NFL Player News

Taylor was elevated to the Bengals' active roster Saturday.

This comes as no surprise as Sunday's final game of the season will mark Taylor's eighth straight with the Bengals' active roster. Primarily the team's punt returner, Taylor has just two receptions since Week 15, though that does not include a critical two-point reception in the AFC Championship Game.

Kupp was named the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year on Thursday.

Kupp led receivers in all major categories, including receptions, yards and targets. He was also remarkably consistent, as he posted no performances with fewer than 64 yards or five receptions. In contrast to past seasons, Kupp combined both superior volume with big plays, as he averaged 13.4 yards per reception and also chipped in 30 catches that went for gains of 20 or more yards. Next up, Kupp will look to add the ultimate award and help lead the Rams to a Super Bowl victory over the Bengals on Sunday.

Jefferson (knee) was listed as a full participant at Thursday's practice, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.

This marks Jefferson's first uncapped session since aggravating a knee injury during the Rams' win in the NFC Championship Game against the 49ers on Jan. 30. Now that he's set for Sunday's Super Bowl LVI matchup with the Bengals, he'll settle in behind Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham as L.A.'s third wide receiver, which has amounted to a 25-394-3 line on 45 targets in 10 contests (including playoffs) with Beckham in the fold.

Morgan (hamstring) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, Jay Morrison of The Athletic reports.

Morgan practiced in a limited capacity all last week, but it appears that he's now back to full health. As per usual, Morgan stands to operate primarily on special teams during the Super Bowl.

Jefferson (knee) was a limited participant in Wednesday's walk-through practice, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.

Jefferson so far has been listed as limited on three of the Rams' four injury reports in advance of Super Bowl LVI (he sat out last Friday's session). A knee injury is to blame and also affected his practice reps ahead of the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 30. How Jefferson fares in practice Thursday and Friday likely will determine whether or not he has a designation for Sunday's game versus the Bengals.

Woods (knee) has been rehabbing from surgery with an eye toward returning for minicamp in May or June, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Woods seems to be making good progress since tearing his ACL in mid-November, though the timing of the injury makes a return for minicamp rather ambitious. He's stuck around with the team throughout much of the Rams' playoff run, helping young wideout Van Jefferson and midseason addition Odell Beckham get more comfortable in the Los Angeles offense. On March 20, Woods will receive a $3.5 million roster bonus, at which point his $10 million base salary also becomes guaranteed, per Spotrac.com. With his place on the Rams thus secure for at least one more season, Woods will focus on rehab this offseason before eventually rejoining an offense led by head coach Sean McVay, quarterback Matthew Stafford and fellow wideout Cooper Kupp.

Lions wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El spoke highly of Cephus (collarbone) when discussing Detroit's search for a true No. 1 option to handle the X role on the outside, Tim Twentyman of the team's official site reports. "I feel like Q was really taking some strides before he got hurt," Randle El said last week at the Senior Bowl. "You see flashes in Q for sure because Q just has this unbelievable - like he can get off the field and jump. Being able to just put it up (to him) and make a play. You see him go up one hand and be able to come down with it."

The Lions are well-stocked with short-range weaponry but are lacking in downfield targets, especially with Josh Reynolds and Kalif Raymond set to become unrestricted free agents. However, Cephus clearly impressed his coaches when healthy last season, and it seems like he could have a chance to claim a starting role in 2022. While it's possible that a large offseason investment via the draft or free agency could prevent that from happening, Cephus at least seems likely to be a key part of the rotation going forward.

Morgan (hamstring) remained limited at practice Friday, Tyler Dragon of USA Today reports.

Morgan was listed as a limited practice participant all week and if the Bengals were playing this Sunday, the wideout would have been listed as questionable. However, with the Super Bowl not until Feb. 13, Morgan has a chance to return to practice fully in advance of the contest. If that happens, he could head into next weekend minus an injury designation.

Watson signed a contract with the Chiefs on Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Watson underwent knee surgery in July, which cost him the start of the 2021 campaign. He was activated off the PUP list at the end of December and played 19 special-teams snaps for the Buccaneers against the Panthers in Week 16. However, he suffered a quadriceps injury during the contest that sidelined him for the rest of the regular season. Watson was then waived and rejoined Tampa Bay's practice squad in the middle of January. The 2018 fifth-round pick has caught 23 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns in 40 appearances across four NFL seasons -- all with the Bucs.

Jefferson (knee) didn't practice Friday, Tyler Dragon of USA Today reports.

It might seem like a step back after he was limited Wednesday and Thursday, but the Rams were cautious at Friday's practice and held out seven players. Assuming he returns next week, Jefferson will enter the Super Bowl as the team's No. 3 receiver -- a role that hasn't yielded much since mid-December.