NFL Player News

Aiyuk caught his lone target for 10 yards in Sunday's 31-7 NFC Championship Game loss to the Eagles.

The 49ers suffered injuries to both of its active quarterbacks in this crushing playoff loss, resulting in down receiving games for Aiyuk and the rest of the receiving unit. It was a salty finish to a positive season for the 24-year-old, who set new career highs in receptions (78), receiving yards (1,015) and touchdowns (eight). Aiyuk will enter the final year of his rookie contract looking to build off of the strides he made in 2022.

Smith-Schuster (knee) is questionable to return to Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Bengals.

Smith-Schuster caught his only target for seven yards prior to the injury popping up in the second half. With Kadarius Toney (ankle) ruled out and Mecole Hardman (pelvis) also deemed questionable to return, Kansas City is dealing with a lack of wide receiver depth at a critical time.

Hardman (pelvis) is questionable to return to Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Bengals.

Hardman stayed down after making an 11-yard catch in the third quarter. That play brought Hardman up to two catches for 10 yards on three targets plus seven yards on two rushing attempts. He was playing for the first time since Week 9 due to an injured pelvis, and the wide receiver appears to have aggravated that injury.

Boyd (thigh) is questionable to return to Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Chiefs.

Boyd was injured in the first half after accruing 40 yards on two catches. He didn't join the rest of Cincinnati's offense to begin the second half.

Samuel caught three of six targets for 33 yards and rushed six times for a loss of nine yards (one fumble lost) in Sunday's 31-7 playoff loss to the Eagles.

Samuel's production fell off quickly in this contest after starter Brock Purdy injured his throwing elbow in the first quarter. With no threat of a passing game for much of the contest, Philadelphia's defense was able to sell out and blow up the dual-threat superstar in the backfield routinely, resulting in his worst rushing performance to date. Samuel finished the year with 864 yards from scrimmage and five total touchdowns across 13 regular-season games. The 27-year-old's overall numbers came back down to Earth following his standout 2021 season, most notably his 11.3 yards per catch, which marked a new low for his career. Samuel will hope for better health for both himself and whoever starts under center for the 49ers in 2023.

Toney (ankle) went to the locker room with athletic trainers in the first half of Sunday's AFC Championship game against the Bengals, according to Herbie Teope of The Kansas City Star, and his return to the game officially is questionable.

Toney went down at the end of a first-quarter catch and had his lower left leg examined in the medical tent. After that evaluation, the wide receiver made his way to the locker room. Toney had one catch for nine yards on two targets prior to exiting, with the other target resulting in an end-zone incompletion that was unsuccessfully challenged by Kansas City.

Hardman (pelvis) is listed as active for Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Bengals.

In his first game action since Week 9, Hardman will add speed and experience to a Kansas City wideout corps that also includes JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore and Marcus Kemp. In that context, Hardman, who logged 25 catches on 34 targets for 297 yards and four touchdowns through eight games prior to being sidelined, profiles as a speculative fantasy option in his return to the Chiefs' pass-catching mix Sunday.

Watson (illness) is inactive for Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Bengals.

Watson caught his lone target for 12 yards across 37 offensive snaps during the Chiefs' divisional-round win over the Jaguars, but he won't be able to play Sunday due to an illness that surfaced late in the week. In Watson's absence, Skyy Moore will be a candidate for increased snaps behind JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney and Mecole Hardman.

Smith-Marsette was elevated to the active roster Saturday.

Smith-Marsette will make his third appearance on the Chiefs' active roster, but he's yet to garner a target across 12 offensive snaps. Expect a similar course of action with Mecole Hardman (pelvis) trending toward playing Sunday.

Kemp was elevated from the practice squad Saturday.

This marks the fifth time Kemp will join the active roster, but the tall target has yet to see a target this season. Expect Kemp to see little opportunities the rest of the postseason, particularly with Mecole Hardman (pelvis) possibly back in the fold.