NFL Player News

Palmer (foot) has been ruled out for Saturday's wild-card round game against the Texans.

Palmer, who was unable to practice this week, thus will target a potential return to action in the divisional round of the playoffs, should the Chargers advance. In Palmer's absence, wideouts DJ Chark and Derius Davis are candidates to see added snaps alongside Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston (thigh/illness), provided Johnston is available after being deemed questionable for Saturday's contest.

Crowder (groin) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday.

Crowder has kicked off preparation for the wild-card round with back-to-back capped practices due to a groin injury, leaving him just one more chance to get back to full participation Friday or else risk entering the weekend with a designation ahead Sunday's game at Tampa Bay. Since returning from injured reserve Week 15 at New Orleans, he's had a modest role in the Commanders offense, putting together an 8-67-2 line on 12 targets over the last four contests.

Johnston (thigh/illness) is listed as questionable for Saturday's wild-card game against the Texans.

After producing a career-best 13-186-0 receiving line on 14 targets in the Chargers' Week 18 win over the Raiders, Johnston has been tending to a pair of health concerns that have kept him out of one practice and limited him in two others leading up to the playoff opener. Head coach Jim Harbaugh hasn't shed much light on the severity of the thigh injury or illness, but Johnston's status will now be worth keeping close tabs on leading up to Saturday's 4:30 p.m. ET kickoff. With the Chargers ruling out Joshua Palmer (foot) for the wild-card game, DJ Chark and Derius Davis would be next in line to take on more reps behind No. 1 wideout Ladd McConkey if Johnston is unable to play.

Agholor is expected to handle an increased role at wide receiver during Saturday's wild-card round game against the Steelers, with Zay Flowers (knee) ruled out, Jamison Hensley of ESPN reports.

Agholor sat out Baltimore's regular-season finale against the Browns as a healthy scratch, though he missed the team's prior two games while recovering from a concussion. Rashod Bateman will be called upon to step up as the Raven's top wideout with Flowers sidelined, and tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely are also capable of shouldering greater roles in the receiving game. Agholor, though, could see one of his highest snap shares of the year while working as the No. 2 receiver behind Bateman, with Tylan Wallace and Devontez Walker also inheriting expanded depth roles.

Corley caught three of six targets for 16 yards and rushed twice for 26 yards in nine games in 2024.

Corley didn't see the field much as a rookie, and what would have been his best play was marred by a brain cramp, as he celebrated prematurely and dropped the ball before crossing the goal line on an 18-yard run against the Texans in Week 9. The 2024 third-round draft pick out of Western Kentucky was known for gaining yards after the catch in college, but Corley didn't get many chances to showcase those skills in his first NFL season.

Gipson finished the 2024 season with six catches for 39 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets. He also rushed once for five yards, in addition to returning 33 punts for 266 yards and 17 kickoffs for 489 yards.

Gipson was a non-factor on offense and saw declines in both punt-return and kickoff-return yards compared to his rookie year despite leading the league in punts returned in 2024. The 23-year-old out of Stephen F. Austin has a decent chance of making the team in 2025 thanks to his special-teams contributions, though Gipson will likely face competition in training camp.

Brown (knee/rest) wasn't spotted during the media-access portion of Thursday's practice, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

After Wednesday's session, Brown was listed as limited due to knee/rest, which has been the norm for the wide receiver stretching back to Week 16 prep. While he played Weeks 16 and 17, he was held out of the Eagles' regular-season finale against the Giants along with a number of other starters. According to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer, there's an expectation that Brown will suit up for Sunday's wild-card game against the Packers, so his potential absence Thursday may be related to maintenance. Philadelphia's upcoming injury report ultimately will reveal Brown's activity level, or lack thereof.

Hill's agent Drew Rosenhaus said Thursday that the wideout is still "committed to this Dolphin football team" despite his saying "I'm out" after Miami's loss to the Jets in Week 18, Eric Edholm of NFL.com reports.

Rosenhaus said Hill "had an excellent meeting with [general manager] Chris Grier and [head coach] Mike McDaniel," after he appeared to remove himself from the Dolphins' regular-season finale early, playing just 40 percent of offensive snaps. Across 17 regular-season games in 2024, Hill compiled just a 81-959-6 receiving line on 123 targets, his first time failing to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark since 2019. He remains under contract with Miami through the 2026 campaign, but after saying "it was great playing here but at the end of the day, I have to do what's best for my career" following the team's loss to New York, it seems clear that Hill is open to, if not actively looking for, a change of scenery. Rosenhaus' comments may simply be an effort to make a potential offseason trade more achievable for the Dolphins.

Bateman will work as the team's No. 1 wideout during Saturday's wild-card round game against the Steelers, with Zay Flowers (knee) ruled out, Jonas Shaffer of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

Bateman stepped up admirably after Flowers' departure against the Browns in Week 18, a 35-10 victory in which he secured five of eight targets for 76 yards and a score. Tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely also will be available to help make up for Flowers' absence in the passing game, but Bateman figures to have no shortage of opportunities to produce on a playoff stage Saturday. The 2021 first-round pick is coming off the best regular-season of his career, having compiled a 45-756-9 receiving line in 17 appearances.

Head coach John Harbaugh noted Thursday that Flowers (knee) won't play in Saturday night's wild-card round game against the Steelers.

Flowers, who sprained his right knee in this past Saturday's win over the Browns, didn't practice this week and will target a potential return to action in the divisional round, should Baltimore defeat Pittsburgh. In Flowers' absence, Rashod Bateman is in line to work as the team's top wideout this weekend, with Nelson Agholor, Tylan Wallace and Devontez Walker also slated to mix in.