NFL Player News

Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said Tuesday that Williams (head) cleared the concussion protocol, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Ulbrich previously revealed after Monday's 23-20 loss to the Bills that Williams was being evaluated for a head injury. The veteran wideout finished the night with no catches on three targets and was the subject of criticism from Aaron Rodgers, who told Cimini in his postgame press conference that the receiver ran the wrong route on the Jets' final play, which resulted in an interception. Though Williams looks as though he'll be healthy enough to play in Sunday's game against the Steelers, he could see a major drop in snaps after the Jets acquired Davante Adams (hamstring) in a deal with the Raiders earlier Tuesday. With Adams, Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard seemingly locked in as the Jets' starting wideout trio and Williams offering no utility on special teams, the former Charger could be a candidate to get traded. The 30-year-old was signed to a one-year, $10 million deal this offseason but has recorded just 10 receptions for 145 yards and no touchdowns on 17 targets through New York's first six games.

Shaheed (knee) didn't participate in Tuesday's practice, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Shaheed will likely need to log some activity at Wednesday's practice to have a chance at playing Thursday against the Broncos. The Saints will likely have a depleted receiving corps versus Denver, as Chris Olave (concussion) didn't practice Tuesday either and appears unlikely to be available Thursday.

The Panthers cut Cain from their practice squad Tuesday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.

The Clemson product joined the Panthers' practice squad in late August, but it now appears the team has decided to move in a different direction. Cain most recently appeared in an NFL game in 2020 with the Steelers, where he failed to record a stat on just 10 offensive snaps.

Olave (concussion) isn't participating in Tuesday's practice, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Olave remains in the NFL's five-step concussion protocol after exiting Sunday's 51-27 loss to the Buccaneers. According to Rod Walker of The New Orleans Times-Picayune, Olave has sustained four documented concussions during his football career dating back to his time in college, and one in each of his first three seasons with the Saints. Given his history, Olave looks unlikely to be available for Thursday's game against the Broncos, and his availability for Week 8 against the Chargers wouldn't seem to be guaranteed, either.

Shakir is expected to move down a spot on the depth chart after the Bills acquired Amari Cooper from the Browns on Tuesday, Matt Bove of 7 News Buffalo reports.

After trading Stefon Diggs to the Texans in April, the Bills had been leaning on a committee of receivers to help replace the four-time Pro Bowler's production through the first six weeks of the season. Shakir had been the de facto No. 1 option and led the position group in catches (20), receiving yards (249) and targets (21), but he'll fall back into the kind of supporting role he filled in 2023 while Cooper presumably steps in as quarterback Josh Allen's new top target. Bove speculates that Shakir and rookie Keon Coleman will line up alongside Cooper as the Bills' preferred wideout trio, but Mack Hollins and Curtis Samuel could still factor into the rotation as well.

Tillman is expected to move into a regular role in three-receiver sets after the Browns traded Amari Cooper to the Bills on Tuesday, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore (ribs) remain ahead of him on the depth chart and will likely, along with tight end David Njoku, rank as higher priorities in the passing game, but Tillman should move into a starting role for Cleveland with Cooper no longer in the mix. Through the Browns' first six games, Tillman had mustered just three catches for nine yards on five targets while playing 114 total snaps on offense. Even though his playing time is expected to rise, Tillman still looks to be largely off the fantasy radar with struggling quarterback Deshaun Watson having yet to complete more than 25 passes or clear 200 passing yards in any game this season.

Jeudy is expected to become the Browns' new No. 1 wide receiver after Cleveland traded Amari Cooper to Buffalo on Tuesday, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

Through the Browns' first six games, the former Bronco recorded just four fewer catches (20) and two fewer receiving yards (248) than Cooper, but the trade clears the way for Jeudy to serve as the clear top option. Fellow wideouts Elijah Moore (ribs) and Cedric Tillman, as well as tight end David Njoku, could also see their usage pick up to varying degrees, though poor quarterback play from Deshaun Watson caps the upside of the entire Cleveland passing game.

The Jets acquired Adams (hamstring) from the Raiders on Tuesday in exchange for a 2025 conditional third-round draft pick.

The two teams came to terms on the trade earlier Tuesday, but the deal wasn't officially announced until the star wideout arrived in New York and passed a physical. The Jets evidently aren't too concerned about the hamstring injury that kept Adams sidelined for the Raiders' last three games, and the team believes he will be ready to make his debut this Sunday in Pittsburgh, per Connor Hughes of SNY.tv. Adams will benefit from an upgrade in quarterback play, going from Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell in Las Vegas to Aaron Rodgers in New York, but he'll face stiffer competition for targets as he joins Garrett Wilson and former Packers teammate Allen Lazard in the Jets receiver room. Adams' prior experience working with Rodgers in their eight seasons together in Green Bay could give him the inside track to emerge as the 1A option between he and Wilson, however, with Lazard bumped down to the No. 3 role. Adams has approximately $11.6 million remaining on his contract for 2024 and is due $36.25 million over the next two years, but that latter amount is non-guaranteed and could be re-worked if the Jets want to keep him in the fold beyond this season.

Franklin caught two of three targets for 31 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 23-16 loss to the Chargers. He added one rush for five yards.

Franklin's trip to the end zone was the first of his young career while the rookie saw a major uptick in his usage in Week 6. The wideout played 65 percent of the Broncos' offensive snaps Sunday after averaging a roughly 22 percent snap share in his first four games. Franklin is a talented wideout who should continue to develop within the Broncos' passing attack, especially with an existing connection with his college quarterback Bo Nix at the helm in Denver. The 21-year-old will look to build off his solid performance against the Chargers when the Broncos visit the Saints in Week 7.

Mims failed to record a single reception on three targets in Sunday's 23-16 loss to the Chargers.

Though he saw a season-high in targets, Mims was unable to connect with rookie quarterback Bo Nix against the Chargers in Week 6. The second-year speedster continued to see limited usage, playing just 17 of the Broncos' 55 offensive snaps. Heading into a Week 7 matchup against the Saints, Mims is not a reliable fantasy option.