NFL Player News
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Jameson Williams WR | DET
Lions' Jameson Williams: Six catches to close out season
Williams secured six of eight targets for 74 yards in the Lions' 19-16 win over the Bears on Sunday.
Williams played second fiddle to Amon-Ra St. Brown -- who finished with an 11-139-0 line on 15 targets -- but the former managed to close out a career-best season with another solid performance. Williams finally evolved into a well-rounded No. 2 receiver during the second half of the campaign, allowing him to finish with new career highs in receptions (65) and receiving yards (1,117) while also tying a career-best figure in receiving touchdowns (seven) across 17 games. Williams should reprise his role in 2026 alongside St. Brown on the heels of back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns.
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Deebo Samuel WR | WAS
Commanders' Deebo Samuel: Two catches in victory
Samuel caught two of five targets for 20 yards and rushed twice for one yard in Sunday's 24-17 win over the Eagles.
Samuel was held to two catches for the second straight week, while his 20 receiving yards were his fewest since Week 8. The wide receiver completed his regular season having caught 72 of 99 targets for 727 yards and five touchdowns while also turning 17 carries into 75 yards and a score over 16 contests. Samuel will enter the offseason as a free agent, and he proved he's still got plenty left in the tank, recording his most receptions since the 2021 campaign.
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DeVonta Smith WR | PHI
Eagles' DeVonta Smith: Reaches 1,000 receiving yards
Smith recorded three receptions on four targets for 52 yards in Sunday's 24-17 loss to the Commanders.
Smith was one of the few key Eagles skill-position players to log snaps, likely because he entered the contest needing 44 receiving yards to reach 1,000 on the campaign. He was targeted frequently early in the contest, logging all of his stats within the team's first two offensive possessions. Smith ultimately reached the 1,000-yard mark on an impressive leaping catch for 27 yards on the final play of the opening quarter. He then rested for the remainder of the game and will play a key role in Philadelphia's wild-card round matchup against the 49ers on Sunday afternoon.
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DJ Moore WR | BUF
Bears' DJ Moore: One snag in defeat
Moore caught one of three targets for 11 yards in Sunday's 19-16 loss to the Lions.
Moore was nearly blanked in Week 18, securing his only pass for 11 yards in the second quarter. The 28-year-old had another chance to serve as the team's No. 1 wideout with Rome Odunze (foot) sidelined, but he recorded his second straight one-catch performance. Moore finished the regular season having caught 50 of 85 targets for 682 yards and six scores while adding 79 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries over 17 contests. The wide receiver will now look to get back on track in the wild-card round next weekend against the Packers.
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Ronnie Bell WR | NO
Saints' Ronnie Bell: Catches TD in Week 18 loss
Bell posted two receptions (on four targets) for 23 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's 19-17 loss to Atlanta.
Bell hauled in the lone passing touchdown from Tyler Shough, connecting for a 16-yard touchdown that pulled the score to 19-17 with just over one minute remaining. The third-year wideout filled in for the Saints' depleted receiving corps, as Chris Olave (illness) was inactive while five other wideouts were on IR. Bell still finished with fewer targets than wide receivers Kevin Austin (nine) and Dante Pettis (five) as well as tight end Juwan Johnson (five) and running back Audric Estime (five). In 28 career regular-season appearances, Bell has now accumulated 10 catches for 113 yards and four touchdowns. He joined the Saints' practice squad in early October before signing with the active roster this past Friday.
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Elic Ayomanor WR | TEN
Titans' Elic Ayomanor: Makes little of 10 targets
Ayomanor recorded three receptions on 10 targets for 50 yards in Sunday's 41-7 loss to the Jaguars.
Ayomanor showed early rapport with Cam Ward (shoulder), making a nice catch-and-run for a 39-yard gain on the team's first possession. However, Ward then exited the game, and Brandon Allen struggled to move the Tennessee offense, which led to Ayomanor's inefficient line. Ayomanor ends his rookie season with 515 receiving yards and four touchdowns across 16 games, though he could be less of a priority in the offense in 2026 if the Titans can make much-needed improvements to their wide receiver room.
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Luther Burden III WR | CHI
Bears' Luther Burden: Three catches in loss
Burden caught three of four targets for 35 yards and rushed once for 10 yards in Sunday's 19-16 loss to Detroit.
Burden went without a catch in the first half before reeling in three passes after the break. The wide receiver was unable to build off of his recent momentum, recording his fewest catches since Week 12 and his lowest yardage total in four weeks. Burden will finish his rookie campaign having caught 47 of 60 targets for 652 yards and two touchdowns while also turning six carries into 37 yards over 15 regular-season contests, and he'll now make his postseason debut in the wild-card round against the Packers next weekend.
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Troy Franklin WR | DEN
Broncos' Troy Franklin: Blanked in Week 18 win
Franklin failed to catch his only target in the Broncos' win over the Chargers on Sunday.
Bo Nix completed 14 of 23 passes for 141 scoreless yards in the victory, but only one of his throws went to Franklin, whose playing time has been dialed back over the past month-plus. Pat Bryant has been seeing more action alongside Courtland Sutton. Franklin will be a boom-or-bust fantasy bet in the divisional round following Denver's first-round bye.
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Jayden Higgins WR | HOU
Texans' Jayden Higgins: Catches two passes in Week 18 win
Higgins caught two of five targets for 23 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 38-30 win over the Colts.
Higgins caught both of his passes in the first half and had another long catch down the sideline called back on a penalty. The Texans then took a handful of starters out of the game in the second half after Nico Collins (rest) wasn't even active for the Week 18 contest. Higgins figures to operate as the Texans' WR2 in next weekend's wild-card date with the Steelers or Ravens.
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Brian Thomas Jr. WR | JAC
Jaguars' Brian Thomas: Modest production in Week 18
Thomas recorded three receptions on five targets for 49 yards in Sunday's 41-7 win over the Titans.
Thomas was involved in the game early, earning three targets on the team's first four offensive possessions. However, he then exited the game to be evaluated for a concussion and missed nearly the entire second quarter. Jacksonville then pulled its starters early in the fourth quarter, meaning Thomas played only around half of the game. While that would explain his limited output, this was one of Thomas' more productive performances of late, marking only the third time in his last six matchups that he's topped 40 receiving yards. It was a very disappointing sophomore campaign for Thomas, as he ended the regular season with 707 receiving yards and only two touchdowns across 14 games.