NFL Player News

McCloud accrued 135 receiving yards and 428 combined return yards across 12 regular-season games with San Francisco in 2023.

McCloud overcame a broken wrist suffered during training camp to suit up as the 49ers' return specialist in Week 1. The 27-year-old still sat out five games over the course of the regular season due to injury, with Deebo Samuel and rookie Ronnie Bell handling return duties in McCloud's absence. The veteran wideout performed up to standards as a return man, chipping in 165 combined yards from scrimmage on offense. This upcoming offseason, the 49ers may opt to have the cheaper Bell take over return duties while letting McCloud walk in free agency to save cap space in 2024.

Pascal tallied four catches (on 15 targets) for 19 yards and no touchdowns in 14 games during the 2023 campaign.

In a receiving corps devoid of size outside of rookie third-rounder Michael Wilson (6-foot-2, 213 pounds), the 6-foot-2, 219-pound Pascal had a chance for a decent role in a Cardinals offense otherwise dominated by the diminutive Marquise Brown, Rondale Moore and Greg Dortch. Instead, Pascal surpassed a 30 percent snap share in only two of his 14 appearances and stumbled to the lowest output of his six-year career by a long shot. He's an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, so the 29-year-old may not be much more than camp fodder for any team that inks him to a new deal in the coming months.

Dortch reeled in 24 of 41 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns, had one five-yard carry, recorded 17 kick returns for 360 yards and returned 29 punts for 275 yards in 16 regular-season games in 2023.

Dortch was barely utilized (one target) before Week 9, but with Kyler Murray back from a torn ACL thereafter, the wide receiver was a regular option for the quarterback the rest of the way. Even though a variety of injuries stretched the receiving corps thin during that span, Dortch mustered just a 23-278-2 line on 39 targets over the final eight contests of the campaign. He's an exclusive-rights free agent this offseason, so he likely will be a member of the Cardinals in 2024 assuming they tender him a contract.

Rice was a limited practice participant Thursday due to injured ankles.

Until Thursday's practice report, Rice was listed as a full participant with an ankle issue, but the Chiefs expanded that to the plural ankles just three days before Super Bowl LVIII. The rookie wide receiver thus will have one more chance to return to all activity or else potentially be in danger of heading into the weekend with a designation for Sunday's game against the 49ers.

Covey underwent a procedure on his left knee this offseason, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The punt returner noted it likely contributed to the nagging quad issue he dealt with during the season, per McLane. As a receiver, Covey caught four balls for 42 yards and no touchdowns in 16 games in 2023, though he did averaged the second-most yards per punt return (14.4) in the league. In 17 games in 2022 with the Eagles, Covey did not record a catch.

Moore (knee) was a full practice participant Wednesday.

After the Chiefs activated him from injured reserve earlier in the day, Moore handled every on-field rep after being contained to three limited practices during the first week of Super Bowl LVIII prep. It remains to be seen to what extent the team incorporates Moore into the offense Sunday against the 49ers, but in three of five games before sustaining a swollen knee Week 15, he logged at least a 49 percent snap share.

The Lions signed Smith to a reserve/future contract Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Smith will head to Detroit after spending time with both the Saints and Broncos this past season. He made his lone appearance in 2023 with the latter team, recording no receptions over nine snaps on offense in a Week 8 win over the Chiefs.

The Chiefs activated Moore (knee) from injured reserve Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

After designating Moore for return from IR on Jan. 17, the Chiefs had until Wednesday to add him back on the active roster, or his season thus would be over. Now that the transaction has been made, Moore has a chance for his first game action since Week 15 in the Chiefs' Super Bowl LVIII matchup with the 49ers this Sunday. In order to gain active status, Moore likely will need to increase his practice participation this week after he was listed as a limited participant on all three of Kansas City's practice reports last week. Wednesday's upcoming injury report will reveal whether not not Moore is that much closer to being available to the offense again.

Williams (knee) said Jan. 8 that he's "slightly ahead" of schedule in his rehab from an ACL tear, Omar Navarro of the Chargers' official site reports.

Williams also mentioned that he liked playing in former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore's scheme, having caught 19 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown prior to suffering the ACL tear late in a Week 3 game. He'll have a more run-focused coordinator in Greg Roman if he's back with the Chargers in 2024, something that's far from assured given Williams' $20 million in non-guaranteed compensation for the final year of his contract. He had surgery Oct. 25, exactly one month after suffering the ACL injury, and he seemingly anticipates being ready for Week 1 of the 2024 season.

Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen made it clear Tuesday that he's hopeful the team will re-sign Evans, an impending free agent, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

Evans and quarterback Baker Mayfield have expiring contracts, and wide receiver Chris Godwin is scheduled for $20 million in non-guaranteed compensation for the final year of his deal in 2024. The possibility of significant change can't be ignored, but Coen's opening press conference left little doubt that part of his motivation for taking the Tampa Bay job was an expectation that the team's core playmakers would be retained. The former Rams and University of Kentucky offensive coordinator talked about how much easier it is to design an offense with a downfield, perimeter threat like Evans, and Coen also mentioned that he plans to move Godwin back to the slot as his primary alignment. A franchise tag for Evans would cost $28.4 million -- 120 percent of his 2023 cap charge -- while Mayfield's tag number likely would be around $35 million. The Buccaneers have a third candidate for the tag in 25-year-old safety Antoine Winfield, whose salary would be about $17 million. Re-signing Evans first would help the team's short-term cap flexibility, allowing the Buccaneers to shift much of his $12.2 million cap hit from void years into future seasons.