NFL Player News

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that there's no fracture in Samuel's left shoulder, but the wideout is still in pain, and his status for Sunday's NFC Championship Game versus the Lions is to be determined, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Monday morning that the 49ers consider Samuel "50-50" to play Sunday, and it looks like the wideout's official availability likely won't be known until inactives are released an hour and a half before kickoff. If Samuel can't suit up, Jauan Jennings, who stepped up with five receptions for 61 yards in Saturday's win over Green Bay, would likely see increased reps again.

Watson said Monday that he plans to undergo offseason medical testing to determine why he's battled recurring hamstring injuries in his NFL career, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports.

Watson missed the last five games of the regular season due to a hamstring injury, and though he managed to return for Green Bay's two playoff games, he was ineffective in those contests. His efforts culminated in securing one catch for 11 yards on two targets during Saturday's loss to the 49ers in the divisional round. It's worth noting that Watson also missed the first three games of the 2023 campaign due to a hamstring issue and that he was nicked up for a substantial portion of the year even while suiting up. resulting in a disappointing 28-422-5 line on 53 targets across nine appearances before the postseason. If Watson is able to gain some information this offseason that helps him avoid future soft-tissue injuries, it would certainly help boost his prospects heading into Year 3.

Turpin caught 12 of 18 targets for 127 yards and three touchdowns, gained 110 yards and a TD on 11 carries and added 371 return yards over 16 regular-season games in 2023.

Teams learned not to kick it to Turpin after his impressive rookie campaign as a returner in 2022, but the Cowboys found ways to get the ball in his hands on offense instead, and the 27-year-old delivered one of the most eye-popping TD-to-touch ratios in the league. Turpin's last touchdown came Week 12, though, and he got only five touches in seven games down the stretch, including Dallas' wild-card loss to Green Bay. He has one more season left on his current contract worth less than $1 million, but it wouldn't be surprising if the Cowboys signed him to an extension this offseason given his value on special teams and as a gadget player on offense.

Tolbert caught 22 of 36 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns over 17 regular-season games in 2023.

After a rough rookie campaign that saw the 2022 third-round pick get into the active lineup for only eight games, Tolbert was noticeably more reliable in 2023, and in the second half he was essentially splitting the No. 3 receiver role with Michael Gallup. There's a chance both Gallup and Brandin Cooks could be in different uniforms next season, which could position Tolbert to be the Cowboys' No. 2 wideout behind CeeDee Lamb, but it's more likely he heads into 2024 in roughly the same spot on the depth chart he occupies now.

Davis (knee) said Monday he'd be open to returning to Buffalo but that he expects to hit free agency this offseason, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.

Davis, who missed both of the Bills' playoff games due to a knee injury suffered Week 18, said "there was nothing" in terms of extension talks with the team during the 2023 season. The wideout also said he'd have played this weekend if Buffalo had advanced to the AFC Championship Game, per Getzenberg, an indication that Davis will be fully healthy by the time free agency officially kicks off in March. Across 17 regular-season appearances in 2023, Davis secured 45 of 81 targets for 746 yards and seven scores, while his only carry went for minus-2 yards.

Cooks caught 54 of 81 targets for 657 yards and eight touchdowns over 16 regular-season games in 2023. He added 35 rushing yards on five carries.

The veteran speedster was brought in last offseason to provide more consistent support in the passing game for CeeDee Lamb, but Cooks was basically invisible through his first month as a Cowboy. Cooks' production began to pick up once he scored his first TD of the season Week 6 against the Chargers, but the 30-year-old still finished the campaign with his lowest yardage total over a 16-game slate. Despite that fact, his eight scores were his most since 2016. Cooks will get a $3 million bonus if he's still on the roster March 17, so he's a candidate to be cut before then, but his $8 million salary for 2024 is reasonable given his role.

The 49ers consider Samuel (shoulder) "50-50" to suit up for Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Lions, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Samuel is set to undergo additional testing on the shoulder injury he suffered during Saturday's 24-21 win over the Packers in the divisional round, but San Francisco at least appears to believe he has a chance to avoid missing any time. The versatile playmaker wasn't able to finish Saturday's contest, however, so it will be hard to retain too much optimism about his status until further details are revealed. Jauan Jennings had five catches for 61 yards versus Green Bay, so he could get another notable bump in opportunities if Samuel isn't able to play against Detroit.

Shakir hauled in seven of nine targets for 44 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 27-24 playoff loss to the Chiefs.

Shakir got the start in place of the injured Gabe Davis (knee) and wound up having to briefly leave Sunday's playoff tilt with an injury of his own. The second-year wideout recovered quickly from his shoulder issue and finished the spot start as the Bills' top producer while leading his club in targets. Shakir finished a solid sophomore campaign (39/611/2 in the regular season) with a strong postseason receiving line of 10/75/2 across two playoff games. Buffalo has a decision to make on the aforementioned Davis this upcoming offseason, and Shakir's fine work as the Bills' slot man in 2023 could earn him more work alongside No. 1 wideout Stefon Diggs next season.

Diggs finished with three receptions on eight targets for 21 yards and added one carry for seven yards in Sunday's 27-24 loss to the Chiefs.

Diggs' late-season decline continued with another underwhelming stat line of four touches. The veteran starter's eight targets trailed only fellow wideout Khalil Shakir (7-44-1), who finished Sunday's loss with nine. Diggs' rough night got worse when the star receiver failed to bring in a deep shot attempt that hit him in the hands on the Bills' final drive. The 31-year-old posted his sixth consecutive 1,000-yard campaign in 2023, but his meager 47/422/2 receiving line over Buffalo's last 10 games (including the postseason) hints at a possible decline heading into 2024.

Valdes-Scantling recorded two receptions on four targets for 62 yards in Sunday's 27-24 win over the Bills.

Valdes-Scantling got attention this season for the wrong reasons, as he often squandered opportunities with drops. However, he delivered key receptions of 32 and 30 yards in the Chiefs' win, both of which helped set up touchdowns later in the drive. It was Valdes-Scantling's highest yardage total since Week 7 and the first time he topped 30 receiving yards in that span. With Kadarius Toney (hip) struggling to get healthy and Mecole Hardman losing a key fumble Sunday, Valdes-Scantling may be called upon once again in the AFC Championship Game against Baltimore.