NFL Player News

Palmer recorded two receptions on six targets for 31 yards in Saturday's 31-30 wild-card round loss to the Jaguars.

Palmer entered the game as the Chargers' second receiver with Mike Williams (back) sidelined, and his opportunity only further increased when DeAndre Carter suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter. In contrast to the regular season, Palmer struggled with the extra looks, as he failed to get on the same page with Justin Herbert. Despite the poor ending to his season, Palmer took a significant step forward in his second campaign as a pro. However, with Keenan Allen and Williams back in the mix in 2023, Palmer is likely to remain the Chargers' third wide receiver.

Jones recorded eight receptions on 13 targets for 74 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 31-30 wild-card round win over the Chargers.

Jones had only 17 yards on eight targets in the first half, which was representative of the Jaguars' offensive success. However, that frustration disappeared late in the third quarter when Jones broke free from the Chargers' secondary to catch a 39-yard touchdown. Contrary to past seasons, Jones has emerged as a big-play threat of late by recording six receptions of at least 20 yards over his last eight games.

Kirk recorded eight receptions on 14 targets for 78 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 31-30 wild-card round win over the Chargers.

After signing an attention-grabbing contract to join Jacksonville last offseason, Kirk showed his value on the field in Saturday's comeback win. He racked up a season-high 14 targets in the team's biggest matchup of the campaign, and he delivered by regularly getting open in the short and middle areas of the field to help the Jaguars consistently move the ball in the second half of the game. Most importantly, he caught a nine-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter to help push the team to victory. Kirk has topped 75 receiving yards in four of his last seven contests heading into the AFC divisional round.

Allen recorded six receptions on 13 targets for 61 yards in Saturday's 31-30 wild-card round loss to the Jaguars.

Allen dominated targets, which was unsurprising given the absence of Mike Williams (back). While Allen reached double-digit opportunities for the fifth time in his last seven games, he failed to reach 65 receiving yards for only the second time in that span. Allen was particularly poor in the midst of the Chargers' second-half meltdown, as he managed only two receptions for 17 yards on six targets. Despite the disappointing close to the season, Allen will be back with the Chargers in 2023 and is likely to remain a favored target of Justin Herbert.

The Giants elevated Pimpleton from the practice squad to the active roster Saturday ahead of Sunday's wild-card game in Minnesota, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

Corbin has spent the entire season on New York's practice squad, but this will be the first chance for the undrafted rookie to make his pro debut. He returned 48 punts at Central Michigan in college, so if he's active Sunday he may make a mark on special teams.

Johnson caught all three of his targets for 39 yards in Saturday's 41-23 wild-card loss to the 49ers.

The undrafted rookie out of South Dakota State emerged as Seattle's No. 3 wideout late in the regular season after Marquise Goodwin (shoulder) got hurt, and Johnson wound up posting the best numbers of his career in his playoff debut, even if his production was modest. The Seahawks have some questions to answer in the offseason regarding their offense, starting with whether to bring back Geno Smith at quarterback, but no matter who's under center there won't likely be much volume available in the passing game behind the top duo of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.

Lockett caught six of eight targets for 39 yards in Saturday's 41-23 wild-card loss to the 49ers.

The veteran wideout was reduced to being a possession option for Geno Smith while DK Metcalf (10-136-2 on 13 targets) did the damage downfield. Lockett reached 1,000 receiving yards for the fourth straight campaign in 2022, finishing with 84 catches for 1,033 yards and nine touchdowns in 16 regular-season games, and after a fairly seamless transition from Russell Wilson, he should see success next season whether Smith gets re-signed or Seattle looks elsewhere for a starting quarterback.

Metcalf caught 10 of 13 targets for 136 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 41-23 wild-card loss to the 49ers.

The fourth-year receiver gave Seattle its first lead of the game with a 50-yard touchdown in the second quarter, but Metcalf's second score didn't come until late in the fourth after the team's defense had collapsed. The performance capped a strong regular season that saw the 25-year-old haul in a career-high 90 passes, turning them into 1,048 yards and six touchdowns. It's not clear if the Seahawks will re-sign Geno Smith or look elsewhere for a starting quarterback, but no matter who's under center, Metcalf will provide them with an elite target.

Carter sustained an ankle injury during Saturday's wild-card contest at Jacksonville.

Before his departure in the second quarter, Carter reeled in two of three targets for 17 yards. With Mike Williams (back) inactive Saturday and Jalen Guyton (knee) on injured reserve, Keenan Allen, Joshua Palmer and Michael Bandy are the only healthy wide receivers on the Chargers' active roster.

Aiyuk caught three of five targets for 73 yards in Saturday's 41-23 win over Seattle.

Aiyuk took a bit of a back seat to Deebo Samuel (6-133-1), who reclaimed his No. 1 role after being eased back into the lineup in the regular-season finale. The 24-year-old Aiyuk still produced a solid fantasy line with a couple of big chunk plays, although he did drop a would-be touchdown that hit him in the hands in the corner of the end zone. Even with the 49ers returning to full strength on offense, Aiyuk should remain a consistent DFS option heading into the divisional round.