NFL Player News

Lane caught two of three targets for nine yards in Sunday's 34-27 loss to the Falcons.

The rookie had the most productive game in his pro career as a wide receiver Sunday, operating as Washington's No. 3 option with Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) and Noah Brown (groin) sidelined. Lane has now caught five of his 11 targets for 29 yards while accumulating 177 punt-return yards, including a 90-yard TD, over his first four NFL games. He's likely to remain a depth option ahead of a Week 5 matchup against the Chargers, though his role could continue to expand if McLaurin and Brown remain out.

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Purdy is dealing with toe soreness in the wake of Sunday's loss to the Jaguars and will be evaluated, David Lombardi of SFStandard.com reports.

Shanahan mentioned that estimating Purdy's availability for Week 5 is "a totally different element" due to the short window of preparation ahead of Thursday's matchup against the Rams, per Lombardi. In returning Sunday from his two-game absence due to shoulder and toe issues, Purdy completed 22 of 38 pass attempts for 309 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, a relatively productive performance despite his already-depleted receiving corps losing Ricky Pearsall (knee) in the second half. Though Shanahan expressed optimism that Pearsall is only dealing with a "minor PCL" injury, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, the second-year wideout's status for Thursday Night Football appears in jeopardy. Star tight end George Kittle (hamstring) won't be eligible to return from IR until Week 6 at the earliest, while Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports that Jauan Jennings (undisclosed) also is considered up in the air to face Los Angeles on the road.

Patrick caught his only target for minus-1 yard in Sunday's 26-21 win over the 49ers.

Patrick operated as Jacksonville's No. 5 wideout once again Sunday, playing just 19 offensive snaps. The veteran wide receiver has now caught two of his three targets for 15 yards over four games this season. He's likely to remain a depth option in the Jaguars' wide-receiver corps in a Week 5 matchup against the Chiefs.

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that the team's initial belief is that Pearsall (knee) is dealing with a "minor PCL" injury, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Shanahan said Pearsall's injury "hopefully [...] won't be too bad" after the wideout was forced out of Sunday's loss to the Jaguars early, but he also mentioned that the short week of preparation ahead of Thursday's matchup against the Rams is "a totally different element," per David Lombardi of SFStandard.com. While there appears to be cause for optimism that Pearsall has avoided a severe injury, at this stage his status for Week 5 appears truly uncertain. With George Kittle (hamstring) still on IR until at least Week 6, the 49ers will have to rely on Kendrick Bourne, Demarcus Robinson, Skyy Moore and Marquez Valdes-Scantling as key receiving threats behind Jauan Jennings (undisclosed) on Thursday Night Football if Pearsall isn't cleared to play.

Long caught all three of his targets for 23 yards and one touchdown in Sunday's 26-21 win over the 49ers.

Long has now caught five of six targets for 35 yards and a touchdown over the past two weeks while playing just 35 offensive snaps. Although the 27-year-old played fewer snaps (21) than Johnny Mundt (22) in Week 4, he appears to be emerging as Jacksonville's top reserve vertical-threat tight end. Long will likely retain a similar role in the Jaguars' Week 5 matchup with the Chiefs, working behind Brenton Strange.

Washington secured all three of his targets for 20 yards during Sunday's 24-21 win over the Vikings.

Washington was targeted just once over the first three weeks of the regular season while playing less than half of the team's offensive snaps during that time. However, Jonnu Smith was limited in practice this week, and Washington was on the field for 91 percent of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps during the matchup in Dublin. While it was encouraging to see Washington get more involved, his role will likely decline if Smith is able to shed his limitations following the team's Week 5 bye.

Allen caught his only target for seven yards in Sunday's 26-21 win over the 49ers.

The rookie running back from Syracuse now hasn't received a carry in consecutive weeks, despite playing 32 offensive snaps during that span. Allen played fewer offensive snaps than backfield mates Bhayshul Tuten (18) and Travis Etienne (39) in Sunday's win, suggesting he currently remains the No. 3 RB in Jacksonville. The 21-year-old is likely to remain involved in Jacksonville's offense ahead of a Week 5 matchup against the Chiefs, playing primarily on passing downs.

Coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday that Mixon (foot) is not ready to return to the field at this time, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Mixon is on the reserve/non-football injury list and is eligible to begin practicing this week, but Ryans suggested that's not going to happen. Sources indicate it will be much longer before Mixon returns to the field and believe there's a chance the running back won't play this season. Woody Marks had a breakout performance against the Titans in Week 4 and appears poised to take more control of the backfield alongside Nick Chubb moving forward.

Freiermuth wasn't targeted during Sunday's 24-21 win over Minnesota.

After playing at least 50 percent of the Steelers' offensive snaps in the first three games of the season, Freiermuth's playing time declined overseas Sunday, as he was on the field for just 28 percent of the team's offensive snaps. Jonnu Smith also saw a limited role after dealing with a hip injury ahead of the Week 4 tilt, while Darnell Washington was on the field for a season-high 91 percent of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps. Even if Freiermuth's playing time bounces back following the Steelers' Week 5 bye, he's had trouble carving out a fantasy-relevant role early in the season.

Coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday that he's excited to see how much more work Marks can handle going forward following his breakout performance in the Texans' win over the Titans on Sunday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

After touching the ball a combined 14 times across the Texans' first three games of the season, Marks set season highs in offensive snap share (56 percent), touches (21) and total yards (119) against Tennessee. He also scored a pair of touchdowns in the second half to help salt the game away. Additionally, Marks held up well in pass protection. Marks is shaping up as the leader of the Houston backfield moving forward and should be a priority pickup in fantasy leagues where he's available. Nick Chubb is averaging 4.0 yards per carry on his 47 rushing attempts this season and has done nothing to lose his job, but Marks is noticeably more explosive with the ball in his hands at this stage of his career.