NFL Player News

Smith (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's NFC wild-card game against the Packers.

With the Eagles having nothing to play for in the regular-season finale against the Giants, Smith saw an expanded role on offense while A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith rested. Smith played a season-high 47 snaps on offense and finished with four catches (on six targets) for 35 yards and a touchdown in a 20-13 win. With higher stakes on the line Sunday, Smith will observe the game in street clothes while the Eagles go with a wide receiver corps of Brown, Smith, Jahan Dotson, Johnny Wilson and Parris Campbell.

Jones didn't receive a target and played 11 offensive snaps during Jacksonville's Week 18 loss to Indianapolis.

The 26-year-old was sparingly involved in the Jaguars' offense throughout the season, and that went unchanged in the season finale. Jones caught three of five targets for 41 yards while playing in all 17 games. He's heading into 2025 as a restricted free agent, but he likely won't be a significant factor even if he sticks around Jacksonville.

Duvernay wasn't targeted and returned two punts for 15 yards during Jacksonville's Week 18 loss to Indianapolis.

Duvernay entered the contest with at least one catch in five straight games, but he wasn't targeted in the season finale and played just five offensive snaps. He's primary worked as a return man this season and had 11 catches for 79 yards and four carries for three yards in 13 games. Duvernay is under contract for 2025 but could be cut for a dead money penalty of $1.2 million with just over $2.7 million in savings, so there's a chance he's cut loose during the offseason.

Pickens recorded five receptions on five targets for 87 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 28-14 loss to the Ravens.

Pickens was coming off a poor close to the regular season, though he keyed the slight offensive resurgence the Steelers showed in the second half of their playoff loss. That began with an impressive 36-yard touchdown catch, during which Pickens spun to split two defenders along the sideline. He also chipped in an acrobatic 26-yard leaping reception on an underthrown ball from Russell Wilson midway through the fourth quarter. Pickens will be entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2025, making him a potential extension candidate this offseason. Regardless of whether a deal gets done, he should be set to lead the Pittsburgh receiving corps once again next season.

Bateman brought in both of his targets for 24 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 28-14 playoff win over the Steelers.

Bateman got the scoring started for the Ravens when he brought in a 15-yard pass from Lamar Jackson to cap off a successful first drive on offense. The 25-year-old Bateman was used sparingly over the remainder of the contest despite operating as the team's No. 1 wideout sans Zay Flowers (knee). With the Ravens advancing to the divisional round, Flowers could potentially return next weekend. In that scenario, Bateman's elevated fantasy value from the wild-card round would return to marginal levels as opposed to carrying over to Baltimore's next matchup.

Johnston (thigh) failed to bring in any of his five targets in Saturday's 32-12 playoff loss Houston.

Johnston entered the wild-card round loss carrying a questionable tag, but he showed no limitations from the thigh injury while running routes. The 23-year-old's playoff debut was instead plagued by his hands after he suffered multiple drops en route to a zero-catch performance. Saturday's dud comes on the heels of Johnston's best game of his career in Week 18 against the Raiders (13-186-0). The inconsistent sophomore finished the regular season with a 55-711-8 receiving line across 15 games for the Chargers.

Metchie recorded four receptions on eight targets for 28 yards in Saturday's 32-12 win over the Chargers. He also lost a fumble.

Metchie's day got off to a rough start, as he fumbled after a seven-yard reception on Houston's first offensive play of the game. He recovered to tie for the team lead with eight targets, though he was inefficient with his opportunity and also tallied a long catch of only 10 yards. He should maintain a key role throughout Houston's postseason run due to both Stefon Diggs (knee) and Tank Dell (knee) being sidelined for the long term.

Collins recorded seven receptions on eight targets for 122 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 32-12 win over the Chargers.

The Texans offense was stalled early, though Collins made several big plays to serve as the key playmaker in the win. His biggest contributions came on the team's first touchdown drive late in the second quarter, when he delivered a 37-yard gain followed by a 13-yard touchdown catch three plays later. The performance marked Collins' highest yardage total in three career playoff games and marked his first 100-yard performance since Week 13.

The Bills elevated Virgil from the practice squad to the active roster Saturday.

Virgil played in seven regular-season games for the Bills in 2024 and had two separate stints on Buffalo's practice squad. He's mostly been used on special teams, and that would likely be his role against the Broncos on Sunday if he's active.

McConkey reeled in nine receptions on 14 targets for 197 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 32-12 wild-card round loss to Houston.

McConkey made quite the splash in his postseason debut, setting a new career high in receiving yards (197) while tying his previous high-water mark in receptions (nine). The 23-year-old rookie's box score result was the only one worth mentioning for a Chargers squad that netted just 261 yards of offense against the Texans. The disparity between McConkey and all of Los Angeles' other available receiving options in the blowout loss highlights the team's need to surround its No. 1 option with talent as we look ahead to the 2025 season.