NFL Player News

Woods caught five of 10 targets for 70 yards and added a five-yard carry during Sunday's 13-3 loss to the Patriots.

Woods was one of two Rams players to receive double-digit targets, but he was only able to catch half of the balls thrown his way. He also struggled to make big plays, as his longest gain went for just 18 yards. It was still an improvement over his performance against the Saints in the NFC Championship Game, but Woods couldn't do enough to help his team to a better offensive performance. The wideout was coming off a breakout regular season in which he totaled 86 receptions for 1,219 yards and six touchdowns, along with 19 carries for 157 yards and another score.

Kupp (knee) said he hasn't dealt with any setbacks in his recovery from a torn ACL, Sam Farmer of the LA Times reports.

Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed the surgery Nov. 16, said the procedure was "pretty straight forward" while also cautioning that not every player returns to his previous form. The 25-year-old wide receiver does have youth working in his favor, and it doesn't hurt that he had a solid track record of durability dating back to college before he ran into knee problems during the 2018 campaign. Kupp has mostly avoided the media throughout his rehab process, but he's still been around his teammates trying to help with preparation for games. He'll be 10 months removed from the injury when Week 1 of 2019 rolls around.

Allen (knee) finished the 2018 regular season with 97 catches for 1,196 yards and six touchdowns on 136 targets in 16 games, adding six catches for 112 yards and another score in two playoff appearances.

Allen maintained his impressive efficiency and played all 16 games for a second straight season, but his targets dropped off from 9.9 per game in 2017 to 8.5 in 2018. The decrease was largely a symptom of team success, with Philip Rivers losing 67 pass attempts from the previous season as the Chargers' defense and running game improved. With the nucleus of the team under contract for at least one more year, the Chargers hope to repeat their balanced approach in 2019. Allen was removed from the Pro Bowl with an injury, but early reports suggest it's nothing more than a bruised knee. He'll turn 27 in April and has two seasons remaining on a four-year, $45 million contract that could soon become a point of contention.

McCloud, a rookie sixth-rounder out of Clemson, caught five of just six targets for 36 yards and no touchdowns over 10 games. He also returned one kickoff for 18 yards and four punts for 20 yards.

Given the Bills' wideout woes all season, McCloud had every chance to leap up the depth chart, but that never happened as he struggled with his first taste of the pro game, apparently frustrating the coaching staff along the way. By the end of the season, undrafted rookie Robert Foster and Broncos castaway Isaiah McKenzie passed him on the depth chart, while McCloud became an afterthought for much of the season. With the Bills eyeing up more wide receiver additions given their excessive cap space and array of draft picks, McCloud better get going in his second offseason or he'll be on the outside looking in for a roster spot.

Smith-Schuster (knee) isn't believed to be dealing with a serious injury, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Smith-Schuster was removed from Sunday's Pro Bowl in the second quarter with an injury that was initially reported as a knee bruise. There may have been some concern after he was spotted with a limp and declined to talk to the media, but Monday's update downplays the severity of his injury. The 22-year-old wide receiver will have nearly three months to regain his health before the Steelers begin their offseason program in mid-April, at which point Antonio Brown may or may not still be with the team. After finishing fourth in the NFL with 166 targets this past season, Smith-Schuster conceivably could go even higher in 2019.

Adams (knee) caught two of four targets for 41 yards in the Pro Bowl on Sunday.

Adams didn't need much time to recover from the knee injury that caused his Week 17 absence. He'll now head into the offseason healthy, locked in as the far-and-away No. 1 option in a pass-catching corps that could soon get a makeover. The 26-year-old wideout said new head coach Matt LaFleur made a great first impression, giving Adams an easy path to transition into an offense that will move him around more often and place a greater emphasis on crossing routes, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.

Smith-Schuster limped to the bus and declined comment after suffering a knee injury during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, The Associated Press reports.

While the injury has merely been deemed a knee bruise, it sounds like Smith-Schuster is dealing with a considerable amount of pain. That doesn't mean his recovery will require a lengthy process, but it will at least be something to keep in mind as the Steelers prepare for an interesting offseason. The team reportedly is fielding trade offers on Antonio Brown, who was benched for the regular-season finale after missing practices and meetings throughout the week. Smith-Schuster would be a strong candidate to lead the NFL in targets if Brown were to end up with another team.

Allen exited the Pro Bowl on Sunday after sustaining a knee bruise, Brooke Pryor of The Kansas City Star reports.

Allen had a busy afternoon prior to his exit, catching four of six targets for 95 yards, including a 50-yard reception in the first quarter. The injury doesn't appear too concerning, but it would nonetheless be surprising to see the 26-year-old return to the field Sunday.

Smith-Schuster sustained a knee bruise during the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Brooke Pryor of The Kansas City Star reports.

Smith-Schuster caught one of three targets for 16 yards prior to leaving the game. The injury doesn't appear overly serious, but it would nevertheless be surprising to see the 22-year-old retake the field Sunday.

Evans is looking forward to working under new head coach Bruce Arians next season, Herbie Teope of NFL.com reports. "I'm excited," Evans said. "I've heard nothing but good things about him. I'm sure he's going to be ready to work, and I am as well."

Despite a disappointing 2018 season from a team perspective that was bad enough to earn coach Dirk Koetter a pink slip, Evans enjoyed plenty of individual statistical success. The soon-to-be sixth-year veteran set a new career high with 1,524 receiving yards while posting the second-best reception (86) and touchdown (eight) totals of his career. Arians has already committed to Jameis Winston as his starting quarterback, which establishes immediate stability at an all-important position. The continuity under center also ups Evans' chances of success, given his well-established rapport with the 2015 first overall pick. Evans can certainly draw encouragement from the prolific numbers that Larry Fitzgerald generated under Arians as the No.1 receiver in Arizona, particularly over a three-season stretch from 2015-17 in which the future Hall of Famer compiled 325 receptions for 3,394 yards and 21 touchdowns across 48 games.