NFL Player News

Tipton caught six of eight targets for 100 yards during Sunday's 17-17 preseason tie against Jacksonville.

Tipton led the Saints in receiving yards during his second straight standout performance during preseason play. The second-year undrafted wideout hauled in a 45-yard deep pass from Spencer Rattler just one week after collecting a similar 54-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Shough in the preseason opener against the Chargers. Tipton is competing to make the final 53-man roster for the second year in a row, so his continued ability to show up in the deep passing game should go a long way in securing him a spot, if not a larger role, heading into this regular season.

Smith caught five of six targets for 48 yards in Saturday's 31-12 preseason loss to the Giants.

Smith tied Quentin Skinner for the team lead in receiving yards Saturday. Despite the unsettled nature of the Jets' wide receiver depth chart, Smith's almost certainly on the outside looking in when projecting the team's 53-man roster for the regular season. He'll look to bolster his chances of making the team in Friday's preseason finale against the Eagles.

Skinner caught all four of his targets for 48 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 31-12 preseason loss to the Giants.

Skinner is one of the few Jets who managed to raise his stock in what was an ugly second preseason game for most of the team. He caught a four-yard touchdown pass from fellow undrafted rookie Brady Cook in the fourth quarter. Skinner's a long shot to make the 53-man roster, but he has a decent chance of sticking as a member of the practice squad with the Jets in 2025.

Shepard brought in all three targets for 47 yards in the Buccaneers' 17-14 preseason win over the Steelers on Saturday night.

Shepard led the Buccaneers in receiving yards on a night when Mike Evans once again rested and Jalen McMillan exited with neck and head injuries. The veteran opened the game with the first-team offense, recording a seven-yard grab on the opening drive from Teddy Bridgewater and subsequently adding 13- and 27-yard catches on Tampa Bay's third possession. Shepard's surprisingly serviceable showing during the 2024 regular season (32-334-1 across 14 games) and a working relationship with Baker Mayfield that dates back to college should give him a solid path to a roster spot again, and his performance Saturday certainly didn't hurt his chances.

Johnson brought in four of seven targets for 24 yards and returned two punts for 37 yards in the Buccaneers' 17-14 preseason win over the Steelers on Saturday night. He also lost a fumble.

After missing the preseason opener against the Titans due to a leg injury, Johnson put in a full week of practice leading up to his professional debut. The shifty rookie seventh-round pick drew his first target with 3:51 remaining in the first half and made his first catch, an eight-yarder, at the 46-second mark of the second quarter. Johnson played with both Kyle Trask and Connor Bazelak as his quarterbacks, and he logged a position-high 39 snaps (59 percent) from scrimmage. Johnson's contributions on his pair of punt returns was particularly noteworthy, considering his special-teams work is likely to afford him perhaps his best path to a roster spot in a deep wide receiver room.

Odunze is expected to play along with the rest of Chicago's starters during Sunday's preseason game against the Bills, Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The Bears did not play their first-team offense or defense during last Sunday's 24-24 tie versus Miami, so Odunze has yet to suit up this preseason. The second-year wideout collected 54 of 101 targets for 734 yards and three touchdowns over 17 regular-season games as a rookie, and he's stood out while catching passes from quarterback Caleb Williams during training camp practices. Odunze should be in line for a productive season as Chicago's No. 2 WR behind DJ Moore and ahead of second-round rookie Luther Burden and veteran Olamide Zaccheaus.

Shaheed caught all three of his targets for 15 yards in Sunday's 17-17 preseason tie against the Jaguars.

Shaheed suited up for his first game action since Week 6 of last season, when he tore the meniscus in his knee. He got the start at wide receiver opposite Chris Olave, and they combined for five first-half catches on passes from rookie second-round pick Tyler Shough. The Saints have yet to settle on a starting quarterback between Shough and Spencer Rattler heading into their third and final game of the preseason Saturday against the Broncos.

Olave (ankle) caught two of four targets for 12 yards in Sunday's 17-17 preseason tie against the Jaguars.

Olave saw his first game action since Week 9 of the 2024 regular season, when he suffered a season-ending concussion. He then missed the Saints' preseason opener against the Chargers due to an ankle injury. The 2022 first-round pick has regained health, but he could be held back by questionable quarterback play in 2025. Both of Olave's catches Sunday came on passes from rookie second-round pick Tyler Shough, who is competing against Spencer Rattler for the starting role after Derek Carr retired in the offseason. New Orleans hasn't settled on a starting QB ahead of the team's final preseason game against the Broncos on Saturday.

Thomas caught two of four targets for eight yards in Sunday's 17-17 preseason tie against the Saints. He also rushed once for two yards.

Thomas played two drives and worked as the top target for Trevor Lawrence over that span, especially in the absence of rookie wide receiver Travis Hunter (upper body). Expectations for Thomas are sky high after a 1,282-yard, 10-touchdown rookie regular season. The Jaguars will wrap up preseason play with a trip to Miami on Saturday.

The Texans are trading Metchie to the Eagles on Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported.

In exchange, the Texans will acquire tight end Harrison Bryant and a 2026 fifth-round pick while also sending a 2026 sixth-round pick to Houston, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Metchie has played a rotational role in Houston's offense since missing his entire rookie campaign due to illness. The 2022 second-round pick caught 24 of 37 targets for 254 yards over 13 regular-season games last year, and it looked like he was in line to open the regular season as Houston's No. 3 wide receiver, as there's still no timetable on when wideout Tank Dell will return after suffering a significant knee injury last December. Instead, his departure should open up more opportunities for the Texans' rookie wideouts, second-rounder Jayden Higgins and third-rounder Jaylin Noel. Meanwhile, Metchie likely will compete with Johnny Wilson for a role behind returning wideouts A.J. Brown (hamstring), DeVonta Smith and Jahan Dotson in Philadelphia.