NFL Player News
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Matt Prater K | BUF
Bills' Matt Prater: Returns to practice Thursday
Prater (quadriceps) is participating in practice Thursday, Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News reports.
Prater and practice squad kicker Matthew Wright are both practicing Thursday, though the former's participation level remains to be seen after Prater didn't practice Wednesday. After kicking in Buffalo's first 14 games of the regular season, Prater sat out Weeks 16 and 17 due to a quadriceps injury in his right, kicking leg, and he was unable to complete the Week 18 win over the Jets due to the injury. Either Prater or Wright will kick for the Bills in Sunday's wild-card road game against the Jaguars.
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Brandin Cooks WR | BUF
Bills' Brandin Cooks: Healthy heading into playoffs
Cooks wasn't listed on Wednesday's injury report, confirming that he's healthy heading into Sunday's wild-card round game at Jacksonville.
Cooks was inactive for the regular-season finale against the Jets, but that was a coach's decision and the veteran wide receiver is healthy heading into the playoffs. It remains to be seen which options the Bills dress at the position against the Jaguars, as Cooks, Joshua Palmer (ankle), Tyrell Shavers, Gabe Davis and Keon Coleman have all contributed to various degrees but struggled to find consistency behind the team's No. 1 wideout Khalil Shakir. Cooks had 101 receiving yards in Week 17 against the Eagles but only 13 receiving yards across four other regular-season appearances with Buffalo.
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A.J. Terrell CB | ATL
Falcons' A.J. Terrell: Another impressive season
Terrell recorded 68 total tackles (49 solo), 12 passes defensed and two forced fumbles over 15 regular-season games in 2025.
Despite playing 86 fewer defensive snaps in 2025 than in 2024, Terrell still registered more total tackles (66 to 68), passes defensed (six to 12) and forced fumbles (zero to two) than he did last season. The veteran corner from Clemson has proven to be one of the NFL's premier defensive backs, posting 61 passes defensed, including six interceptions, since entering the league in 2020. Under contract through the 2028 season, Terrell is expected to remain a key portion of the Falcons' secondary for years to come.
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Divine Deablo LB | ATL
Falcons' Divine Deablo: Impresses when healthy
Deablo recorded 73 total tackles (38 solo), including 1.0 sacks, and seven passes defensed across 13 regular-season games in 2025.
Despite missing four games this season due to a forearm injury, Deablo still ranked fourth on the Falcons in total tackles and tied for fourth in passes defensed. His impact on Atlanta's defense was evident, as the team allowed 29.8 points per game while he was sidelined, compared to just 21.7 when he was active. Under contract through next season, Deablo is expected to remain an integral portion of the Falcons' linebacker corps in 2026.
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Josh Palmer WR | BUF
Bills' Joshua Palmer: Not seen at practice Thursday
Palmer (ankle) wasn't spotted at Thursday's practice, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.
With Palmer having been deemed a 'DNP' in Wednesday's walkthrough, the wideout now has one more opportunity to practice before the Bills assign injury designations for Sunday's playoff opener against the Jaguars. Palmer recorded an 84 percent snap share in the team's Week 18 win over the Jets, but at this stage it's unclear if the wideout is dealing with a setback related to the ankle injury that he previously dealt with in Weeks 13-15, or if his current issue is something new.
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Xavier Watts SAF | ATL
Falcons' Xavier Watts: Stellar rookie campaign
Watts posted 96 total tackles (59 solo) and 11 passes defensed, including five interceptions, across 17 regular-season games in 2025.
Watts, a 2025 third-round pick from Florida State, made an instant impact in Atlanta, tying for the second-most interceptions in the NFL while ranking third on the team in total tackles and passes defensed. His best game of the season came in the Week 17 upset win over the Rams, when he recorded five total tackles and picked off MVP frontrunner Matthew Stafford twice. Entering his second NFL season, Watts could continue to emerge as one of the league's premier ball hawks in 2026.
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Jessie Bates III FS | ATL
Falcons' Jessie Bates: Numbers drop in 2025
Bates posted 98 total tackles (57 solo), six passes defensed, including three interceptions, and one forced fumble across 17 regular-season games in 2025.
The veteran safety from Wake Forest was one of the Falcons' top defenders in 2025, finishing with the second-most tackles and tying for the second-most interceptions on the team. However, he saw a dip in total tackles (98 to 102), passes defensed (10 to six) and forced fumbles (four to one) from his 2024 totals, despite playing 36 more defensive snaps this season. While Bates' production has taken a dip in two consecutive seasons, he remains one of the NFL's premier safeties. Under contract through the 2026 season, he's expected to remain one of the Falcons' top defensive playmakers next year.
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Kaden Elliss LB | ATL
Falcons' Kaden Elliss: Production dips in 2025
Elliss recorded 107 total tackles (59 solo), including 3.5 sacks, six passes defensed, including one interception, and one forced fumble over 17 regular-season games in 2025.
The veteran linebacker from Idaho remained one of the Falcons' top defensive playmakers in 2025, leading the team in total tackles and setting a new career high in passes defensed. However, Elliss saw declines in both total tackles (151 to 107) and sacks (6.0 to 3.5) compared to his 2024 campaign, despite logging 48 more defensive snaps this season. The 30-year-old is set to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason and could still command a solid contract following his third consecutive season with triple-digit stops.
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Zane Gonzalez K | ATL
Falcons' Zane Gonzalez: Impresses in Atlanta
Gonzalez made 19 of 22 field-goal attempts and 17 of 18 point-after tries across nine regular-season games with the Falcons in 2025.
The 30-year-old from Arizona State was picked up by the Falcons in early November and operated as the team's top kicker for the remainder of the season. Gonzalez was reliable and converted on 86.4 percent of his field-goal attempts, with two of his three misses coming from beyond 50 yards. Set to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason, Gonzalez will likely be a candidate to return to Atlanta following a strong finish to the 2025 campaign.
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Charlie Woerner TE | ATL
Falcons' Charlie Woerner: Catches eight passes in 2025
Woerner caught eight of nine targets for 48 yards across 17 regular-season games in 2025.
Despite operating as the Falcons' No. 2 tight end and logging a career-high 562 offensive snaps, the 28-year-old was targeted just nine times this season. Woerner's high snap count was largely a byproduct of Atlanta running the second-highest percentage of plays out of 12-personnel (38.2 percent) in the NFL, as he was primarily used as a blocker. He remains under contract through the 2026 season, and with Kyle Pitts set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, Woerner could compete for the Falcons' top TE spot next year.