sunday.

Toney's second season with the Chiefs hasn't gone swimmingly, to say the least. In his second-to-last appearance back in Week 14 against the Bills, he lined up offsides on what would have been a go-ahead touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce. Since his last game action Week 15, Toney has been tending to a strained hip and an ankle injury before sitting out the AFC Championship Game due to personal reasons. Despite operating as a full participant during both weeks of Super Bowl prep, he won't be available to Kansas City's offense, ending his campaign, one where he had 27 catches (on 38 targets) for 169 yards and one touchdown and 11 carries for 31 yards in 13 regular-season games.

Toney is expected to be a healthy inactive Sunday for the Chiefs' matchup with the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, a league source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Toney hasn't played since Week 15, but after turning in a slate of full practices over the two weeks of Super Bowl prep, he appears to have moved past the strained hip and ankle injury that kept him out for the past five games. However, Toney's lengthy absence and underwhelming play when healthy during the regular season appear to be factors in the Chiefs' apparent decision to hold him out for the Super Bowl. Toney likely didn't help his cause by claiming he was "not hurt" in an Instagram Live video posted shortly before the Chiefs' win over the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 28, though he later clarified that his rant was directed toward the Giants, his former team. After scoring a touchdown in last season's Super Bowl win over the Eagles and setting up another score in the fourth quarter with a 65-yard punt return, Toney was expected to take on a featured role in the passing attack in 2023, but he was limited to just 27 receptions for 169 yards and a touchdown while dropping five of his 38 targets over his 13 regular-season appearances.

The NFL will not discipline Adams for the 2022 incident in which he shoved a photographer following a loss to Kansas City, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Adams pushed a photographer as he was leaving the field following the 2022 defeat, and the star wideout was originally charged with misdemeanor assault. That charge was later dismissed, but the NFL's investigation into the incident remained open. It now appears that the league's probe has been closed, with a decision to not dole out any discipline to Adams. From a fantasy perspective, that means managers won't have to ponder whether Adams will need to miss any games as a result of the incident, though his 2024 ADP may be due for a drop after he posted his lowest receiving yardage and touchdown totals in four years this season.

Slayton said Thursday that he had surgery on his right thumb after the conclusion of the regular season but should be ready to play "by the time it matters," Tom Rock of Newsday reports.

Slayton posted to his personal X account Jan. 10 implying that he dealt with a right hand injury throughout the campaign, and it appears that his thumb was the source of the issue. Despite the injury, the fifth-year wideout played in every game for the Giants this season, leading the club with 79 targets (of which he caught 60) and 770 receiving yards while hauling in four touchdowns. If his thumb heals as expected, and depending on what changes the Giants make in the offseason, Slayton could head into the 2024 campaign as the team's No. 1 wideout.

Rice (ankle) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's Super Bowl matchup with the 49ers.

The rookie sandwiched full practices Wednesday and Friday around a limited session Thursday. He was initially listed with one ankle injury and now is listed with both, but it seems neither is bad enough to threaten his availability for the big game. Rice has been Kansas City's clear No. 1 WR since mid-season, routinely leading the group in snaps, routes, targets and yards while the other guys mostly have rotated. Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Justin Watson are the best bets to get playing time alongside Rice, though neither is a sure thing to handle a typical starter's workload.

Bell finished with six receptions (13 targets) for 68 yards and three touchdowns while appearing in 17 regular-season games for San Francisco in 2023.

Bell product wasn't projected to make the 53-man roster after being selected by a team loaded at receiver, but a strong camp earned him a reserve role out of the gates. The Michigan product didn't get a ton of run with just six catches in 17 games, but he had a nose for the end zone with half of those receptions hitting pay dirt. Bell also helped fill in for an injured Ray-Ray McCloud as the 49ers' punt returner over the team's final five games. With the latter's contract expiring this offseason, Bell could find himself taking over return duties while being mixed in on offense in 2024.

Conley finished the 2023 campaign with three receptions for 69 yards across eight regular-season games with San Francisco.

Conley spent most of the season on the 49ers' practice squad, sporadically appearing in games for a handful of snaps when needed. It wasn't until his eighth appearance against the Rams in Week 18 that the speedy veteran logged his first catch since signing with San Francisco. At 31 years old, Conley doesn't offer a ton of upside as an impending unrestricted free agent nor as a fantasy asset in 2024.