NFL Player News

Boutte (head) finished the 2024 regular season with 43 catches (on 68 targets) for 589 yards and three TDs in 15 games.

After catching just two passes in five games as a rookie, the 2023 sixth-rounder began his second campaign as a pro in depth role, but by Week 5, Boutte began seeing steady snaps, a trend that lasted the rest of the season. The LSU product remains under contract with New England through 2026, and looking ahead, Boutte's fantasy upside in 2025 hinges on what moves the Patriots make this offseason in order to bolster their wideout corps. For now, DeMario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne, Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker remain in the mix, but adding an impact player (or two) at the position is presumably a priority for the rebuilding franchise.

Doubs was diagnosed with a concussion after he left Sunday's 22-10 wild-card loss to the Eagles, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

The Packers concluded the season without their top three receivers, as Christian Watson (knee) missed Sunday's game after tearing his ACL in Week 18 before Doubs and Jayden Reed (shoulder) both picked up injuries in the loss. Doubs was sent in for a concussion check after he fell hard to the turf while attempting to reel in a potential touchdown with 6:55 remaining in the third quarter, finishing the contest with two catches for 13 yards on two targets. The concussion was the second of the season for Doubs, who previously sustained a head injury Week 12 against the 49ers and missed the Packers' next two games as a result. The third-year wideout caught 46 of 72 targets for 601 yards and four touchdowns over 13 regular-season appearances.

Reed said after Sunday's 22-10 wild-card loss to the Eagles that he sustained a dislocated shoulder in the third quarter of the contest, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Already down Christian Watson (knee) due to a torn ACL heading into the postseason, the Packers then lost Reed and Romeo Doubs (concussion) to injuries Sunday to further thin their receiver ranks. Before checking out of the contest in the third quarter, Reed recorded four catches for 46 yards on four targets and brought back two punts for 26 yards. He could need surgery to address the issue, but either way he should be back to full health ahead of training camp in late July. Reed finished his second NFL campaign with 55 catches for a career-high 857 yards and six touchdowns on 75 targets over 17 games, while adding 163 yards and another score on 20 carries.

Woods caught two of four targets for 22 yards and returned one punt for 10 yards in Houston's 32-12 win over the Chargers in Saturday's wild-card round game.

Woods was part of the Texans' top three wideouts, had a red-zone target, and was on the field for 37 snaps. That snap count tied him with John Metchie behind Nico Collins' 64. Largely an irrelevant figure on game days for much of the season, Woods' profile rose with the injuries to Stefon Diggs (knee) and Tank Dell (knee). The 35-year-old finished the regular season with career lows in catches (20) and yards (203) while never breaking out his touchdown dance for the first time in his 12 NFL seasons. He'll enter the offseason as an unrestricted free agent, and it's unlikely a team will sign him to be any more than a depth piece/returner at this stage of his career. Woods accepted his role as veteran mentor in Houston and could always return to the Texans.

Tipton tallied 14 receptions (on 26 targets) for 99 yards across 11 regular-season appearances for the Saints in 2024.

Tipton saw action right away as a rookie and seemed to be growing into a larger role by the midway point of the year. The undrafted wideout peaked when he caught six of nine targets while playing 82 percent of snaps Week 7. But, his production quickly faded with only two catches over the next three games, and he was ruled a healthy scratch for six of the final seven contests. This was somewhat surprising, as top wideouts Chris Olave (concussion) and Rashid Shaheed (knee) were sidelined for the final nine and 11 games of the regular season, respectively. The Saints instead relied upon its tight ends and a patchwork group of journeymen wideouts, including Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kevin Austin, Cedrick Wilson and Dante Pettis. Tipton will likely compete for a reserve role heading into the 2025 season.

Wilson appeared in 15 regular-season games for the Saints in 2024, totaling 20 catches (on 27 targets) for 211 yards and one touchdown.

Wilson saw consistent playing time as the third or fourth wideout for the Saints this season. The 29-year-old joined New Orleans on a two-year, $5.2 million contract in March after spending his previous two seasons in Miami. Wilson was expected to provide some veteran depth behind top wideouts Chris Olave (concussion) and Rashid Shaheed (knee), but he never made much of an impact even though the duo missed the final nine and 11 games of the season, respectively. Wilson logged more than three receptions in just one game, and he ultimately finished with less than 25 catches for the third season in a row. He'll likely have to compete for a reserve role once again heading into the 2025 season.

Austin collected 11 of 22 targets for 151 yards across eight regular-season appearances for the Saints in 2024.

Austin started the regular season on New Orleans' practice squad and didn't see the field until being called into action Week 10. He went on to play in the final eight games of the regular season, as the Saints' receiving corps was extremely depleted while wideouts Chris Olave (concussion) and Rashid Shaheed (knee) were sidelined for the final nine and 11 games of the season, respectively. Austin played at least half of the offensive snaps in all but one of his eight appearances, but he never logged more than three receptions in any of these contests. Instead, wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling and tight ends Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau (knee) all commanded more targets than Austin over this stretch. Austin is slated to become an exclusive rights free agent following the 2025 season.

Oliver recorded six receptions on nine targets for 95 yards across 10 games in 2024.

Oliver's stat line isn't impressive in traditional terms, though he rose significantly through the roster. He joined the Titans as an undrafted free agent following the 2024 Draft, and he earned a spot on the practice squad to begin the campaign. He then joined the active roster in Week 9 and served in a depth role among the receiver corps while also chipping in on special teams. Tennessee will presumably aim to improve its pass catchers this offseason, potentially putting Oliver's roster spot in jeopardy.

Melton recorded one catch on three targets for 16 yards in Sunday's 22-10 loss to the Eagles.

The Packers were down several key pass catchers, as Christian Watson (knee) was inactive, while Jayden Reed (shoulder) and Romeo Doubs (head) were also forced to exit the game. That forced Melton into a more significant role, and he earned multiple targets in a game for just the sixth time in 18 total contests for the campaign. Melton has had moments of productivity in his first two years as a pro, but if he sticks with the Packers as a restricted free agent, he'll likely remain relatively buried on the depth chart.

Brown hauled in all five of his targets for 89 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 23-20 win over Tampa Bay.

Brown got the scoring going for Washington when he brought down a 10-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter of Sunday's wild-card round matchup. The fourth-year pro out of North Carolina tacked on 79 more yards in order to finish with his best receiving line in the Commanders' first playoff appearance since drafting the wideout in 2021. Brown may be asked to continue his elevated role in the divisional round if Washington is forced to keep up with Detroit's high-octane offense.