NFL Player News
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Willie Snead WR | MIA
Willie Snead: Back to practice squad
Snead reverted to the 49ers' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's transaction log.
Snead was elevated prior to Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Lions, but the veteran wideout ended up being inactive. He'll wait to see if he gets called up again in two weeks for the Super Bowl.
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Dan Chisena WR | CAR
Dan Chisena: Reverts to practice squad
Chisena reverted to the Ravens' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's transaction log.
Chisena played 18 special teams snaps in the AFC Championship Game against the Chiefs, making a pair of tackles (one solo). He may get a reserve/future deal from Baltimore this week.
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Sean Ryan WR | BAL
Ravens' Sean Ryan: Signs with Baltimore
The Ravens signed Ryan to a reserve/future contract Monday, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.
Ryan signed with the Ravens as an undrafted rookie out of Rutgers following the 2023 NFL Draft and spent the season on Baltimore's practice squad. The wideout will look to further develop and challenge for a 53-man roster spot in the summer.
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Brandon Aiyuk WR | SF
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: Channels ladybug luck for TD
Aiyuk had three receptions (on eight targets) for 68 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 34-31 playoff win over the Lions.
Aiyuk finished with three receptions for the second consecutive playoff game, but he was far more productive this time around compared to the 3-32-0 line he posted against the Packers in the divisional round. The athletic wideout made his mark on the highlight reel when he caught a pass that caromed off of both the hands and helmet of a diving Detroit defender before a leaping Aiyuk secured it for a 51-yard gain. Quarterback Brock Purdy awarded his receiver's efforts with a short touchdown pass just a few plays later. After the game Aiyuk was asked about the absurd catch, to which he credited a ladybug landing on his foot during pregame warmups. The 49ers are hoping to channel more of that luck when the team prepares to face Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, Feb. 11.
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Amon-Ra St. Brown WR | DET
Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown: Totals 89 yards in playoff loss
St. Brown recorded seven receptions on 11 targets for 87 yards in Sunday's 34-31 loss to the 49ers. He added one rush for two yards.
St. Brown unsurprisingly had a key role in the Detroit offense, compiling double-digit targets for the fourth time in his last six games. He failed to top 100 yards or reach the end zone for the first time in that span, though he still managed long receptions of 23 and 17 yards -- both of which set up scores -- to make his mark on the contest. St. Brown has improved in each of his three campaigns in the league, and he closed the 2023 regular season with 119 receptions for 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns. He'll be entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2024 and could be headed for a significant contract extension with the Lions this offseason.
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Deebo Samuel WR | WAS
49ers' Deebo Samuel: Nets 96 yards in NFCCG
Samuel (shoulder) corralled eight of nine targets for 89 yards and rushed three times for seven yards in Sunday's 34-31 win over the Lions in the NFC Championship Game.
Samuel looked like his usual self on the field after being knocked out of last week's divisional-round win early with a shoulder injury. The versatile playmaker didn't experience much success out of the backfield, but he led the 49ers in receiving en route to victory. Now healthy, Samuel figures to be one of several featured weapons San Francisco throws at Kansas City's tough defense in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, Feb. 11.
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Marquez Valdes-Scantling WR | DAL
Chiefs' Marquez Valdes-Scantling: Ices game with big reception
Valdes-Scantling caught both of his targets for 38 yards in Sunday's 17-10 AFC Championship win over the Ravens.
Valdes-Scantling began Kansas City's final offensive drive with just one reception for six yards before getting loose over the top for a 32-yard reception that allowed his team to run out the clock and advance to Super Bowl LVIII. That's now two consecutive weeks in which the 29-year-old wideout made clutch receptions to help his team ice playoff victories. Valdes-Scantling will attempt to work his postseason magic as one of superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes' auxiliary options in Las Vegas on Sunday, Feb. 11.
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Rashee Rice WR | KC
Chiefs' Rashee Rice: Garners nine targets in win
Rice had eight receptions (on nine targets) for 46 yards in Sunday's 17-10 win over the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game.
Rice finished second in receiving for Kansas City behind tight end Travis Kelce (11-116-1) while logging his fifth game of eight-plus receptions dating back to the team's bye in Week 11 of the regular season. The second-round rookie actually produced one less yard than he did against the Bills in the AFC divisional round despite doubling his reception total from that win. Rice has produced a receiving line of 20-223-1 across three playoff games as the Chiefs prepare to face the winner of the NFC Championship Game in Las Vegas on Sunday, Feb. 11.
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Odell Beckham Jr. WR | NYG
Ravens' Odell Beckham: Three grabs in season-ending loss
Beckham secured three of six targets for 22 yards in the Ravens' 17-10 AFC Championship Game loss to the Chiefs on Sunday.
Beckham didn't get on the stat sheet until the fourth quarter, recording his first catch with 8:47 remaining in the contest. The veteran wideout was third in receptions and targets on the afternoon for Baltimore, but his underwhelming numbers were representative of the type of afternoon it was for anyone not named Zay Flowers in the Ravens' air attack. Beckham's comeback campaign following an idle 2022 season due to a knee injury resulted in 35 receptions for 565 yards and three touchdowns on 64 targets across 14 games, with his 16.1 yards per catch representing a career high. Beckham played 2023 on a one-year, $1.15 million contract, so it remains to be seen whether a reunion with Lamar Jackson is in the offing over the coming months.