NFL Player News

Robinson is expected to settle in as the Rams' new No. 1 receiver beginning with Sunday's game in New Orleans after head coach Sean McVay said Tuesday that Cooper Kupp (ankle) would undergo surgery and head to injured reserve, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.

Through the first nine games of the season, Kupp has been the lifeblood of an otherwise unimpressive offense, accounting for an NFL-high 35.7 percent of his team's receptions. Though the Rams won't turn to any one player to absorb Kupp's 10.8 targets per game and a more run-heavy approach could be in the offing, pass catchers such as Robinson, tight end Tyler Higbee and wideouts Van Jefferson and Ben Skowronek could all notice at least slight upticks in their volume for as long as Kupp is sidelined. Robinson has struggled to establish a rapport with quarterback Matthew Stafford (concussion) during his first season in Los Angeles, but the veteran receiver's production had at least been trending up in recent weeks. Over his last four games, Robinson has turned in a 17-185-1 receiving line on 24 targets.

Coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday that Eskridge has a bruised hand and should be fine following the Seahawks' Week 11 bye, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

Eskridge suffered a hand injury during the Seahawks' Week 10 loss to Tampa Bay, but he shouldn't have to miss any game action. The second-year wideout has caught seven of 13 targets for 58 yards across 157 offensive snaps and continues to operate as the team's primary kick returner.

The Packers waived Rodgers on Tuesday.

Green Bay's decision to move on from Rodgers comes after he played just six snaps on offense and lost his second fumble of the season while returning a punt in Sunday's 31-28 overtime win over Dallas. Green Bay's receiving corps could get healthier this week with the possible return of Randall Cobb (ankle) from injured reserve, and with Rodgers having lost trust as a return man, the move doesn't come as a major surprise. A 2021 third-round pick out of Clemson, Rodgers will end his stint in Green Bay with just eight receptions over 26 regular-season games.

Rams head coach Sean McVay said Kupp will undergo surgery Wednesday to address his right high-ankle sprain, and the receiver will be placed on injured reserve, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The Rams aren't yet willing to rule out the possibility of Kupp returning in Week 15 after the minimum four-game stint on IR, but with the team sitting on a 3-6 record and on the outside looking in for a playoff spot, there's a chance the star wideout's 2022 campaign is over. According to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic, Kupp is having a "tightrope procedure," which typically carries a 4-to-8-week recovery timeline. With that in mind, even if the Rams find themselves in the playoff picture by late December/early January, the 29-year-old may not be ready to play before the end of the regular season. Even as the reigning Super Bowl champions struggled mightily over the first half of the season, Kupp remained productive with a 75-812-6 receiving line on 98 targets to go with 52 yards and another score on the ground through nine games. His absence creates a major void in the L.A. passing attack, with the likes of Allen Robinson, Van Jefferson, Ben Skowronek and Tyler Higbee all representing candidates to absorb some of Kupp's vacated target volume.

Virgil secured his only target for 66 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 17-10 loss to the Titans.

Virgil's first career touchdown was the result of a busted coverage in the Titans' secondary, as Russell Wilson connected with the wide open rookie for the Broncos' only touchdown of the contest. In his first game, the 24-year-old played 30 percent of Denver's offensive snaps, a number that was likely elevated based on fellow wideout Jerry Jeudy exiting the game with an ankle injury in the first quarter. Though the long score helped Virgil finish with a respectable fantasy performance on just one target, expecting him to replicate that output with limited opportunities in a struggling offense is a risky proposition. Even if Jeudy misses time, Virgil would likely be the fourth option at receiver at best behind Courtland Sutton, Kendall Hinton and Tyrie Cleveland. It's also possible that KJ Hamler could make a return from a hamstring injury that kept him sidelined in Week 10, further complicating matters for the rookie. Virgil should remain off the fantasy radar when the Broncos host the Raiders in Week 11.

Miller brought in both his targets for 25 yards in the Buccaneers' 21-16 win over the Seahawks on Sunday.

Miller continued to hold down a serviceable role in the offense as the No. 4 receiver, and although he logged four fewer snaps than Breshad Perriman, he was the only one of the two to see any targets. Miller has produced four consecutive multi-catch games, but his upside is still limited as long as Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Julio Jones are healthy in front of him.

Smith caught six of eight targets for 39 yards and a touchdown in Monday's 32-21 loss to the Commanders. He also lost a fumble.

Playing on his 24th birthday, Smith gave himself a reason to celebrate in the third quarter, finding the end zone from 11 yards out. While he enjoyed a productive night, the Eagles ultimately came away with their first loss of the season. His fumble came on the final play, as Smith's attempt at a lateral was scooped up by a defender and returned for a Washington touchdown. His inconsistent usage will make him a risky Week 11 fantasy option against the stout Colts secondary, though his ceiling remains high in the high-flying Eagles offense.

Samuel caught two of four targets for 28 yards and rushed four times for 12 yards in Monday's 32-21 win over Philadelphia.

Samuel's biggest contribution hardly registered in the box score, as it was only a one-yard run, but converted a fourth-and-1 deep in Eagles territory late in the first half. Washington went on to score a touchdown on that drive to take a 17-14 lead that the team never relinquished. This was the third consecutive week in which Samuel tied his season low with four targets after he had been thrown to at least eight times in five of the first seven games. While his rushing opportunities offer a nice bonus, Samuel does most of his damage through the air, and he'll look to carve out a larger role in that regard against the Texans in Week 11.

McLaurin caught eight of 11 targets for 128 yards in Monday's 32-21 win over Philadelphia.

McLaurin accounted for 76 of Taylor Heinicke's 145 passing yards in the first half and picked up where he left off in the third quarter, registering receptions of 11 and 41 yards in a three-play span to set up a field goal that put Washington up 23-14. Washington's playmaking defense held the fort from there. McLaurin set a new season high in receiving yards while topping 100 yards for the third time, and he should continue to work as the team's No. 1 wide receiver in Week 11 against the Texans. It remains to be seen whether Heinicke or Carson Wentz (finger) will start that game.

Anderson played just eight of 68 offensive snaps during Sunday's 27-17 win over the Rams.

A Week 9 game in which he earned 82 percent of the offensive snaps aside, Anderson has ranged between 10 and 18 percent in his other three appearances (12 percent Sunday) with Arizona since a trade from Carolina. In those four contests, he's gathered in just one of seven targets for minus-4 yards. With Zach Ertz (knee) out indefinitely, Anderson could begin to mix in more consistently behind DeAndre Hopkins and Rondale Moore, but rookie tight end Trey McBride may be the best bet to inherit the available targets, at least as long as Marquise Brown (foot) is sidelined.