NFL Player News

With Deebo Samuel recovering from foot surgery, the 49ers may need to give Aiyuk a bigger role than initially planned early in the season, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Aiyuk and Samuel both are known for their prowess picking up yards after the catch, a trait that's especially valuable in Kyle Shanahan's horizontally oriented offense. The rookie first-round pick already had a decent shot to earn a starting job before the Samuel injury, as he was supposed to compete for snaps with the likes of Kendrick Bourne, Trent Taylor, Jalen Hurd and Dante Pettis. While Samuel expects to complete his rehab process in approximately 10 weeks, other reports put the estimate anywhere between two and four months. Meanwhile, Aiyuk has been medically cleared from the core muscle surgery he had in early April, presumably leaving him ready for full participation whenever the 49ers are able to practice.

Samuel underwent a procedure Thursday to address the Jones fracture in his left foot, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

Samuel sustained the injury earlier this week while training with teammates. The 24-year-old has now already undergone the required surgery, which reportedly "went perfect." Reports on the sophomore's recovery timetable have been scattered, with Ian Rapoport of NFL Network suggesting a "return within 12-16 weeks," Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reporting that Samuel could be ready to kick off the regular season, and Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area indicating that the dynamic wideout should retake the field in just 10 weeks. In any case, already having undergone a successful procedure will allow Samuel to begin his rehab process as early as possible.

Johnson signed his rookie contract with the Jaguars on Thursday, John Oehser of the team's official site reports.

A rookie fifth-round pick, Johnson's lanky frame (6-foot-6, 222 pounds) immediately sets him apart in Jacksonville's receiver room. Coming off a productive four years at Texas, in which he showed uncommon finesse for a wideout of his size, Johnson could be utilized as unique a depth weapon as a rookie if he's able to adjust to the NFL's level of physicality. The 22-year-old could even possess limited upside in the red zone.

The 49ers revealed Thursday that Samuel suffered a Jones fracture in his left foot while training with teammates earlier this week, ESPN's Nick Wagoner reports.

Per the report, Samuel's injury -- which will require surgical repair -- entails "a break between the base and the middle part of the fifth metatarsal of the foot." While Ian Rapoport of NFL Network previously suggested that Samuel "should return within 12-16 weeks," a timetable that would presumably result in missed regular-season action for the wideout, ESPN's Adam Schefter offers the more optimistic take that Samuel is expected to be available for Week 1 action. Supporting that notion is that Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area relays that Samuel believes he'll be back in 10 weeks.

Samuel suffered a broken foot Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Samuel picked up the injury during a throwing session in Nashville. According to Rapoport, Samuel underwent surgery with noted Dr. Robert Anderson and is expected to be healthy in 12-16 weeks. With such a timetable, he won't be available Week 1, but a midseason appearance seems likely.

Slayton said he feels healthy this offseason, after battling a nagging hamstring injury during his rookie campaign, NJ.com's Zack Rosenblatt reports.

The hamstring ailment sidelined Slayton for Weeks 1 and 2 but didn't seem to affect him thereafter. He quickly emerged as a downfield weapon in a part-time role, earning a starting job and heavy snap counts by mid-October. The fifth-round pick ultimately averaged 50.1 snaps and 6.0 targets over 14 games, despite making an early exit from Week 16 with a minor knee injury. Slayton rejoined the lineup Week 17 and finished the year as Big Blue's leader in receiving yards (740) and touchdowns (eight). He's met with Daniel Jones on multiple occasions this offseason, hoping to improve the chemistry as both players prepare for their second pro season.

Browns wide receivers coach Chad O'Shea relayed Wednesday that Beckham (abdomen) has made "a lot of progress" in his recovery from January surgeries but is unsure where the wide receiver will be at the start of training camp, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Despite playing all 16 games last season, Beckham was hamstrung by a sports hernia from the third week of training camp onward, eventually finishing with 74 catches (on 133 targets) for 1,035 yards and four touchdowns. While those numbers are fair enough at first glance, he averaged a career-worst 64.7 yards per game. By the end of the year, Beckham had a torn abductor and torn rectus abdominis, which were addressed via procedures. In 2020, he'll be working under a new coaching staff for the third time in as many seasons, with Kevin Stefanski leading the way.

Coach Doug Pederson suggested Reagor will learn the Z receiver spot behind DeSean Jackson, with potential to earn slot snaps early on, Mike Kaye of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

The 21st overall pick may head to training camp as Jackson's backup, but there are a few different scenarios that could lead to a steady workload early in the season, even in an offense that figures to rank near the top of the league in usage of multi-TE formations. For starters, Jackson is 33 years old and has missed an average of 5.4 games the past five years, including four absences in 2018 and 13 more in 2019. Then there's the matter of 30-year-old Alshon Jeffery returning from a Lisfranc surgery he had in December, with no assurance of being ready for Week 1. Granted, Reagor does have some other competition for playing time, namely Greg Ward, Marquise Goodwin and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, plus Day 3 drat picks John Hightower and Quez Watkins.

Duvernay and fellow Ravens rookie James Proche have been catching passes from Robert Griffin while training in Texas with wideout specialist David Robinson, Todd Karpovich of SI.com reports.

Robinson is a popular offseason trainer among NFL wide receivers, working with Dez Bryant, Jakeem Grant and Jerry Jeudy, among others. Robinson believes both Duvernay (a third-round pick) and Proche (a sixth-rounder) are capable of earning significant roles for the Ravens, noting that the former should be useful on deep throws, screens and jet sweeps, while the latter has superior hands that could make him a reliable possession target. Duvernay primarily worked from the slot at the University of Texas, producing 412 receiving yards as a freshman and 546 as a junior before exploding for 1,386 and nine TDs in his senior season. A 4.39 40 time further boosted his draft stock, though he's one of the older prospects in his class, turning 23 in September.

Aiyuk (abdomen) has been medically cleared, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The 49ers made Aiyuk the 25th pick of the 2020 draft less than three weeks after he had core muscle surgery. He seems to have made a quick recovery, as he's already working out with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and other teammates at San Jose State. The rookie should be ready for the start of training camp later this summer, hoping to earn a starting job across from Deebo Samuel at wide receiver.