NFL Player News

Thielen caught four of five targets for 57 yards Sunday in the Vikings' 37-35 win over the Lions.

Thielen was effective as the Vikings' primary red-zone threat through the air in 2020, trailing only Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill in touchdowns (14) among all wideouts. Over his 15 appearances, Thielen also notched 74 catches for 925 yards on 108 targets. The emergence of rookie sensation Justin Jefferson may dampen Thielen's fantasy prospects for 2021, but the veteran's nose for the end zone should go a long way in keeping his floor high.

Pascal secured two of four targets for 41 yards Sunday in the Colts' 28-14 win over the Jaguars.

Pascal wasn't able to maintain his two-game scoring streak, but he at least parlayed both of his receptions into big gains. The wideout suited up in all 16 regular-season contests for the Colts, reeling in 44 of 71 targets for 629 yards and five touchdowns. He'll continue operating in a starting role alongside T.Y. Hilton and Michael Pittman during Saturday's wild-card game in Buffalo.

Snead (ankle) isn't practicing Wednesday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Snead's ankle injury sidelined him for the Ravens' Week 17 win over the Bengals, but Baltimore is reportedly hopeful about his chances of returning for the wild-card round. He'll have just two more opportunities to practice prior to Sunday's contest in Tennessee.

Pittman (concussion) secured both of his targets for 28 yards Sunday in the Colts' 28-14 win over the Jaguars.

After clearing the league's five-step concussion protocol earlier in Week 17, Pittman handled his usual starting role alongside T.Y. Hilton and Zach Pascal in the regular-season finale. The rookie second-round pick wrapped up his inaugural campaign with 40 receptions (on 61 targets) for 503 yards and a touchdown. He'll look to continue his steady production in the postseason, beginning with Indianapolis' wild-card game in Buffalo on Saturday.

Jennings signed a reserve/future contract with the Colts on Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Since 2019, Jennings has played with the Dolphins, Ravens and Bills, and will now head to Indianapolis. The receiver has not participated in an NFL game since 2019, where he played eight special teams snaps in his lone matchup.

McLaurin (ankle) took part in the team stretch before going to a side field during Wednesday's practice, Ben Standig of The Athletic reports.

McLaurin didn't practice at all last week while managing a high-ankle sprain, but he still suited up in the regular-season finale, logging 81 percent of the offensive snaps en route to seven catches (on eight targets) for 40 yards and one touchdown in Sunday's win over the Eagles. He was a non-participant Tuesday, and if his activity level Wednesday is any indication, he seems poised to be listed the same way on the official practice report.

Byrd carried once for four yards and caught one of his three targets for a seven-yard gain Sunday in the Patriots' 28-14 win over the Jets.

Byrd finished his first season in New England with a career-high 47 catches for 604 yards and a touchdown to go with two carries for 15 yards. He was a fixture on the field while suiting up in all 16 games, garnering an 89.1 percent offensive snap share over the course of the campaign. When signed as a free agent by New England last March, Byrd seemed headed for a complementary role, but after the team parted ways with Mohamed Sanu prior to Week 1, Byrd ended up seeing regular playing time all season. That context resulted in several fantasy-worthy efforts from Byrd, but the overall inconsistency of the New England passing game resulted in him being a hit-or-miss lineup option. The 27-year-old is eligible to become a free agent this coming offseason, but Mike Reiss of ESPN.com believes that that the Patriots' potential overhaul at wideout could include trying to keep Byrd around.

Agnew played 11 snaps on offense but wasn't targeted with a pass during Sunday's 37-35 loss to Minnesota.

Agnew wasn't targeted at all in the final two games of the season, and the former cornerback will end the year with 13 receptions for 89 yards during his first full season as a dedicated wideout. Despite the downturn from his modest midseason offensive involvement, the 2017 All-Pro return man more than earned his keep on special teams this year by ranking seventh in average kickoff return (28.0 yards) and third in average punt return (12.7) among players with at least 10 attempts, not to mention also being one of eight players to return a punt for a touchdown in 2020. Now an unrestricted free agent at 25 years old, Agnew should generate significant interest for his services on special teams this offseason despite his underwhelming performance as both a cornerback and receiver through four years in the league.

Hardman reeled in both of his targets for 25 yards Sunday against the Chargers.

Hardman finished out his regular season with 41 catches for 560 yards and four touchdowns on 62 targets. While that does represent gains in all but touchdowns, it wasn't quite the jump in production many were expecting of Hardman in his sophomore season. It's possible that jump will come following another offseason, especially if Sammy Watkins and/or DeMarcus Robinson leave Kansas City via free agency this offseason, opening up a more consistent role in the offense. Even if he finds more snaps on offense, Hardman will need to contend with star targets Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill for looks, which could factor into his production in future campaigns.

Thomas (ankle) is expected to rejoin the Saints for practice Wednesday as a limited participant, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

After missing the Saints' final three regular-season games with a high-ankle sprain, Thomas is eligible to return from injured reserve this week as New Orleans prepares for its wild-card matchup Sunday versus the Bears. The Saints have yet to designate Thomas for a return from IR, but Rapoport's report suggests that will happen later Wednesday. According to Rapoport, Thomas is gradually expected to ramp up his activity throughout the week with the hope of suiting up against Chicago, but his return to game action is not locked in at this stage. Per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com, coach Sean Payton said the Saints likely won't have a good feel for Thomas' status for the postseason opener until later in the week, after the team has a chance to see how his ankle responds to practice work.