NFL Player News

Johnston and Joshua Palmer (knee) are the top wide receivers left on the Chargers after the team released Mike Williams (knee) and traded Keenan Allen to Chicago.

The 2023 first-round pick should have every chance to earn a starting job even if the Chargers end up bringing in another wide receiver via an early pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The lack of target competition is promising for fantasy purposes, while Johnston's rookie-year performance and new coaching staff are considerably less promising. Jim Harbaugh and OC Greg Roman are known for prioritizing the running game, and the team's willingness to move on from both Allen and Williams further hint at that being the plan in Los Angeles despite having QB Justin Herbert under contract long term. Johnston said earlier this offseason that he expects a "breakout" under Harbaugh, after managing just 431 yards in 17 games as a rookie.

Palmer (knee) and Quentin Johnston are the top wide receivers left on the Chargers after the team released Mike Williams and traded Keenan Allen.

The other part of the equation is that the Chargers own the fifth overall pick in a draft with three elite WR prospects. That doesn't necessarily mean they'll end up with Marvin Harrison, Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze, but it'll certainly be a common prediction in mock drafts over the next six weeks. Palmer averaged a career-high 58.1 receiving yards per game in 2023, his third NFL season, albeit while missing six games with a knee injury and a seventh with a concussion. He then hurt his knee in the regular-season finale, but there hasn't been any follow up suggesting it was a serious injury. Palmer now enters the final year of his rookie contract under a new head coach (Jim Harbaugh) and offensive coordinator (Greg Roman), with those hirings and the team's offseason moves hinting at a more run-oriented offense in 2023. That could still work out well for Palmer in fantasy terms given the likelihood of reduced competition for targets relative to his first three seasons.

The Bears signed Pettis (undisclosed) to a one-year deal Friday, Larry Mayer of the team's official site reports.

Pettis was dealing with an undisclosed injury back in September of 2023, but it now seems as if he's moved past the issue. The 2018 second-round pick has spent time with the 49ers, Giants and Bears throughout his five-year NFL career, and he's agreed to terms to return to Chicago. Pettis' most recent in-game action came back in 2022 with the Bears, appearing in 17 games and catching 19 of his 41 targets for 245 yards and three touchdowns. The 28-year-old wideout also returned 18 punts for 163 yards in 2022, and he'll likely be competing to make Chicago's 53-man roster as a return man this offseason.

The Cowboys released Gallup on Friday, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

In what has been rumored to be Gallup's fate this offseason, Dallas has decided to move on from the 2018 third-round pick. Using a mechanism available to them, the Cowboys have designated the move as a post-June 1 cut, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com, which will save them $9.5 million in 2024 but add $8.7 million in dead cap next year. Gallup has one big season on his resume -- 1,107 receiving yards back in 2019 -- but he's failed to surpass 500 such yards in each of the past three seasons while playing 40 of 51 possible regular-season games.

The Saints have agreed to terms with Morgan, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Over the course of 51 regular-season games (all with the Bengals) Morgan has caught just five passes for 29 yards. This coming season, the 27-year-old, who was born in New Orleans, will provide the Saints with some needed depth at wideout and on special teams.

Moore is one of three Browns wide receivers entering a contract year, along with Amari Cooper and recent acquisition Jerry Jeudy, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

The Browns traded for Moore last offseason and installed him in a significant role, but his 903 snaps and 104 targets led to just 640 yards and two touchdowns. While poor QB play was a part of that, Cooper and TE David Njoku produced much better efficiency stats in the same offense and are now joined by Jeudy as another threat to take a significant chunk of the targets. Moore may have missed his breakout opportunity, and it isn't entirely out of the question that David Bell or Cedric Tillman could push him for a spot in three-wide formations.

Burks profiles as the Titans' No. 3 receiver following the signing of Calvin Ridley, according to Mike Moraitis of Titans Wire.

Assuming the Titans keep DeAndre Hopkins, there's really no room for Burks to sit any higher than third on the depth chart, even though he was a first-round pick just two years ago. The 225-pound WR missed six games in each of his first two NFL seasons while battling a variety of injuries, and he dropped from 444 yards as a rookie to 221 in his second season. From a real-life standpoint, Burks might actually be better off in a low-pressure role as the No. 3 receiver behind two established starters, but the tough competition for snaps and targets equates to a lower fantasy ceiling / lesser breakout odds all the same. The worst-case scenario would entail Burks losing the No. 3 role and sliding even further down Tennessee's depth chart.

Irwin has agreed to a one-year deal to remain with the Bengals, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The report notes that Irwin's deal with the Bengals is worth $2 million. With the 28-year-old back in the fold and Tyler Boyd a free agent, Irwin should have a chance to compete with Andrei Iosivas and Charlie Jones for WR snaps behind behind Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins (assuming he remains with Cincinnati) this coming season. In 16 regular-season games in 2023, Irwin caught 25 of his 32 targets for 316 yards and a TD.

Jeudy and the Browns have agreed to a contract restructure to create more than $10 million in 2024 cap space, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

The agreement presumably adds void years, given that Jeudy is scheduled to play on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract and there's been no report of an extension since the Broncos traded him to the Browns. He'll likely be the No. 2 receiver in Cleveland, slotting in behind Amari Cooper and ahead of Elijah Moore. It's unclear how Jeudy's snaps will be divided between the perimeter and slot, as it could be argued that he and Moore both are at their best working inside.

Brown (heel) is slated to sign a one-year contract worth up to $11 million with the Chiefs, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.

Brown is coming off two underwhelming seasons with the Cardinals, though he was plagued by injuries in both campaigns. He'll now join the prolific Chiefs offense and should become a top-three option for Patrick Mahomes behind TE Travis Kelce and WR Rashee Rice. Brown -- who will presumably be past the heel injury that slowed him late last season by the time he takes the field for Kansas City -- may find it difficult to replicate his breakout 2021 campaign during which he commanded 146 targets, but he could see a potential boost to his statistical output due to his new surroundings.