NFL Player News

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said Monday that Godwin (ankle) is "working hard" approaching mandatory minicamp and that the team is "hopeful" he'll be ready to go Week 1, Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times reports.

Godwin began the 2024 campaign on fire, averaging 7.1 targets and 82.3 yards per game while scoring five times across the first seven weeks of the season, but a dislocated left ankle cut what could have been a career year short. That injury didn't impact Tampa Bay's decision to extend Godwin a three-year, $66 million contract in March, another indication that the team expects him to be at full strength for 2025, though Bowles did indicate that his most significant recovery benchmarks won't occur until training camp. The 29-year-old returns to familiar offensive circumstances alongside quarterback Baker Mayfield and star wideout Mike Evans, though the selection of rookie first-round receiver Emeka Egbuka and replacement of Liam Coen with Josh Grizzard at offensive coordinator are both notable developments. Even when he's back at full health, Godwin will have difficulty replicating the workload and efficiency that buoyed his production to an elite tier in 2024.

Corley (undisclosed) has been banged up and working off to the side with a trainer at OTAs, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.

Corley struggled to make an impact after being drafted 65th overall by the Jets in 2024, finishing with three catches for 16 yards on six targets and adding two carries for 26 yards while appearing in nine games. There's an opportunity for Corley to grab a larger role in 2025 since the Jets lack a clear pecking order at wide receiver behind Garrett Wilson, but Corley will first need to recover and retake the practice field in order to make his case for more playing to the team's new coaching staff.

Conley (elbow) has decided to retire from the NFL, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Conley had been a free agent after playing in 15 regular-season games with San Francisco last year, tallying six catches on 12 targets for 76 yards. He injured his elbow during the 49ers' final contest of the campaign, but it wasn't announced as a severe issue, and the injury wasn't mentioned as a factor in the wideout's decision to retire. The Georgia product's best campaign came in 2019 with Jacksonville, when he recorded career-high marks of 47 receptions (on 90 targets) for 775 yards while tying a career best with five touchdowns over 16 regular-season contests.

Odunze said at the final day of mandatory minicamp Thursday that his goal for the 2025 regular season is to compile at least 1,000 receiving yards and double-digit touchdowns, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun Times reports.

Odunze's expectations for 2025 would be an enormous step forward from the 54-734-3 receiving line he tallied on 101 targets across 17 regular-season appearances as a rookie, but enough went wrong for Chicago in 2024 that a true evaluation of last year's No. 9 overall pick is difficult to make. Unreliable pass protection, inconsistency from Caleb Williams and coaching so poor that the Bears deployed three different offensive coordinators all stood in the way of Odunze's production, but the team has since upgraded to head coach Ben Johnson, previously the Lions' mastermind OC, and added three new starters along the interior O-line, including All-Pro LG Joe Thuney. While the departure of Keenan Allen still leaves Odunze with significant target competition from DJ Moore, first-round rookie TE Colston Loveland (shoulder) and second-round rookie WR Luther Burden (undisclosed), overall, fantasy managers couldn't have asked for better offseason developments as the talented wideout targets a significant step forward.

Higgins said Wednesday at voluntary OTAs that he's adapted his offseason practice regimen to focus on preventing injuries, Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official site reports.

Higgins, who inked a massive four-year, $115 million deal with the Bengals in March, said that in addition to focusing on strength and speed, his goal this offseason has been to "get my muscles right" and break his trend of lower-body soft-tissue injuries. Such issues forced him to miss five regular-season games in both 2023 and 2024. Even if he plays a full 17 regular-season games for the first time in his career, Higgins could have a tough time repeating his per-game efficiency from 2024, when he tallied 73 catches for 911 yards (on 109 targets) and a career-high 12 touchdowns across 12 appearances. A portion of Higgins' production can be attributed to Joe Burrow leading the league in pass attempts while struggling to compensate for Cincinnati's porous defense, which allowed 25.5 points per game. The Bengals failed to substantially revamp the defense this offseason, though, which could set the stage for a similar script in 2025, especially with Ja'Marr Chase and TE Mike Gesicki having re-signed to provide complete continuity on offense.

Moore (knee) has been an on-field participant at OTAs, per the Vikings' official site.

Moore appears healthy as he begins work to carve out a depth role in Minnesota's wide receiver corps, where Jalen Nailor appears fairly secure as the No. 3 receiver behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. A non-contact knee injury sustained last August forced Moore to spend the entire 2024 season, his first and only in Atlanta, on IR. Across three years and 39 regular-season games with Arizona, the 2021 second-rounder combined for 135 catches for 1,201 yards and three touchdowns, plus 52 carries for 249 rushing yards. If Moore's recovery hasn't impacted his burst, his unusual skill set could find a place in head coach Kevin O'Connell's offense.

Coker (undisclosed) continues to work off to the side during OTAs, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

The wide receiver was also only getting in limited work in late May during OTAs. Though he's likely behind Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette and Adam Thielen on Carolina's depth chart, Coker is definitely in the mix after catching 32 passes for 478 yards and two scores as a rookie in 2024.

Washington (undisclosed) has been doing work in a non-contact jersey during OTAs, Chris Perkins of The South Florida Sentinel reports.

The seventh-round pick in the 2024 draft was placed on the reserve/injured list with his undisclosed issue last July, ending his rookie season before it started. Now, the USC product might have a chance to compete for a depth role behind Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. Washington caught 59 passes for 1,062 yards and eight touchdowns in his final collegiate season in 2023.

Pittman left Thursday's practice with knee soreness, Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis reports.

Pittman was down on the field for a few seconds after suffering the injury and then limped to the sidelines. While the issue appeared alarming, Pittman was diagnosed with soreness and has avoided serious injury. Chappell suggests that Pittman will sit out minicamp, but no official timeline has emerged.

Pittman (undisclosed) did not return to Thursday's practice after getting tangled up during a route and limping off the field, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Pittman sustained an apparent injury at the final day of Indianapolis' voluntary OTAs, so it's possible an update on his health won't arrive until closer to the start of mandatory minicamp June 10. Meanwhile, head coach Shane Steichen said Thursday that quarterback Anthony Richardson (shoulder) won't participate in mandatory minicamp due to an aggravation of an AC joint injury, which leaves Daniel Jones primed to handle the bulk of first-team reps. Pittman played through a small fracture in his back from Week 5 onward in 2024, tallying a 69-808-3 receiving line across 16 regular-season appearances and 111 targets, while also struggling to overcome inconsistent quarterback play. Though Pittman has fully recovered from the back issue, his status now needs to be monitored until such time as he retakes the practice field.