NFL Player News
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Dyami Brown WR | JAC
Jaguars' Dyami Brown: Healthy inactive for playoff opener
Brown (coach's decision) is a healthy inactive for Sunday's wild-card game against the Bills.
Jacksonville elevated Tim Patrick from the practice squad Saturday and will opt to go with him as their No. 5 receiver ahead of Brown, who is a healthy inactive for the first time since Week 13. After joining the Jaguars on a one-year, $10 million deal in March, Brown was a disappointment during the regular season, finishing with a 20-227-1 receiving line on 37 targets while adding 30 yards on six carries over 14 games.
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Christopher Brooks RB | GB
Packers' Chris Brooks: Packers' clear RB3 in 2025
Brooks finished the 2025 regular season with 27 carries for 106 yards and 13 catches (on 17 targets) for 91 yards across 17 games with the Packers.
With 2024 third-rounder MarShawn Lloyd (hamstring) spending the entire season on injured reserve, Brooks stepped up as the Packers' third option out of the backfield behind Josh Jacobs and Emanuel Wilson. Brooks split his snaps fairly evenly across offense and special teams but took on more offensive responsibilities in Weeks 12 and 18 (both times against the Vikings) when Jacobs was sidelined, with the former accumulating 19 carries for 82 yards and one catch for five yards over those two games. Brooks enters the offseason as a restricted free agent and could be tendered by the Packers.
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Emanuel Wilson RB | GB
Packers' Emanuel Wilson: Serves as Jacobs' backup in 2025
Wilson turned 125 carries into 496 yards and three touchdowns while adding 15 catches (on 17 targets) for 99 yards over 17 regular-season games (two starts) for the Packers in 2025. He also returned nine kickoffs for 233 yards.
For a second consecutive season, Wilson served as the Packers' No. 2 option behind Josh Jacobs. The former managed to draw two starts, the first of which took place in Week 12 against the Vikings, when he broke out for 107 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries while hauling in both of his targets for 18 yards. Wilson saw double-digit carries in four regular-season games but only one carry (for three yards) during Green Bay's 31-27 NFC wild-card loss to Chicago on Saturday while playing 13 of 71 offensive snaps (18.3 percent). The Packers have the option to tender Wilson during the offseason, which would make the soon-to-be 26-year-old running back a restricted free agent.
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Malik Willis QB | GB
Packers' Malik Willis: Plays well in relief
Willis completed 30 of 35 passes (85.7 percent) for 422 yards and three touchdowns while logging 22 carries for 123 yards and two scores across four regular-season games (one start) for the Packers in 2025.
Willis was thrust into a starting role in Week 17 against the Ravens after Jordan Love suffered a concussion during the Packers' Week 16 overtime loss to the Bears. Willis ended up aggravating a right shoulder injury during the fourth quarter against Baltimore and was replaced by Clayton Tune, and that game ended up being the former's last appearance of the 2025 season. Willis was cast away by the Titans in August of 2024 in favor of Will Levis, but the former has played well in his two years as the Packers' backup behind Love. Willis enters the offseason as an unrestricted free agent, and while his familiarity with the Packers' offense could sway him to stay in Green Bay, the 2022 third-rounder will have the opportunity to explore his options and sign with a team who can provide a clearer path to winning the starting quarterback job.
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Cole Van Lanen OG | JAC
Jaguars' Cole Van Lanen: Not playing vs. Buffalo
Van Lanen (knee) is inactive for Sunday's AFC wild-card game against the Bills, Demetrius Harvey of The Florida Times-Union reports.
Van Lanen injured his right knee during the Jaguars' Week 18 win over the Titans, just two days after inking a three-year, $51 million contract extension. The fifth-year offensive lineman earned himself the questionable tag for the wild-card round after logging a full practice Friday, but his knee injury was severe enough for him to not be cleared by medical staff to play Sunday. In Van Lanen's absence, Walker Little is expected to draw the start at left tackle, per Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network.
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Ty Johnson RB | BUF
Bills' Ty Johnson: Inactive versus Jaguars
Johnson (ankle) is inactive for Sunday's wild-card contest against the Jaguars.
Johnson logged a season-high 13 carries in the Bills' Week 18 win over the Jets, with the team electing to limit lead back James Cook to just two snaps in order to keep him healthy ahead of the playoffs. Johnson emerged from the contest with an ankle injury that led to him being deemed a non-participant in Wednesday's walkthrough as well as Thursday's practice. After returning to a limited session Friday, Johnson headed into the weekend listed as questionable. Now that he's been made inactive versus Jacksonville, Ray Davis and practice-squad elevation Frank Gore are on hand to work in complementary roles out of Buffalo's backfield behind Cook on Sunday.
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Shaq Green-Thompson OLB | BUF
Bills' Shaq Thompson: Good to go vs. Jacksonville
Thompson (neck) is active for Sunday's AFC wild-card game against the Jaguars.
Thompson played through a neck injury in Week 17 before resting Week 18, and he has progressed enough in his recovery to be cleared to play in Sunday's playoff game. The veteran linebacker finished the regular season with 56 tackles (33 solo), including 1.0 sacks, two pass defenses and one forced fumble over 12 games.
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Matt Prater K | BUF
Bills' Matt Prater: Cleared for wild-card round
Prater (quadriceps) is active for Sunday's AFC wild-card game against the Jaguars.
Prater aggravated a right quadriceps injury during the Bills' Week 18 win over the Jets, which put his status for the playoffs in jeopardy. He strung together a DNP/FP/DNP practice log to earn the questionable tag, and with Matthew Wright remaining on the practice squad, Prater will be the lone kicker on the Bills' active roster for Sunday's playoff tilt.
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Christian Watson WR | GB
Packers' Christian Watson: Productive following IR return
Watson finished the 2025 regular season with 35 catches (on 55 targets) for 611 yards and six touchdowns across 10 games.
Watson played a key role on the Packers' offense during Saturday's 31-27 NFC wild-card loss to the Bears, finishing with three catches (on seven targets) for 39 yards which included a seven-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Love late in the first quarter. Watson missed the first seven games of the regular season while recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered in Week 18 of the 2024 campaign. Despite the missed time, the fourth-year pro finished the regular season second on the Packers in catches, targets and yards behind Romeo Doubs. Even with Green Bay bringing in rookie Matthew Golden, Watson still played a key part in the offense, particularly after Tucker Kraft tore his ACL in Week 9 against the Panthers. Watson -- who the Packers selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft -- is under contract with Green Bay through the 2026 campaign.
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Tyler Higbee TE | LAR
Rams' Tyler Higbee: Hauls in long catch vs. Carolina
Higbee caught two passes (on three targets) for 45 yards during the Rams' 34-31 win over the Panthers during Saturday's NFC wild-card game.
Higbee brought in a 36-yard pass from Matthew Stafford midway through the second quarter to put the Rams in Panthers territory, leading to a 46-yard field goal from Harrison Mevis four plays later. Higbee played 39 of 76 offensive snaps (51.3 percent), which was second most among Rams tight ends behind Colby Parkinson (57 snaps), and the former finished third on the team in receiving yards behind Puka Nacua (111) and Davante Adams (72). Terrance Ferguson was inactive for the wild-card round due to a hamstring injury, so Higbee and Parkinson would operate as the Rams' top tight ends for the divisional round if Ferguson is not cleared to play.