NFL Player News

Thielen said Monday he intents to evaluate his potential playing future now that Carolina's regular season has concluded, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

Thielen said he's currently leaning a certain direction but isn't ready to reveal his thoughts. The 34-year-old veteran has one year remaining on his contract with the Panthers, though Carolina has a potential out this offseason with only $5 million in dead cap. Still, Thielen was again one of Bryce Young's most trusted targets in the passing game during the 2024 campaign, in which he compiled a 48-615-5 line on 62 targets, despite suiting up for just 10 games. If Thielen decides to continue his NFL career, it would seem in the best interest of both sides for him to stick with the Panthers.

Lazard caught all three of his targets for 71 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 32-20 win over the Dolphins. He finishes the season with 37 catches for 530 yards and six touchdowns on 60 targets in 12 appearances.

Lazard caught Aaron Rodgers' 501st regular-season touchdown pass on a 13-yard strike 59 seconds before halftime. The 29-year-old wide receiver scored five times through Week 6, but the Week 18 score was his only touchdown thereafter, as Lazard missed five games due to a chest injury and took a back seat after Davante Adams' arrival. The Jets almost certainly will utilize their out at the halfway point of Lazard's four-year, $44 million contract this offseason, as he hasn't come close to justifying that deal.

Watson (knee) is believed to have sustained a torn right ACL and additional damage to his knee during Sunday's loss to the Bears, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Watson's injury timing is devastating both for his odds of being ready for the start of the 2025 season and for a Packers team hoping to kick off a playoff push beginning with Sunday's wild-card round matchup in Philadelphia. The 2022 second-round pick suffered a non-contact injury in the second quarter of Sunday's loss to Chicago and subsequently was carted to the locker room. Dontayvion Wicks will figure to step into the No. 3 role behind Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs (illness) in the wake of Watson's injury, with Bo Melton and Malik Heath also now slated for expanded roles.

Douglas finished the 2024 regular season with 66 catches (on 87 targets) for 621 yards and three TDs in 17 games.

Douglas, who also recorded three carries for 16 yards, ended up tied with tight end Hunter Henry for the team lead in catches during the Patriots' 4-13 season. Looking ahead, Douglas is poised to maintain his key role in the team's offense in 2025, and working with ascending young QB Drake Maye should provide the 2023 sixth-rounder with a decent weekly fantasy floor in PPR formats next season.

Mingo caught both his targets for 24 yards in Sunday's loss to the Commanders.

It's the first time in eight games for the Cowboys that Mingo caught multiple passes. A second-round pick of the Panthers in 2023, the Ole Miss product has struggled in the NFL so far, and he managed just a 17-167-0 line on 42 targets as a second-year pro over 17 appearances between Carolina and Dallas. Even on an affordable rookie contract, there's little reason to think Mingo will have a significant role in the Cowboys' passing game in 2025.

Turpin caught three of five targets for 53 yards, gained five rushing yards on his only carry and added 32 return yards in Sunday's loss to the Commanders.

The versatile third-year wideout hauled in multiple passes for the first time since Week 13. Turpin took on a slightly bigger role in the Cowboys offense down the stretch with CeeDee Lamb (shoulder) on the shelf, but his primary value to Dallas comes on special teams. The 28-year-old is one of the league's elite return men, leading the NFL with 904 kickoff return yards in 2024, and Turpin was the only player to score a TD on both a punt and a kickoff return this season. He'll be a restricted free agent this offseason.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday that Flowers (knee) avoided a season-ending injury in Week 18 and is considered day-to-day.

Flowers underwent an MRI after exiting Baltimore's 35-10 win over the Browns on Saturday due to what was initially diagnosed as a right knee sprain. Harbaugh declined to confirm whether the injury is indeed a sprain, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, and he didn't offer an update on Flowers' chances of being available for Saturday's wild-card round matchup against the Steelers. If the second-year wideout is unable to suit up, the likes of Nelson Agholor, Tylan Wallace and Devontez Walker could see expanded roles in the passing game behind Rashod Bateman, although Flowers' absence could also just mean more looks for tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely.

Pittman said that he will undergo tests on his back Monday to determine whether he'll require offseason surgery, Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star reports.

Though he missed just one game all season, Pittman disclosed Monday that he's been feeling pain in his back since training camp. He first showed up on the Colts' injury report with a back issue in Week 3, when a scan revealed he was dealing with a small fracture. Pittman continued to play through the injury even though doctors informed him that his condition would likely worsen. Playing at less than 100 percent, in addition to lackluster quarterback play from Anthony Richardson (back) and Joe Flacco, contributed to a down season for Pittman. Pittman's 69-808-3 line on 111 targets represented a big step back from his career-best 2023 campaign, in which he produced a 109-1,152-4 line on 156 targets over 16 games.

Johnson was not targeted in the Bears' 24-22 win over the Packers on Sunday.

Johnson ended the season as the No. 4 receiver on the Bears' depth chart, but it only resulted in one catch for six yards on two targets. After Johnson posted 272 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie with the Jaguars in 2020, he's become less productive each season. Over the last two seasons, the veteran has two catches for 17 yards. Johnson is set to hit unrestricted free agency.

Carter ended the season on injured reserve after catching nine passes for 72 yards in nine games.

Carter finishes the year with nine catches for 72 yards on 14 targets. His main contributions came on special teams, where Carter returned 15 kickoffs for 479 yards and 17 punts for 158 yards. Carter also lost one fumble. Josh Blackwell took over punt-return duties following Carter's injury. The veteran is now an unrestricted free agent.