NFL Player News

Palmer secured four of six targets for 39 yards in the Chargers' 31-28 loss to the Broncos on Sunday.

Palmer's modest performance was underwhelming within a Week 18 context, but it doesn't sully what was a career-best regular season that saw the second-year wideout post a 72-769-3 line across 16 games. Additionally, Palmer could be primed for a substantial role in Saturday's wild-card road matchup versus the Jaguars, considering Mike Williams exited Sunday's game with a back injury and could therefore be sidelined or limited against Jacksonville.

Sutton secured three of seven targets for 33 yards and a touchdown in the Broncos' 31-28 win over the Chargers on Sunday.

Sutton was able to cross the goal line for the first time since Week 4 on a 20-yard scoring grab early in the fourth quarter. The 2018 second-round pick missed two games with injuries and also was naturally affected by Russell Wilson's significant growing pains in his first Broncos campaign, but Sutton still finished with a solid 64-829-2 line on 109 targets across 15 contests in 2022. The fifth-year pro should be a critical factor in any improvement Wilson displays in 2023, potentially under the purview of a marquee head coach with significant offensive pedigree such as Sean Payton.

Smith caught seven of eight targets for 67 yards in Sunday's 22-16 win over the Giants.

The second-year wideout led the Eagles in receptions in Jalen Hurts' return from a shoulder strain, as the team locked up the top seed in the NFC and a first-round bye. Smith finishes the regular season with 95 catches on 136 targets for 1,196 yards and seven touchdowns, and with Hurts getting another week to heal up, he and A.J. Brown could be headed for very big postseasons.

Brown caught four of 10 targets for 95 yards in Sunday's 22-16 win over the Giants.

Even with Jalen Hurts being held back in his return from a shoulder strain, Brown still nearly recorded his sixth 100-yard game of the season. The 25-year-old wideout wraps up his first regular season in Philadelphia with 88 catches on 145 targets for 1,496 yards, all career highs, and 11 touchdowns (tying the mark he hit in 2020), and he and Hurts will now get a week to rest with the Eagles having secured the top seed in the NFC and a first-round bye.

Samuel (ankle/knee) caught two of three targets for 20 yards and rushed once for four yards in Sunday's 38-13 win over the Cardinals.

Samuel returned from a three-game absence due to injury, and he was understandably eased back into action with just three combined touches in a comfortable win. The dual-threat superstar finishes the regular season with 864 combined yards from scrimmage and five total touchdowns across 13 games. Samuel should be in line for his usual workload for the upcoming playoff schedule after shaking off the rust in Week 18.

Aiyuk had four receptions (five targets) for 59 yards in Sunday's 38-13 win over Arizona.

Aiyuk was the leading receiver for San Francisco on a low-volume passing day, but it was his teammates George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey who cashed in on Brock Purdy's three touchdown throws. The 24-year-old finishes the regular season with career highs in receptions (78), receiving yards (1,015) and touchdowns (eight) across 17 games. Aiyuk welcomed back fellow starting wideout Deebo Samuel (ankle/knee) Sunday, giving the 49ers a full complement of playmakers who could go off in the playoffs.

Jeudy secured five of six targets for 154 yards in the Broncos' 31-28 win over the Chargers on Sunday. He also rushed three times for 39 yards and recovered a fumble.

Jeudy led the Broncos in receptions and receiving yards while checking in second to Courtland Sutton in targets. While the third-year speedster wasn't on the receiving end of any of Russell Wilson's three touchdown tosses, Jeudy recorded a game-long 57-yard reception that put Denver in business at the Chargers' three-yard line late in the second quarter, leading to an Eric Tomlinson three-yard scoring grab. Jeudy fell just 28 yards short of his first 1,000-yard season, but his 67 receptions, 972 receiving yards and six touchdowns across 15 games were all career highs. The 2020 first-round pick enters the final year of his rookie contract in 2023, but given his strong body of work in his first season with Wilson, it's likely the Broncos pick up Jeudy's fifth-year option this offseason.

Allen secured eight of 11 targets for 102 yards and two touchdowns in the Chargers' 31-28 loss to the Broncos on Sunday.

Allen paced the Chargers in receptions, receiving yards and targets while doubling up his season touchdown total with scoring grabs of 14 and three yards, the second coming off the arm of backup Chase Daniel. Allen's already-elevated importance to L.A.'s passing attack will bump up another notch if the back injury Mike Williams exited Sunday's contest with limits or sidelines him for next weekend's wild-card road matchup against the Jaguars.

Shaheed had three receptions (on four targets) for 34 yards and a seven-yard rush during Sunday's 10-7 loss to the Panthers.

Shaheed didn't provide his usual spark as a big-play receiver Week 18. The 180-pound speedster also couldn't provide any explosive plays on special teams, as he fair caught all five of the punts sent his way. Over 12 games this season, the undrafted rookie posted 28 catches on 34 targets for 488 yards and two touchdowns as well as four carries for 57 yards and another touchdown. However, the majority of this production came over the final six games of the season, including three catches of 40 or more yards during that span. This knack for big plays also netted Shaheed the highest yards per reception (17.4) of any Saints receiver with more than five catches this season. He also recorded 320 kick-return yards and 193 punt-return yards. Shaheed's strong showing to close his rookie campaign could make him a candidate for a similarly explosive role heading into the 2023 season.

Metcalf recorded three receptions on eight targets for 40 yards in Sunday's 19-16 overtime win over the Rams.

Metcalf led the Seahawks with eight targets, though he struggled to make an impact on the game. He was targeted on each of Geno Smith's interceptions, but Metcalf also tallied a 23-yard reception to help set up a game-tying touchdown early in the third quarter. Seattle's offense performed far better than preseason expectations, which helped Metcalf post the second 1,000-yard season of his four-year career. He'll remain a big-play threat if the team can advance to the postseason.