NFL Player News

Bellamy (shoulder) likely will be released this offseason, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

The Jets can save $2.3 million without absorbing any dead cap charge. Bellamy played 124 snaps on special teams and 63 on offense in 2019, appearing in seven games before a shoulder injury sent him to IR. He went over 200 receiving yards each year from 2015 to 2017 with the Bears, but his 82 NFL games haven't yielded even a single 100-yard performance.

Johnson is recovering from sports hernia surgery, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Johnson appears to have undergone the procedure to address an issue he played with during the 2019 regular season, though he wasn't forced to miss any time. A typical recovery for such injuries can take up to six weeks, which would put Johnson on track for training camp, though particularly severe instances can sometimes cause players to miss extended time. The Toledo product led Pittsburgh in catches (59) and receiving touchdowns (five) as a rookie, and he stands to benefit from more consistent play at the quarterback position in 2020, with Ben Roethlisberger (elbow) progressing well in his own recovery from surgery.

Robinson caught just three of six targets for 35 yards during the Chiefs' three postseason games in 2019.

Robinson didn't play a snap on offense during Kansas City's Super Bowl LIV win over the 49ers, while rookie Mecole Hardman handled a depth role in the team's receiving corps in addition to contributing in the return game. The 25-year-old Robinson is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and Kansas City could choose to let him walk in favor of providing more opportunities for Hardman to showcase his explosive skill set.

Fountain (ankle) returned to the practice field Monday, Zak Keefer of The Athletic reports.

Fountain was placed on injured reserve in August after undergoing surgery to repair a dislocated and fractured left ankle, so he didn't play at all during the season. His return to the field already likely means he'll be ready for training camp and to battle for a roster spot.

Taylor (foot) was still spotted with a walking boot Wednesday and doesn't have an official timetable for resuming on-field work, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Taylor has undergone five procedures to address the foot injury that caused him to spend the 2019 season on injured reserve, but he expects to shed his boot soon. While an official timetable for the 25-year-old's return has yet to be revealed, Taylor is hopeful he'll be healthy in time for OTAs in the spring. He stands to compete for a depth role in San Francisco's receiver corps for the 2020 season.

Gibson played in just one game during the 2019 season, logging two offensive and 11 special-teams snaps in the Eagles' 17-9 wild-card loss to Seattle on Jan. 5.

Prior to rejoining the Eagles for the postseason, Gibson had been on the Browns' practice squad all year. His only noteworthy play was drawing a pass interference penalty on the team's last drive of the wild-card round. With Philadelphia almost certain to get healthier while also making upgrading its receiving corps a priority in the offseason, the 24-year-old faces long odds to crack the Eagles' Week 1 roster in 2020.

Bourne caught two of four targets for 42 yards in a 31-20 loss to Kansas City in the Super Bowl.

Bourne played 48 percent of the snaps on offense and also got some work (eight snaps) on special teams. His 26-yard gain late in the third quarter helped set up a touchdown for Raheem Mostert, who plunged in from one yard out to give the Niners a 20-10 lead. Bourne consistently served as the 49ers' No. 3 wide receiver throughout the 2019 season, but the role typically doesn't require a ton of snaps or targets, as coach Kyle Shanahan favors two-back formations (with fullback Kyle Juszczyk) over three-wide sets. Bourne is scheduled to become a restricted free agent in the offseason, while fellow wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders is eligible for unrestricted free agency.

Hardman caught one pass for two yards and lost six yards on one carry in a 31-20 win over the 49ers in the Super Bowl.

Hardman added three kick returns for 58 yards but called for a fair catch on both of the punts he fielded. He was limited to a 28 percent snap share on offense, working behind Tyreek Hill (87 percent), Sammy Watkins (87 percent) and Demarcus Robinson (49 percent). With Watkins a potential cap casualty and Robinson at the end of his rookie contract, Hardman likely will enter his second pro season as Kansas City's No. 2 or 3 option at wide receiver. The 21-year-old was quiet in the playoffs, but he made the most of his limited opportunities during the regular season, catching 26 of 41 targets for 538 yards (13.1 per target) and six touchdowns, adding a seventh TD on a kick return.

Hill secured nine of 16 targets for 105 yards during the Chiefs' 31-20 win over the 49ers in Super LIV on Sunday.

The Chiefs unsurprisingly found it challenging to hit on many downfield routes versus the 49ers' elite secondary, but the one time Hill got loose, it essentially changed the dynamic of the contest. Down 20-10 and facing a 3rd-and-15 at their own 35-yard line, Patrick Mahomes and Hill connected on a 44-yard pass that placed the ball at the 49ers' 21-yard line. Four plays later, Mahomes hit Travis Kelce with a one-yard touchdown toss that began the comeback in earnest. The big play aside, Hill played more of a role in the short and intermediate passing game than customary, but it was enough for him to generate game-high reception and receiving yardage tallies. Hill is signed through the 2022 season, although it's worth noting he's scheduled to carry a cap hit of $17.6 million in 2020 under the current terms of his deal.

Samuel hauled in five of nine targets for 39 yards and carried the ball three times for 53 yards during Sunday's 31-20 Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs.

Not only did Samuel set a new record for rushing yards by a wide receiver in Super Bowl history, but his 32-yard scamper during the 49ers' opening drive was also the single longest run by a wideout on the big stage. The versatile rookie's strong Super Bowl performance is a small consolation for the 49ers following the loss, but combined with his impressive regular season (961 combined yards and six touchdowns over a full 16-game stretch), there's plenty of reason to be optimistic about the dynamic receiver's future fantasy prospects. With Emmanuel Sanders set to become an unrestricted free agent in March, there's a realistic path for Samuel to emerge as San Francisco's No. 1 receiver as early as 2020.