NFL Player News

The 49ers are trading Samuel to Washington for a fifth-round draft pick, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

An offseason trade for Samuel had been anticipated since San Francisco granted the wideout and his agent permission to find a trade partner in early February. The domino finally fell Saturday with the report that Samuel is headed to Washington to join an upstart Commanders club that advanced to the NFC Championship Game last season. The 2021 first-team All-Pro will now catch passes from 2024 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels while forming a dynamic wideout duo alongside Terry McLaurin. It remains to be seen how much Samuel will be used out of the backfield after he got at least 37 regular-season carries each of the past four years in San Francisco, but regardless the move gives Samuel a fresh start following a disappointing 2024 regular season during which he caught just 51 of 81 targets for 670 yards and three touchdowns while adding 136 yards on 42 carries and one touchdown. He also contributed as a kick returner, taking 17 returns for 533 yards.

The Commanders and Texans are among the top teams that have expressed interest in acquiring Samuel, whose trade request San Francisco general manager John Lynch said the team plans to honor, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reports.

Schultz reports the Steelers and Broncos are among other teams that have inquired about trading for Samuel, but he notes Washington and Houston have been the strongest suitors to this point. The Commanders seem committed to adding another playmaker for Jayden Daniels, who earned 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors despite Terry McLaurin being his only pass catcher to even approach the 1,000-yard mark. Houston, meanwhile, faces a similar conundrum, needing to surround C.J. Stroud with new offensive talent, as Stefon Diggs (knee - ACL) seems likely to move on, and Tank Dell (knee - ACL + MCL) is in danger of potentially missing a significant amount of the 2025 campaign. Samuel admittedly struggled to impress in 2024, finishing with a mere 51 catches (81 targets) for 670 yards and three touchdowns across 15 appearances, plus 42 carries for 136 yards and one score on a career-low 3.2 YPC. However, he boasts a uniquely versatile skill set and could yet rebound in greener pastures.

San Francisco general manager John Lynch said Wednesday that the team plans to honor Samuel's request for a trade, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports. "He's asked for a fresh start, and I think we're going to honor that," Lynch said. "He is a great player; I think often one of my favorite draft picks of my time. He makes plays and he makes game-changing plays. Everything is good...But it probably makes sense [to trade him]. We're having conversations so we'll see where that goes."

Samuel is entering the final year of his contract and carries a $15.9 million cap number. He looked sluggish at times in 2024, finishing the season with just 51 catches for 670 yards and three touchdowns. His 9.1 rushing yards per game were also Samuel's fewest since an injury-shortened 2020 season. Given his pricey contract along with the fact that he turned 29 years old in January and is coming off an underwhelming season, Samuel is unlikely to fetch much more than a mid-round draft pick in any trade.

Lockett is unlikely to remain with the Seahawks without taking a pay cut, ESPN's Dan Graziano reports.

Lockett is one of the team's veteran leaders and ranks second in franchise history with 8,594 receiving yards, but his receiving volume fell off a cliff in 2024 -- 4.4 targets per game in an offense that provided 8.1 for Jaxon Smith-Njigba and 7.2 for DK Metcalf. The 32-year-old is scheduled for $17 million in 2025 compensation, including a non-guaranteed $5.3 million roster bonus due March 16. Lockett presumably will be released before that date unless he accepts a pay cut, or else an extension that drastically reduces his compensation and doesn't include any/many guarantees beyond 2025.

Kirk (collarbone) may be released this offseason, according to ESPN's Dan Graziano.

Kirk has one season remaining on a four-year, $72 million contract and is scheduled for up to 16.5 million in non-guaranteed compensation. He's mostly lived up to a contract that was widely criticized as an overpay at the time of signing, but that doesn't necessarily mean the Jaguars will keep him, as he's 28 years old and coming off a disappointing 2024 season in which he suffered a broken collarbone, while rookie Brian Thomas emerged as the team's clear No. 1 receiver. Gabe Davis had a worse season than Kirk and suffered an injury (a meniscus tear) that comes with more long-term concern, but Davis has full guarantees on his contract for 2025, leaving the Jaguars with no financial incentive to release him.

Kansas City general manager Brett Veach said Tuesday at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine that the team "will look to get [Brown] back," Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star reports.

Brown, who missed the first 15 weeks of the 2024 season due to a sternoclavicular joint injury sustained in the preseason, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent March 12. He produced 50 receiving yards on five catches (13 targets) across three postseason appearances after posting 91 yards on nine catches (15 targets) across his two regular-season games. Heading into his age-28 season, a return to Kansas City could be the best scenario for Brown's fantasy value, though Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice (knee) are projected to lead the team's wide receiver corps in 2025.

Panthers general manager Dan Morgan said Tuesday at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine that Legette is recovering from offseason foot surgery, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Legette underwent the surgery to address a lingering issue he played through during the 2024 campaign. The first-rounder is coming off an underwhelming rookie campaign, having put together just a 49-497-4 receiving line on 87 targets across 16 regular-season appearances. Per Steve Reed of the Associated Press, Morgan said Legette's recovery timeline should allow him to return to on-field activities in the near future, though head coach Dave Canales said he's unsure whether the wideout will be ready for the start of OTAs, per David Newton of ESPN.com.

Shakir and Buffalo agreed to terms Tuesday on a four-year contract extension worth up to $60.2 million, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Shakir's new deal reportedly includes $32 million guaranteed at signing. The 2022 fifth-round pick led the Bills in targets, catches and yards during the 2024 regular season, posting a career-best 76-821-4 receiving line on 100 targets. The sure-handed slot specialist also had exactly six catches in all three of Buffalo's playoff games. Looking ahead to the 2025 campaign, Shakir's ability to create yards after the catch positions him to once again be one of Josh Allen's go-to targets.

New Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said the team's passing game will run through Thomas, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.

That much is clear; the real question is who else will catch passes from Trevor Lawrence on a regular basis. WR Christian Kirk (collarbone) and TE Evan Engram (shoulder) both are entering contract years without any guaranteed money remaining on their contracts, and WR Gabe Davis (knee) is coming off a disappointing season that ended early due to a meniscus tear. Thomas may be at the level already where competition doesn't really matter and teammates are competing with each other for targets rather than him. He closed 2024 with one of the most productive stretches ever seen from a rookie wide receiver while catching passes from backup QB Mac Jones, posting six straight games with at least 10 targets and 76 yards while averaging 7.5 receptions for 99.8 yards and 0.83 TDs. Similar output over the course of a full season is unlikely even for a player with Thomas' rare combination of size, speed and agility, but it isn't entirely out of the question under Coen, whose lone year as Tampa Bay's offensive coordinator coincided with the top PPR scoring average of Chris Godwin's career (19.7 per game) as well as Mike Evans' best average (17.2) since 2019.

Steelers general manager Omar Khan said Tuesday at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine that he has "a lot of confidence" in Wilson (hamstring), and that the wideout was on pace to contribute during the postseason had Pittsburgh advanced beyond the wild-card round, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic reports.

Wilson, a 2024 third-round pick, was limited to a single regular-season appearance in his rookie campaign, but he at least now appears fully recovered from the hamstring issue that caused him to end the year on IR. He also missed time early in the season with an ankle injury sustained in training camp. If he can put together a strong offseason and remain at full health to enter the 2025 campaign, he could have a big role in Year 2. Wideouts Van Jefferson, Mike Williams and Ben Skowronek are all pending free agents for Pittsburgh.