NFL Player News

Taylor reverted to the Bengals' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's official transaction log.

Taylor has appeared in seven straight games for the Bengals, while going back and forth between the practice squad and active roster. Although he did not see the field much in their 27-24 AFC Championship Game victory, Taylor played a key role securing a successful two-point conversion attempt that tied the game at 21 late in the third quarter. He also chipped in two punt returns for 22 yards. Whether or not Taylor returns to the active roster for the Super Bowl against the Rams remains to be seen, but the trend suggests he should.

Watkins signed a reserve/future contract with the Buccaneers on Monday, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports.

Watkins was with the 49ers in training camp before being let go at roster cutdowns while dealing with an injury, though he eventually rejoined the team for a three-week stint on the practice squad in November. The rookie UDFA out of UAB will attempt to take advantage of Tampa Bay's offseason program to potentially make his NFL debut in 2022.

Arecega-Whiteside (finger) finished the 2021 campaign with two catches on five targets for 36 yards across 16 appearances.

The 2019 second-round pick played double-digit offensive snaps just seven times, including a season-high 40 during the regular-season finale. He failed to haul in any of his three targets during the Week 18 loss to the Cowboys, and he apparently picked up a finger injury during the contest as well, which landed him on injured reserve. His lack of production through his first three NFL seasons may put him on the roster bubble heading into 2022.

Ward (back) finished the 2021 campaign with seven catches on 11 targets for 95 yards and three touchdowns across 17 appearances.

Ward was active for every game, but his production was spread out. He never saw more than three targets in a game and only recorded multiple targets on four occasions. His scoring production draws some intrigue, though. He recorded three touchdowns on six red-zone targets -- including three looks from inside the five. He's set to be a restricted free agent this season, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him return to the team he's spent his entire three-year career with.

Skowronek failed to catch his lone target during Sunday's 20-17 win over the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.

This was the first target of the postseason for Skowronek, and it was an unfortunate drop, as the rookie would have scored a touchdown if he'd completed the catch. Skowronek likely will slot in as the No. 4 wide receiver for the Rams and play a limited role in the Super Bowl, so it's unlikely he makes a significant fantasy impact.

Jefferson caught two of five targets for nine yards during Sunday's 20-17 win over the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.

The five targets were a playoff high for Jefferson, and he also missed time during the game with a knee injury. Additionally, with two weeks to heal up, the second-year wideout projects to be ready for the Super Bowl. He'll remain a risky fantasy option, though. Jefferson's been limited to just five receptions for 79 yards through three postseason games.

Cobb was targeted 39 times and caught 28 passes for 375 yards and five touchdowns over 12 appearances in the 2021 season.

Cobb rejoined the Packers in July after spending two seasons elsewhere, and he filled a rotational yet key role over the first 12 weeks of the campaign, finding the end zone more often than he did in any of the previous five seasons and averaging a respectable 13.4 yards per reception. However, a groin injury cost him the final six weeks of the regular season, and he was targeted only once in the Packers' divisional-round loss to the 49ers. He could stay with the Packers if quarterback Aaron Rodgers remains with Green Bay, but if Rodgers departs, Cobb presumably will as well.

Aiyuk hauled in four of eight targets for 69 yards in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Rams.

Aiyuk bounced back from a zero-touch outing in the 49ers' win over the Packers in the divisional round, finishing first in targets and second in receiving behind Deebo Samuel (4-72-1). The 23-year-old finished the regular season with roughly the same amount of production (843 combined yards and five TDs) as we saw in his rookie year (825 combined yards and seven TDs). It is worth noting that a good portion of those stats came in the second half after he worked his way out of Kyle Shanahan's doghouse to begin the year. Deebo Samuel and George Kittle are the proven superstars on this offense, but Aiyuk has the YAC ability to post some meaningful fantasy lines in 2022 if he can carry over his late-season momentum, especially if Trey Lance takes over as starting quarterback and opens up what was a limited game plan under Jimmy Garoppolo.

Samuel rushed seven times for 26 yards and caught four of seven targets for 72 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Rams.

Samuel was the clubhouse leader with 98 total yards and a touchdown, but it was all for naught as the Rams advanced to the Super Bowl in comeback fashion. The multi-position superstar suffered a brief scare when Jimmy Garoppolo overthrew his target and left his receiver exposed for a huge hit to the chest/shoulder area. Samuel was able to finish the game in his bruising style of play, so serious injury appears to have been averted. The 26-year-old is about to enter the final year of an undervalued $7.5 million contract, so we can expect a big payday for the breakout star either this offseason or next. If Trey Lance has the keys to the offense handed to him in 2022, Deebo could elevate to an even higher level of production if the young quarterback prospect pans out.

Beckham secured nine of 11 targets for 113 yards during the Rams' 20-17 win over the 49ers in their NFC Championship Game matchup Sunday.

The midseason acquisition delivered a performance that perfectly encapsulated why the Rams opted to bring him aboard -- even as what may prove to be just a short-term rental -- in their quest for a Super Bowl title. Beckham proved the ideal complement to Cooper Kupp on the afternoon, checking in second to his star position mate in receptions, receiving yards and targets in what was a spectacular effort of his own. The 100-yard tally also was Beckham's first since Week 6 of the 2019 season with the Browns, and it represented a culmination of sorts after the former Pro Bowler seemed to begin hitting his stride in the offense in recent weeks. Beckham now sets his sights on replicating Sunday's numbers on the same SoFi Stadium turf versus the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI on Sunday, Feb. 13.