NFL Player News

Valdes-Scantling (back) was held out of practice Wednesday.

One day removed from logging a limited session, Valdes-Scantling fell back to his activity level from last Wednesday's unofficial practice due to the back issue he picked up in the regular-season finale at Detroit. Ultimately, Thursday's injury report will be telling for his potential to suit up for Saturday's divisional-round game against the 49ers.

Perriman (hip) didn't practice Wednesday.

Last week, Perriman had a cap on his reps in the first two sessions due to a hip issue before bumping up to full activity Friday and not carrying an injury designation into this past Sunday's wild-card win over the Eagles. With Cyril Grayson (hamstring) sidelined, Perriman ranked third among Buccaneers wide receivers in snap share (49 percent), trailing only Mike Evans (81) and Tyler Johnson (77). Now, Perriman has joined Grayson as a non-participant in practice to begin the week, leaving even more question marks in a position group that's down Chris Godwin (knee) for the postseason. Friday's injury report could clarify the status of the team's tertiary wideout options for Sunday's divisional-round matchup with the Rams.

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy revealed Wednesday that Gallup (knee) hasn't yet had surgery to repair his torn ACL, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The delay in his procedure isn't out of the ordinary, as it often takes a few weeks for knee swelling to subside after an ACL injury before doctors are comfortable operating, even when in the case where it's a "clean" ligament tear like Gallup's. As of Wednesday, it's been two and a half weeks since Gallup suffered the injury in a Week 17 loss to Arizona. Still, the timing of his ACL tear puts Gallup in serious danger of missing the start of the 2022 campaign, a major complication as he's scheduled for unrestricted free agency this spring.

Turner caught 12 of 16 targets for 149 yards and three touchdowns over 14 games this season.

Despite his limited usage on offense, Turner demonstrated a nose for the end zone, catching two TDs in Week 9 against a stingy Broncos secondary and grabbing his third in Week 16 against Washington. A free agent in the offseason, the former Seahawk could return to Dallas in a depth role again or look for greater opportunities to complete for a starting job elsewhere.

Brown caught 16 of 25 targets for 184 yards over 13 games this season.

The fourth-year wideout split his time between offense and special teams once again, and a significant chunk of his production (six catches for 53 yards) came in a Thanksgiving loss to the Raiders when both CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper were sidelined. Brown is a free agent this offseason, but he's useful enough as a depth piece to be brought back unless he wants an opportunity to compete for a starting role elsewhere.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said Wednesday that Cobb (groin) will be available for Saturday's divisional-round game against the 49ers, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Cobb had surgery in early December and missed the final five weeks of the regular season, but he was a capable performer in a supporting role prior to suffering the injury, catching 28 of 39 targets for 375 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games. After opening the season as Green Bay's No. 4 receiver, he moved into something resembling a rotation with Marquez Valdes-Scantling (back) and Allen Lazard, all of whom played behind clear No. 1 option Davante Adams. It's hard to say how snaps will be divided between Cobb, Valdes-Scantling and Lazard this Saturday, but all four are seemingly on track to be available, with LaFleur giving Cobb the green light one day after Valdes-Scantling returned to practice. The Packers are expected to formally add Cobb to the 53-man roster by Friday.

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said Wednesday that Watkins can be one of the better No. 2 receivers in the league, Mike Kaye of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

The 2020 sixth-round pick doesn't have the numbers to back that up at this stage in his career, but he took a huge step forward after a quiet rookie season, showing a knack for big plays and high-difficulty catches. Jalen Reagor, a first-round pick from the same draft, can't say the same, which is part of the reason Sirianni referred to him as the team's No. 3 receiver when talking with reporters Wednesday. Of course, the Eagles could also draft or sign someone to push both Watkins and Reagor down the depth chart, but Sirianni's words seemingly support the notion of Watkins at least being the third guy in 2022. Watkins finished 2021 with a 43-647-1 receiving line on 62 targets, while Reagor managed just 33-299-2 on 57 looks.

Jefferson caught his lone target for a 41-yard gain Monday in the Rams' 34-11 wild-card round victory over the Cardinals.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford didn't look Jefferson's way until the third quarter, but the second-year wideout was at least able to deliver a splash play. Stafford attempted only 17 passes all game, and the Rams rushed 38 times after jumping out to a commanding lead early and building it to 28-0 early in the third quarter. As a result, the game script wasn't a favorable one for Jefferson's fantasy potential. The meager production was a continuation of a concerning trend, as Jefferson has been limited to just 10 receptions for 164 yards through the past five games. Making matters worse, Odell Beckham has established himself as an integral part of the Los Angeles offense, which further limits Jefferson's appeal.

Darden ran back one kickoff for 16 yards and returned four punts for 13 yards during the Buccaneers' 31-15 win over the Eagles in Sunday's wild-card matchup.

Darden played almost exclusively on special teams, logging just two snaps from scrimmage. The speedy rookie is likely to remain in the same role for Sunday's divisional-round clash against the Rams unless additional injuries befall the Buccaneers' already short-handed receiving corps.

The Chargers signed Reed to a reserve/future contract Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of Sportstalk 790 Houston reports.

Reed spent the 2021 season on the Chargers' practice squad injured list with an undisclosed issue, but he'll return to the team for the 2022 campaign. The wide receiver played in 11 games with the Chargers in 2020, operating mostly as a special-teams option while accumulating 435 kick-return yards.