NFL Player News
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Tyrell Shavers WR | BUF
Bills' Tyrell Shavers: Knee injury being evaluated
Bills head coach Sean McDermott said Monday that Shavers (knee) is being evaluated in the wake of Sunday's 27-24 wild-card win over the Jaguars, Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News reports.
Shavers briefly left the field Sunday to have a knee injury checked out by trainers, but he managed to retake the field, finishing the game with one catch for 14 yards (two targets). Meanwhile, McDermott has confirmed that Gabe Davis (knee) suffered a season-ending ACL tear Sunday. If Shavers is able to get fully healthy in time to face Denver in the AFC divisional round Saturday, he will stand to handle an increased role on offense due to Davis' absence.
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Dalton Kincaid TE | BUF
Bills' Dalton Kincaid: Injury severity downplayed
Bills head coach Sean McDermott said Monday that Kincaid (lower leg) wearing a walking boot after Sunday's 27-24 win over the Jaguars in the wild-card round was "precautionary," Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.
McDermott said Kincaid "should be fine" for Saturday's upcoming divisional-round road matchup against the Broncos, per Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News, but the third-year tight end's activity level at practice will be worth monitoring. Kincaid secured three of five targets for 28 yards and one touchdown versus Jacksonville, which was the sixth time across the 2025 campaign that he and quarterback Josh Allen have connected for a receiving score. The 28 offensive snaps Kincaid handled versus the Jaguars marks his largest workload since Week 5 of the regular season.
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Gabe Davis WR | BUF
Bills' Gabe Davis: Torn ACL confirmed
Bills head coach Sean McDermott said Monday that Davis suffered a season-ending ACL tear during Sunday's 27-24 wild-card win over the Jaguars, Maddy Glab of the Bills' official site reports.
Davis' injury not only is season-ending, the timing and severity put the 26-year-old wideout's status for the beginning of the 2026 campaign in jeopardy. He secured two of three targets for 14 yards versus Jacksonville before being carted off the field in the second half. Davis is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and he may well have to complete a full recovery from his left ACL tear before getting another opportunity to sign with a team around the league.
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Derrick Brown DT | CAR
Panthers' Derrick Brown: Returns to form in 2025
Brown recorded five total tackles (four solo) during Saturday's 34-31 wild-card loss to the Rams.
After missing 16 games last season due to a knee injury, Brown returned as one of the NFL's top interior defensive linemen in 2025. He played all 17 regular-season games and recorded 73 total tackles, the second most among interior defensive linemen, while facing double teams on 64.4 percent of his snaps. Additionally, the Auburn product tallied seven passes defensed, 5.0 sacks and one forced fumble while logging 808 defensive snaps during the regular season. Under contract through the 2028 season, Brown is expected to remain one of the NFL's top defenders in 2026.
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Lenny Krieg K | NYJ
Jets' Lenny Krieg: Joins Jets on reserve/future deal
Krieg signed a reserve/future contract with the Jets on Monday.
Nick Folk is set to become a free agent in the offseason, so Krieg's the only kicker in the organization heading into 2026, though more roster moves are expected to follow in the offseason, including the possibility of the Jets re-signing Folk. The 23-year-old Krieg is a Berlin native who has yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game.
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Bailey Zappe QB | NYJ
Jets' Bailey Zappe: Lands future deal with Jets
Zappe signed a reserve/future contract with the Jets on Monday.
The state of the Jets' quarterback room is in flux heading into the 2026 campaign, so Zappe looks poised to have a realistic chance at a roster spot. Zappe has 15 NFL appearances (nine starts) under his belt, with all of those having come for the Jets' AFC East rival Patriots, but he didn't appear in a regular-season game in 2025.
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Mike Jackson CB | CAR
Panthers' Mike Jackson: Takes another step in 2025
Jackson tallied 68 total tackles (54 solo), 19 passes defensed, including four interceptions, and one forced fumble across 17 regular-season games in 2025.
Jackson was incredible during the Panthers' wild-card loss to the Rams on Saturday, recording four passes defensed, including an interception that helped set up a Carolina touchdown in the third quarter. The Miami product has been one of the NFL's top corners since joining the Panthers in 2024, recording 144 total tackles and 36 passes defensed (most in the NFL), including six interceptions, over 34 regular-season games. Having signed a two-year, $10.5 million extension with Carolina last offseason, Jackson is expected to start opposite Jaycee Horn to form one of the league's premier outside cornerback duos during the 2026 season.
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Omarion Hampton RB | LAC
Chargers' Omarion Hampton: Uneven rookie season ends in loss
Hampton lost a yard on his only carry in the Chargers' 16-3 wild-card loss Sunday to the Patriots.
The rookie was active for the contest despite failing to practice both Wednesday and Thursday due to an ankle injury, but the Chargers opted not to give Hampton -- who logged just two snaps on offense Sunday -- much work as Kimani Vidal took all 11 of the team's other RB carries. It was a rollercoaster of a season for the 2025 first-round pick, as Hampton was thrust immediately into prominence Week 1 due to Najee Harris' eye injury and capped off a solid first month with an explosive 165 total yards on 17 touches Week 4 against the Giants. That game ended up being Hampton's only contest over 100 total yards the rest of the season, however, as the 22-year-old missed seven weeks due to a fractured ankle and returned to work behind an offensive line completely in tatters by Week 14. The Chargers are certainly invested enough in Hampton to make him a sought-after fantasy asset in 2026, but the team will need to make a concerted effort to rebuild an offensive line that was decimated by injuries by the end of the season. Hampton is expected to have at least one complementary piece alongside him come next season, whether it be exclusive rights free agent Vidal, a cheaper veteran comparable to the aforementioned Harris or a combination of both.
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D'Ernest Johnson RB | NE
D'Ernest Johnson: Let go by Patriots
Johnson was waived by the Patriots on Monday.
Johnson played two snaps on special teams in Sunday's 16-3 win over the Chargers in the wild-card round but has been released from New England's 53-man roster the next day. He had 14 carries for 25 yards in eight regular-season games, seven of which came with the Patriots after Johnson notched one appearance for the Cardinals.
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Jaycee Horn CB | CAR
Panthers' Jaycee Horn: Another stellar season
Horn (head) recorded 37 total tackles (26 solo) and eight passes defensed, including five interceptions, across 16 regular-season games in 2025.
Horn was off to an impressive start in his playoff debut before exiting Saturday's wild-card loss to the Rams with a head injury, finishing with two total tackles and one pass defensed. The 2021 first-round pick from South Carolina proved to be one of the NFL's premier outside cornerbacks in 2025, allowing just a 72.3 passer rating when targeted while tying for the second-most interceptions in the league. Having signed a four-year, $100 million extension last offseason, Horn is expected to remain one of the Panthers' top outside cornerbacks heading into the 2026 season.