NFL Player News
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Xavier Smith WR | LAR
Rams' Xavier Smith: Little impact in win
Smith secured one of two targets for six yards, returned one punt for nine yards and returned one kickoff for 27 yards during Sunday's 37-20 victory over the Cardinals.
A week removed from leading the Rams in receiving yards, Smith fell back to Earth in a big way against Arizona, reverting back to his typical output throughout the 2025 campaign. Smith was fourth on the Rams in receiving yardage with 303 yards on 24 catches and no touchdowns. Smith's role grew as the season progressed, settling in as one of the primary backups behind starters Puka Nacua and Davante Adams (hamstring). Smith will be an exclusive-rights free agent after the postseason and will be a candidate for a one-year deal to return to the Rams as a return specialist and role player at wide receiver once again. Smith's next opportunity to produce comes in a road matchup against Carolina in the wild-card round on Saturday.
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Tutu Atwell WR | LAR
Rams' Tutu Atwell: Records 10 snaps on offense
Atwell secured one of three targets for 19 yards during Sunday's 37-20 victory against the Cardinals.
Even with Davante Adams (hamstring) out and Jordan Whittington (knee) leaving the game early with injury, Atwell was on the field for just a handful of snaps on offense. The one-year, $10 million deal Atwell signed in the offseason will leave the speedster as an unrestricted free agent after the postseason, and he'll do so after his worst statistical season since his rookie year with the Rams in 2021. Atwell played just 10 games this season and caught six of his 15 targets for 192 yards and a touchdown, a stark drop from 2024 when he finished with a 42-562-0 receiving line over 17 games. Even if Adams and Whittington are unavailable for Saturday's wild-card round matchup with the Panthers, Puka Nacua, Konata Mumpfield and Xavier Smith will likely record the bulk of work at receiver, leaving Atwell in his typical role as a scarcely used deep threat.
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Olamide Zaccheaus WR | CHI
Bears' Olamide Zaccheaus: Minimal involvement late
Zaccheaus was not targeted in the Bears' 19-16 loss to the Lions on Sunday.
Zaccheaus played only six snaps and closed the season with 39 receptions (on 65 targets) for 313 yards and two touchdowns. He opened the year as the primary slot receiver but failed to record more than two catches in any of his final seven games as Luther Burden's role increased. Zaccheaus is set to hit free agency and profiles as a depth receiver entering 2026.
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Rome Odunze WR | CHI
Bears' Rome Odunze: Sidelined again with foot injury
Odunze was inactive in the Bears' 19-16 loss to the Lions on Sunday.
Odunze missed the final five games of the season with a foot injury after finishing his second year with 44 receptions (on 90 targets) for 661 yards and six touchdowns. He posted four games with at least 62 receiving yards through the first half of the season before averaging 36 yards over his final five appearances. He just completed the second year of his rookie contract and remains positioned as a long-term building block if the passing volume expands in 2026. The team is hoping to get Odunze back for the wild-card game against the Packers on Saturday.
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Cedrick Wilson Jr. WR | MIA
Dolphins' Cedrick Wilson: Ends 2025 season with a dud
Wilson failed to secure either of his targets during Miami's 38-10 loss to the Patriots on Sunday.
Wilson failed to secure more than a single catch in any of the 10 regular-season appearances he logged with the Dolphins in 2025, finishing the year with a 5-44-0 receiving line on nine targets. The 30-year-old veteran is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Whether he re-signs with Miami or competes for a depth role elsewhere, Wilson's best odds of sticking with a team for the 2026 campaign will likely be as a member of a practice squad.
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DeAndre Hopkins WR | BAL
Ravens' DeAndre Hopkins: Plays depth role in Baltimore
Hopkins caught 22 of 39 targets for 330 yards and two touchdowns across 17 games in 2025.
The veteran joined the Ravens on a one-year deal in the offseason and started the season strong. He caught touchdowns in each of his first two games and was remarkably efficient through the first six weeks of the season; Hopkins caught nine of 13 passes for 178 yards and two scores in that span. His best game the rest of the way was four catches for 41 yards. In fairness, it was a topsy-turvy year for the Ravens offense as it had to navigate a Lamar Jackson injury, but Hopkins still only managed to play 33 percent of the snaps. Hopkins, who turns 34 in June, will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
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Davante Adams WR | LAR
Rams' Davante Adams: On track to play in wild-card game
Head coach Sean McVay said Monday that Adams (hamstring) is expected to be available for Saturday's wild-card matchup with the Panthers, Stu Jackson of the Rams' official site reports.
Adams ended up missing the final three games of the regular season due to a lingering left hamstring injury, but the Rams held him out in part to ensure that he would be closer to 100 percent for the postseason. The veteran wideout demonstrated some tangible signs of progress ahead of Week 18, as he practiced in a limited fashion Thursday and Friday. Adams should be ready to handle a full load of snaps in the playoff opener.
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Jordan Addison WR | MIN
Vikings' Jordan Addison: Held quiet in season finale
Addison recorded an eight-yard reception on three targets in Sunday's 16-3 win over the Packers.
Top wideout Justin Jefferson (8-101-0 receiving line on 11 targets) was able to turn in a productive game against a Green Bay squad that was resting several key players ahead of the playoffs, but there little target volume left over for the Vikings' other pass catchers. After serving a three-game suspension to begin his third NFL season, Addison suited up for the final 14 contests and produced a 42-610-3 receiving line on 79 targets while adding 81 rushing yards and another score on two carries. Though his average of 14.5 yards per catch was a career-best mark, Addison took a big step back in Year 3 in terms of touchdown and reception volume, largely due to subpar quarterback play. The wideout's outlook may not be dramatically better in 2026, barring drastic improvement from J.J. McCarthy (hand) or Minnesota looking outside the organization for an upgrade under center.
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Wan'Dale Robinson WR | NYG
Giants' Wan'Dale Robinson: On mend from fractured ribs
Robinson said Monday that he fractured his ribs in the first half of the Giants' Week 17 win over the Raiders, Evan Barnes of Newsday reports.
Despite the injury, he finished the game in order to meet his goal of reaching 1,000 receiving yards for the season. Robinson achieved the feat, finishing the 2025 season with a 92-1,014-4 line on 140 targets over 16 appearances before the Giants placed him on injured reserve ahead of Sunday's 34-17 win over the Cowboys in Week 18. Robinson's fractured ribs should be fully healed by the time OTAs get underway in the spring, but whether the 25-year-old will remain with the Giants has yet to be determined. He's slated for unrestricted free agency this spring and could be a sought-after commodity for teams seeking an upgrade at slot receiver.
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Jaylin Noel WR | HOU
Texans' Jaylin Noel: One grab in win
Noel caught his lone target for 13 yards and returned one kickoff for six yards in Sunday's 38-30 win over the Colts in Week 18.
Noel finished with one or fewer receptions for the 11th time in 17 games. He's clearly fifth on the wideout depth chart, but the rookie is set as the team's top punt returner as Houston prepares for the playoffs beginning next Monday in Pittsburgh. Noel finished the 2025 regular season with 26 catches on 35 targets for 292 yards and two touchdowns. He also topped the Texans by averaging 10.8 yards over 31 punt returns.