NFL Player News

Thielen secured three of six targets for 43 yards during Sunday's 26-24 win over the Ravens.

Thielen was on the field for 67 percent of the Steelers' offensive snaps during Sunday's regular-season finale, and he topped 40 receiving yards for the second time in five appearances since joining the team. DK Metcalf (suspension) is slated to return to action for next Monday's wild-card matchup against Houston, so Thielen's role will likely decrease during postseason action. Overall, Thielen had a limited role between the Vikings and Steelers during the regular season, securing 19 of 35 targets for 186 yards and no touchdowns across 16 appearances.

Hunter recorded 22 snaps on special teams over five games during the 2025 regular season.

A fourth-round pick out of Auburn, Hunter's progress was stalled by the emergence of Blake Corum as the complement to veteran Kyren Williams in the Rams' backfield. The duo combined for a 404-1,998-16 rushing line over the 2025 campaign, leaving little room for Hunter or Ronnie Rivers to produce. Corum and Williams are signed through 2028 and 2029 respectively, meaning Hunter is unlikely to see much improvement in his situation in 2026, even with Rivers possibly leaving as an unrestricted free agent.

TeSlaa caught 16 of 27 targets for 239 yards and six touchdowns over 17 contests during the regular season.

TeSlaa wasn't used often in his rookie campaign, but when he was, he was finding the end zone at an impressive clip. The wide receiver finished third on the team at his position in receiving touchdowns behind Amon-Ra St. Brown (11) and Jameson Williams (seven), with four of his scores coming in Detroit's final six games of the year. TeSlaa's 6-foot-4 frame and impressive contested-catch ability make him a valuable red-zone asset, and he'll look to carve out an every-down role for himself in his second season with the Lions.

Rams head coach Sean McVay said Monday that Whittington will have an MRI to determine the severity of his knee injury, Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Whittington suffered a knee injury in the Rams' Week 18 win over the Cardinals and was unable to return. The 25-year-old's status for the team's wild-card rematch against the Panthers is unclear. Tutu Atwell and Xavier Smith will likely see more reps if Whittington is unable to return for the first round of the playoffs.

Vaki rushed the ball one time for four yards while also adding 39 kickoff-return yards during the 2025 regular season.

Vaki logged two total offensive snaps during his sophomore campaign with the Lions, operating as a distant depth option behind Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery in the backfield. The running back was an intriguing asset as a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but with both Gibbs and Montgomery under contract for next season, his upside will once again be limited greatly.

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that he expects Purdy (shoulder) to be a full participant in practice throughout the week leading up to Sunday's wild-card game at Philadelphia, David Lombardi of SFStandard.com reports.

Though Purdy took every snap in this past Saturday's 13-3 loss to the Seahawks, he sustained what Shanahan labeled as a "stinger" when he was hit by a defender on the 49ers' final offensive play of the game. Shanahan relayed that Purdy would have been able to return to the Week 18 contest had the 49ers gotten the ball back, and the coach was even more adamant in his conviction that the quarterback would be available for the postseason opener after Purdy checked out fine upon getting evaluated further following Saturday's game. Purdy concluded the regular season having completed 197 of 284 pass attempts (69.4 percent) for 2,167 yards, 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions to go with 147 yards and three more scores on 33 carries across his nine appearances.

Rivers returned four kickoffs for 107 yards during Sunday's 37-20 victory against the Cardinals.

Kyren Williams and Blake Corum became a formidable duo in 2025, combining for 404 carries, 1,998 yards on the ground and 16 touchdowns. This didn't leave much for Rivers, who finished his fourth year with the Rams with just 46 yards on nine carries over 11 games. Rivers did return 16 kicks for 418 yards, but the return role was a fairly even split with Corum, Jordan Whittington (knee) and Xavier Smith. With the Rams securely set with Williams, Corum and 2025 fourth-round pick Jarquez Hunter in the backfield, Rivers, who will be an unrestricted free agent at season's end, may test free agency to find a more secure role elsewhere. He'll next take on Carolina on Saturday in the wild-card round of the playoffs.

The Colts signed Pancol to a reserve/future contract Monday.

The Duke product signed to the Colts' practice squad in late November after being waived by the Jaguars with an injury designation in August. Pancol did not appear in an NFL game in 2025. The 25-year-old will participate in Indy's offseason activities and attempt to earn a spot on the active roster next season.

Allen failed to secure his only target during Sunday's 37-20 victory against the Cardinals.

It was the second straight week without a catch for Allen, who watched Tyler Higbee return from an ankle injury and post five catches for 91 yards and a touchdown, while Colby Parkinson pitched in with four catches for 36 yards and two touchdowns of his own. Allen and rookie Terrance Ferguson (hamstring) are firmly in the second tier of the Rams tight-end corps heading into the postseason, but Allen's performance in his third year in the league was a fair step up from his first two despite a disappointing final two performances. A 24-208-3 receiving line this year was well ahead of his combined 16-134-1 line from his first two years in the league, and with Higbee set to be a free agent after the season, Allen's role could increase even further in the final year of his rookie contract. The quartet of Rams' tight ends will take on Carolina in the wild-card round on Saturday.

The Colts signed Owen to a reserve/future contract Monday.

The undrafted rookie out of Ohio spent a majority of the season on Indianapolis' practice squad, appearing in two games with 20 total snaps (19 on special teams and one offensive) and accounting for 143 total return yards. Owen will have the opportunity to participate in the Colts' offseason activities and attempt to earn a spot on their active roster next season.