NFL Player News

Waddle (knee) won't practice Wednesday, Travis Wingfield of the Dolphins' official site reports.

Head coach Mike McDaniel said Monday that the knee injury Waddle sustained in the Week 15 loss to the Texans is "not major, not surgery-related," and McDaniel referred to the wideout as day-to-day Wednesday. The coach added that he's hopeful Waddle could be available this weekend, but the receiver's status for Sunday's game against the 49ers is still undetermined at this juncture. If Waddle ends up sidelined in Week 16, Malik Washington would step into an expanded role behind No. 1 receiver Tyreek Hill.

New England signed Erickson to its practice squad Wednesday, Mark Daniels of MassLive.com reports.

Erickson appeared in eight games with the Chargers in 2023, but he's spent the whole of the 2024 season so far in free agency. The Patriots have, arguably, the most shallow group of wide receivers in the league, so it's not out of the question that he could find his way onto the field before the year ends.

McCaffrey reeled in his lone target for no gain and played 12 of the Commanders' 78 snaps on offense in Sunday's 20-19 win over the Saints.

Coming out of a Week 14 bye, the Commanders placed No. 2 wideout Noah Brown (kidney) on injured reserve, but his absence didn't open up any more opportunities for McCaffrey. In fact, McCaffrey saw his snap count on offense get cut in half from the Commanders' previous game, when he logged 22 snaps in a Week 13 win over the Titans. Though the Commanders lost Brown to IR, Jamison Crowder (calf) was activated prior to Sunday's game and ended up leapfrogging McCaffrey in the pecking order at receiver, finishing fourth in snaps behind fellow wideouts Terry McLaurin, Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus. The 2024 third-round pick out of Rice has struggled to find his footing during his rookie season, recording just 17 receptions for 155 yards on 21 targets through 14 games.

Crowder (calf) played 21 of the Commanders' 78 snaps on offense and recorded three receptions for 27 yards on three targets in Sunday's 20-19 win over the Saints.

Crowder made his return from injured reserve in Week 15, after he had missed the Commanders' previous 10 games with a calf injury. Prior to getting hurt, Crowder didn't have much of a role on offense over Washington's first two games of the season, but the loss of Noah Brown (kidney) opened up some opportunities in the slot for the veteran. Crowder still finished fourth among Commanders receivers in snaps, and he could drop down another spot in the pecking order once waiver pickup K.J. Osborn gets up to speed with the offense.

Conley went without a target while playing three of the 49ers' 54 snaps on offense in Thursday's 12-6 loss to the Rams.

Conley has suited up for each of the 49ers' last five games but has drawn just one target over that stretch. Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall are entrenched as the 49ers' preferred three-receiver set, and rookie Jacob Cowing (four snaps on offense in Week 15) could be threatening Conley for the No. 4 spot on the depth chart.

Pierce (concussion) won't practice Wednesday, Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis reports.

Pierce, who sustained a concussion during Sunday's loss to the Broncos, will have two more chances to practice this week before the Colts face off against the Titans. If Pierce is unable to play this weekend, Adonai Mitchell would be in line to see added opportunities alongside fellow wide receivers Michael Pittman and Josh Downs.

Cowing returned five punts for 51 yards and went without a target while playing four of the 49ers' 54 snaps on offense in Thursday's 12-6 loss to the Rams.

The rookie fourth-round pick out of Arizona has been serving as the 49ers' top punt returner throughout the season, but he's struggled to find a role on offense even while Brandon Aiyuk (knee), Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall have missed multiple games due to injuries. Though Aiyuk is out for the season, Jennings and Pearsall have been healthy for several weeks now and, along with Deebo Samuel, are continuing to work comfortably ahead of Cowing at receiver. Cowing has recorded just two catches for 50 yards on four targets while playing just 39 snaps on offense all season.

Janke (undisclosed) worked out for the Commanders on Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Janke, who was waived with an injury settlement by Houston during the offseason, appears back to full health, though he couldn't turn his initial tryout with Washington into a practice squad opportunity. He'll continue vying for a reserve role around the league.

Tucker caught two of three targets for 18 yards in Monday's 15-9 loss to the Falcons.

Tucker's first reception didn't come until the Raiders' penultimate offensive drive of the contest, as quarterback Desmond Ridder struggled to get the ball to his receivers while running back Ameer Abdullah served as a security blanket en route to seven catches on as many targets for 58 yards and a score. Tucker's fantasy floor remains quite low for an upcoming Week 16 matchup against the Jaguars, though Aidan O'Connell's (knee) potential return under center likely helps the passing offense as a whole.

Smith returned one punt for 10 yards while playing all 13 of his snaps on special teams in Thursday's 12-6 win over the 49ers.

Smith was one of seven Rams receivers active Thursday, but he went without any snaps on offense for the second straight game while the other six wideouts all worked ahead of him. He'll continue to bring most of his value to the Rams in the return game.