NFL Player News

Jones had three catches for 49 yards in the Bengals' regular-season finale win over the Browns. He finished the season with seven catches for 64 yards on nine targets.

Jones made his biggest impact in the season back in Week 2 with a punt-return touchdown against the Ravens. The returner role will most likely be his primary job in 2024 as well, even with potential changes on the Bengals' depth chart at wide receiver.

Godwin brought in four of five targets for 45 yards and a touchdown in the Buccaneers' 32-9 wild-card win over the Eagles on Monday night.

Godwin had a relatively quiet night until the latter portion of the fourth quarter, when he put the Buccaneers' final points of the night on the board with a 23-yard touchdown grab. He now has at least four receptions in five of the last six games and has scored twice in the last three, giving him a solid fantasy floor heading into a Sunday afternoon divisional-round battle against the Lions that could feature plenty of passing.

Smith (ankle) hauled in eight of his 12 targets for 148 yards in Monday's 32-9 wild-card round loss to the Buccaneers.

Smith was able to return to the field after missing the last game of the regular season with an ankle injury. Fellow star wideout A.J. Brown (knee) was not as fortunate, missing the Eagles' playoff game entirely after injuring his knee Week 18. Smith took advantage of the situation and gobbled up over a third of Jalen Hurts' 35 pass attempts Monday. The end result was a massive individual effort from Smith in a one-sided affair. The 25-year-old finished the regular season recording his second 1,000-yard campaign in as many years. Smith's best work may be ahead of him in 2024 as he prepares to enter the final year of his rookie contract with Philadelphia.

Evans secured three of seven targets for 48 yards in the Buccaneers' 32-9 wild-card win over the Eagles on Monday night.

Evans finished third in receptions and fourth in receiving yards despite garnering the second-most targets on the night for Tampa Bay, an unfamiliar level of inefficiency for the multi-time Pro Bowler. However, Evans finished strong with 19- and eight-yard grabs on Tampa Bay's final scoring drive, and he also was partly responsible for his modest night by dropping what looked like a perfectly thrown deep ball from Baker Mayfield just past the midway point of the first quarter. Evans should be heavily involved again when the Buccaneers face the Lions on the road in a divisional-round matchup Sunday afternoon, a game in which Tampa Bay's air attack figures to play an integral part.

Kirkwood caught five of nine targets for 37 yards and one touchdown across 13 games during the 2023 regular season.

Kirkwood played in a career-high 13 games, and his 225 offensive snaps tied his previous career high from his 2018 rookie campaign. The 30-year-old also caught a touchdown for the first time since 2018; but, he still failed to log more than five receptions for the fifth year in a row, totaling just 11 catches in 23 games during this span. Kirkwood signed a one-year, $1.01 million contract with the Saints in February of 2023, and he was released before re-signing with the team shortly thereafter in mid-November. He should be set to hit free agency this coming offseason.

Jones (concussion) won't return to Monday's wild-card game versus the Eagles, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports reports.

Jones' night will end with three receptions for 22 yards. In Jones' absence, Olamide Zaccheaus and Quez Watkins will presumably see increased roles alongside DeVonta Smith at wide receiver.

Shakir brought in all three of his targets for 31 yards and a touchdown in Monday's 31-17 wild-card win over the Steelers.

Shakir got the start as the Bills' No. 2 wideout due to Gabe Davis (knee) being unable to suit up for Monday's playoff victory. The 2022 fifth-round selection didn't receive a huge bump in targets as anticipated, but he managed to score the last of Buffalo's four touchdowns with a Herculean individual effort in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Josh Allen hit Shakir on a drag route across the middle for what looked to be a one- or two-yard gain, but the Bills' slippery wideout ducked out of a tackle before evading multiple Pittsburgh defenders for a 17-yard score that put the game away for good. Shakir proved that he can step up to start opposite Stefon Diggs when Davis can't go. The latter's status for Sunday's AFC divisional-round game against the Chiefs is still unknown, but Shakir will have a role on offense as either Buffalo's No. 2 or 3 wideout this weekend.

Johnson secured four of seven targets for 48 yards and a touchdown in the Steelers' 31-17 wild-card loss to the Bills on Monday afternoon.

Johnson put the Steelers' first points of the afternoon on the board in the second quarter with a 10-yard scoring grab, and he finished second in receptions and third in receiving yards and targets for the team in the contest. The fifth-year pro enjoyed a reasonably productive regular season despite the Steelers' unstable quarterback situation, posting a 51-717-5 line across 13 games. Johnson impressively took 10 of those 51 grabs for 20-plus yards as well, but with a cap hit of $15.8 million for next season -- the final year of his current contract -- it remains to be seen if the 2019 third-round pick will return for a sixth season with the team.

Jones exited Monday's matchup with the Buccaneers to be evaluated for a concussion, Olivia Reiner of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Jones was looked at by the team's medical staff following a big hit before he subsequently jogged off the field. The veteran pass catcher tallied three receptions for 22 yards prior to sustaining the injury. If he is unable to return, Olamide Zaccheaus and Quez Watkins would be candidates to see increased snaps at wide receiver.

Pickens secured five of 11 targets for 50 yards and rushed once for 15 yards in the Steelers' 31-17 wild-card loss to the Bills on Monday afternoon. He also lost a fumble.

Pickens had serviceable numbers overall and co-led the Steelers in receptions while setting the pace in targets. However, it was largely a frustrating afternoon, beginning with a fumble on the Steelers' 29-yard in the latter portion of the first quarter that was eventually confirmed via replay, and that led to a touchdown on Buffalo's first play after gaining possession. Pickens also was the intended receiver on Mason Rudolph's fourth-down pass with 4:53 remaining that ended in an incompletion but also included what appeared to be a missed pass interference call that would have given the Steelers new life via a first down. Pickens finished the regular season with an impressive 63-1,140-5 line across 17 games despite subpar quarterback play, so he could be in for an even bigger season in 2024 if there is more stability under center.