NFL Player News
-
Jauan Jennings WR | SF
49ers' Jauan Jennings: Throws TD pass in odd stat line
Jennings had one reception on three targets for 45 yards and completed his only pass attempt for a 29-yard touchdown in Sunday's 23-19 wild-card game win over the Eagles.
Jennings had an unusual stat line after finishing with his lowest target and reception total since Week 6 of the regular season, while also grabbing his longest reception of 2025 and throwing a touchdown pass to boot. It wasn't the first time that the veteran wideout was asked to throw a pass in his career, as the 49ers ran a similar trick play in 2023 that resulted in a 21-yard touchdown. The 27-year-old's target share was concerning in the wild-card round, but his usage figures to balloon in the divisional round after TE George Kittle (Achilles) had to be carted off the field Sunday. WR Ricky Pearsall missed the game due to a knee injury, and his status remains in question for next week's showdown against the Seahawks, so Jennings could really be in store for a heavy workload in the divisional round if his fellow starter remains sidelined.
-
DeVonta Smith WR | PHI
Eagles' DeVonta Smith: Leading receiver in wild-card loss
Smith caught eight of 11 targets for 70 yards in Sunday's 23-19 wild-card game loss to the 49ers.
Smith accounted for 70 of Jalen Hurts' 168 passing yards while no teammate had more than 33 receiving yards. Sunday's playoff disappointment comes on the heels of Smith's third 1,000-yard regular season in five NFL campaigns, as he caught 77 of 113 targets for 1,008 yards and a career-low four touchdowns while dressing for all 17 regular-season games. Smith is tied to the Eagles through the 2028 season on a three-year, $75 million extension signed in April of 2024.
-
A.J. Brown WR | PHI
Eagles' A.J. Brown: Costly drops in playoff loss
Brown caught three of seven targets for 25 yards in Sunday's 23-19 wild-card game loss to the 49ers.
Brown didn't have a catch after the first quarter, recording a couple of costly drops after that point, including one on Philadelphia's final drive of the season, which ended with a turnover on downs from San Francisco's 21-yard line. The enigmatic wide receiver was seen having an animated discussion with head coach Nick Sirianni on the sideline during the game. Brown expressed frustration with his target volume throughout the campaign despite finishing with a team-high 121 targets in the regular season, which he turned into 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns, but he came up short with his opportunities in the playoffs as the Eagles were eliminated in their first postseason matchup. Despite his love-hate relationship with the coaching staff, Brown likely isn't going anywhere since he's under contract through 2029.
-
Keon Coleman WR | BUF
Bills' Keon Coleman: One snag in wild-card victory
Coleman caught his only target for 36 yards in Sunday's 27-24 wild-card victory against the Jaguars.
Coleman was expected to see an uptick in workload in the wild-card round with Joshua Palmer (ankle) sidelined, but that didn't materialize. The wide receiver did make the most of his only opportunity, though, notching a 36-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter. Coleman will attempt to have a larger impact on Buffalo's performance in the AFC divisional round next weekend.
-
Kayshon Boutte WR | NE
Patriots' Kayshon Boutte: Active versus Chargers
Boutte (hamstring) is listed as active for Sunday night's playoff opener against the Chargers.
Boutte was added to the Patriots' wild-card-round injury report Thursday after being limited in practice by a hamstring injury, a level of participation that the wideout maintained Friday before being listed as questionable for Sunday's contest. With Boutte available versus Los Angeles, he'll be in a position to maintain his key role in a New England corps that also includes Stefon Diggs, Kyle Williams, DeMario Douglas and Efton Chism. During the regular season, Boutte caught 33 of his 46 targets for 551 yards and six TDs in 14 contests, but QB Drake Maye's tendency to spread the ball around has made the 2023 sixth-rounder a hit-or-miss fantasy option of late.
-
Parker Washington WR | JAC
Jaguars' Parker Washington: Hauls in TD in wild-card loss
Washington caught seven of 12 targets for 107 yards and a touchdown in the Jaguars' 27-24 loss to the Bills in the wild-card round Sunday. He added two rushing yards on two carries.
The third-year wideout was Trevor Lawrence's top downfield option on the afternoon, leading Jacksonville in catches, yards and targets and capping his performance with a six-yard TD grab early in the fourth quarter. Dating back to Week 16, Washington topped 100 receiving yards in three of his last four games in 2025, erupting for a 26-454-3 line on 41 targets over that stretch, and the 2023 sixth-round pick will head into next season having made a strong case to be considered the Jags' No. 1 WR.
-
Jakobi Meyers WR | JAC
Jaguars' Jakobi Meyers: Held to one catch Sunday
Meyers caught one of four targets for 12 yards in the Jaguars' 27-24 loss to the Bills in the wild-card round Sunday.
The last failed connection with Trevor Lawrence was the toughest one, as Meyers had the ball go off his hands and straight to Cole Bishop for a game-sealing INT on Jacksonville's final play. Despite the limited target volume, Meyers helped the Jags average 6.7 yards a carry with his blocking, and the veteran wideout is locked into a key role in the offense for 2026 after posting a 42-483-3 receiving line on 61 targets over nine regular-season games after being acquired from the Raiders at the trade deadline.
-
Brian Thomas Jr. WR | JAC
Jaguars' Brian Thomas: Finds end zone in wild-card loss
Thomas caught both his targets for 21 yards and a touchdown in the Jaguars' 27-24 loss to the Bills in the wild-card round Sunday.
The second-year wideout saw limited volume once again, but he made his looks count with a three-yard TD in the second quarter that put Jacksonville on the board. Thomas' struggles in 2025 defied easy explanation, and it will be one of coach Liam Coen's major projects this offseason to find a way to get the 23rd overall pick in the 2024 Draft back on the same page with quarterback Trevor Lawrence. After a dazzling rookie season that saw Thomas produce an 87-1,282-10 line on 133 targets over 17 games, he regressed to a 48-707-2 line on 91 targets over 14 regular-season contests in 2025.
-
Brandin Cooks WR | BUF
Bills' Brandin Cooks: Comes up big in wild-card win
Cooks caught three of five targets for 58 yards in the Bills' 27-24 win over the Jaguars in the wild-card round Sunday.
The veteran wideout got open for a 36-yard gain just before the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter, helping to set up a one-yard TD plunge by Josh Allen for the game-winning score. Cooks has been a valuable addition for Buffalo since being picked up late in the regular season, and over his last two games he's delivered a 7-159-0 line on 11 targets while providing a downfield threat to complement possession receiver Khalil Shakir. Cooks will likely need to make an impact again if the Bills are going to advance past the divisional round next weekend.
-
Khalil Shakir WR | BUF
Bills' Khalil Shakir: Dozen grabs in wild-card win
Shakir caught all 12 of his targets for 82 yards in the Bills' 27-24 win over the Jaguars in the wild-card round Sunday.
Josh Allen was completely in sync with his top target to begin Buffalo's playoff run, as no other Bills players got more than five targets or hauled in more than three passes. Shakir's dozen catches were a new single-game high for his career, regular season or postseason, while the 82 yards were his best showing since Week 12. The Bills won't know who they're playing in the divisional round until after the weekend's games are over, but Shakir figures to see high volume no matter who the opponent is.