NFL Player News
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Travis Etienne RB | NO
Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Hits paydirt in wild-card loss
Etienne carried the ball 10 times for 67 yards and caught all five of his targets for 49 yards and a touchdown in the Jaguars' 27-24 loss to the Bills in the wild-card round Sunday.
The 26-year-old back capped his first playoff appearance since 2022 with a 14-yard TD catch from Trevor Lawrence in the fourth quarter that briefly gave Jacksonville a 24-20 lead, but which left over four minutes on the clock for Josh Allen to answer back. Etienne heads into potential free agency this offseason having produced 1,399 scrimmage yards and a career-high 13 TDs (seven rushing, six receiving) over 17 regular-season games, and he could draw significant interest from teams in need of backfield help if the Jags elect to let him walk away.
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Trevor Lawrence QB | JAC
Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence: Tough ending to season Sunday
Lawrence completed 18 of 30 passes for 207 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions in the Jaguars' 27-24 loss to the Bills in the wild-card round Sunday. He added 31 rushing yards on six carries.
The 26-year-old quarterback found Brian Thomas, Parker Washington and Travis Etienne for TDs, with the last two coming in the fourth quarter as the two teams traded the lead back and forth, but Lawrence saw a pass attempt on Jacksonville's final play deflect off the hands of Jakobi Meyers and straight to Cole Bishop to end any chance of one more rally. It was a disappointing end to a strong campaign for Lawrence, who now has an 8:7 TD:INT in three career playoff games. He'll head into next season with a firm grasp of head coach Liam Coen's scheme after topping 4,000 passing yards for the third time in the last four years in 2025 and compiling a career-high 38 total TDs (29 passing, nine rushing).
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Brandin Cooks WR | BUF
Bills' Brandin Cooks: Comes up big in wild-card win
Cooks caught three of five targets for 58 yards in the Bills' 27-24 win over the Jaguars in the wild-card round Sunday.
The veteran wideout got open for a 36-yard gain just before the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter, helping to set up a one-yard TD plunge by Josh Allen for the game-winning score. Cooks has been a valuable addition for Buffalo since being picked up late in the regular season, and over his last two games he's delivered a 7-159-0 line on 11 targets while providing a downfield threat to complement possession receiver Khalil Shakir. Cooks will likely need to make an impact again if the Bills are going to advance past the divisional round next weekend.
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Dalton Kincaid TE | BUF
Bills' Dalton Kincaid: Finds end zone Sunday
Kincaid caught three of five targets for 28 yards and a touchdown in the Bills' 27-24 win over the Jaguars in the wild-card round Sunday.
The third-year tight end connected with Josh Allen on a 15-yard TD midway through the fourth quarter, part of a wild sequence in which the two teams got into the end zone on four straight drives as they traded the lead back and forth. It was Kincaid's second score in six career playoff games, and his first score since Week 14 this season as he played sparingly down the stretch. Kincaid appears full healthy, however, as the Bills await their opponent in the divisional round.
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George Kittle TE | SF
49ers' George Kittle: Suffers Achilles injury Sunday
Kittle won't return to Sunday's playoff game against the Eagles after sustaining an Achilles' injury.
After being carted off the field Sunday, it didn't take the 49ers long to rule Kittle out for the remainder of the contest. Look for the tight end to undergo further testing later Sunday or Monday, but it looks like he may be dealing with a serious injury. In his absence, Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell are San Francisco's available TEs.
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Khalil Shakir WR | BUF
Bills' Khalil Shakir: Dozen grabs in wild-card win
Shakir caught all 12 of his targets for 82 yards in the Bills' 27-24 win over the Jaguars in the wild-card round Sunday.
Josh Allen was completely in sync with his top target to begin Buffalo's playoff run, as no other Bills players got more than five targets or hauled in more than three passes. Shakir's dozen catches were a new single-game high for his career, regular season or postseason, while the 82 yards were his best showing since Week 12. The Bills won't know who they're playing in the divisional round until after the weekend's games are over, but Shakir figures to see high volume no matter who the opponent is.
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James Cook RB | BUF
Bills' James Cook: Stymied by Jags in wild-card win
Cook carried the ball 15 times for 46 yards and caught two of three targets for five yards in the Bills' 27-24 win over the Jaguars during the wild-card round Sunday.
After amassing a career-high 1,621 yards during the regular season to secure his first career rushing crown, Cook had trouble finding room to roam against an elite Jags run defense, with his longest gain going for just 11 yards. Not counting a Week 18 contest in which he made only a cameo appearance, it was the first time Cook had been held below 50 yards since Week 11. The Bills won't know who they're playing next until after the weekend's games are over, but Cook is likely to face another tough opponent next weekend, with the Broncos and Texans among their potential divisional-round matchups.
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George Kittle TE | SF
49ers' George Kittle: Exits Sunday's game
Kittle was carted off the field during Sunday's playoff game against the Eagles after sustaining an apparent lower-leg injury, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Per Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area, Kittle reached for his right lower leg after being tackled prior to his exit from the contest. At first glance, this doesn't look good for the tight end, with added context set to arrive once the 49ers make an official injury announcement.
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Ji'Ayir Brown SAF | SF
49ers' Ji'Ayir Brown: Dealing with hamstring injury
Brown (hamstring) is questionable to return to Sunday's contest against the Eagles, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Brown suffered a hamstring injury in the second quarter of the team's matchup with Philadelphia in the wild-card round. In his absence, Jason Pinnock and Marques Sigle are top candidates to see added snaps at safety.
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Josh Allen QB | BUF
Bills' Josh Allen: Carries Buffalo to divisional round
Allen completed 28 of 35 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown while adding 33 rushing yards and two TDs on 11 carries in the Bills' 27-24 win over the Jaguars during the wild-card round on Sunday.
The superstar quarterback put Buffalo on his back once again, producing two of his three scores in the fourth quarter as the two teams traded the lead back and forth, including a one-yard plunge into the end zone with 1:04 left on the clock for the game-winning touchdown. Allen took a beating from the Jacksonville defense during the contest however, getting checked out in the blue medical tent twice, and he was seen limping in the locker room after the game per Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. The Bills won't know who they're playing until after the weekend's games are over, but Allen will almost certainly play through whatever injuries he might have on the road in the divisional round. He's produced multiple TDs in five of his last six full games dating back to Week 13, racking up 14 scores (eight passing, six rushing) in total during that time with only two turnovers.