NFL Player News

Jefferson (knee) was listed as a limited participant on Wednesday's estimated practice report, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Prior to suiting up for the Rams' victory in the NFC Championship Game over the 49ers last weekend, Jefferson managed two limited practices due to a knee injury, with a decision on his availability coming down to the wire. The issue even forced him to miss some time during the aforementioned contest, but he returned and finished with two catches (on five targets) for nine yards. Fortunately for the second-year wide receiver, Jefferson will have two weeks to prepare for a Super Bowl matchup with the Bengals on Feb. 13. The fact he was listed as limited to begin prep for that game bodes well for his chances to suit up.

The Chiefs signed Fountain to a reserve/future contract Wednesday, Pete Sweeney of ArrowheadPride.com reports.

Fountain spent most of the 2021 campaign on Kansas City's practice squad and was elevated to the active roster five times between the regular season and playoffs. However, he wasn't targeted on offense while playing mainly on special teams. The 26-year-old will now remain with the organization heading into the offseason.

Gallup is slated to undergo surgery Feb. 10 to repair the torn ACL in his left knee, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Gallup is exactly one month removed from suffering the injury, and the aforementioned procedure will be overseen by team physician Dan Cooper. The Cowboys are optimistic that the fourth-year wide receiver will be healthy by Week 1 of the 2022 season, but for whom the upcoming unrestricted free agent will be playing remains far from certain. The team can work out a long-term deal with Gallup before he hits the open market March 16, at which point the entire league can negotiate with him.

Fountain reverted to the Chiefs' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's official transaction log.

Fountain had been active for the Chiefs' last three games and appeared in a total of five on the season. Primarily contributing on special teams, he never recorded an offensive stat. The 25-year-old will now likely focus on making a bigger impact in 2022, whether with the Chiefs or elsewhere.

Taylor reverted to the Bengals' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's official transaction log.

Taylor has appeared in seven straight games for the Bengals, while going back and forth between the practice squad and active roster. Although he did not see the field much in their 27-24 AFC Championship Game victory, Taylor played a key role securing a successful two-point conversion attempt that tied the game at 21 late in the third quarter. He also chipped in two punt returns for 22 yards. Whether or not Taylor returns to the active roster for the Super Bowl against the Rams remains to be seen, but the trend suggests he should.

Watkins signed a reserve/future contract with the Buccaneers on Monday, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports.

Watkins was with the 49ers in training camp before being let go at roster cutdowns while dealing with an injury, though he eventually rejoined the team for a three-week stint on the practice squad in November. The rookie UDFA out of UAB will attempt to take advantage of Tampa Bay's offseason program to potentially make his NFL debut in 2022.

Arecega-Whiteside (finger) finished the 2021 campaign with two catches on five targets for 36 yards across 16 appearances.

The 2019 second-round pick played double-digit offensive snaps just seven times, including a season-high 40 during the regular-season finale. He failed to haul in any of his three targets during the Week 18 loss to the Cowboys, and he apparently picked up a finger injury during the contest as well, which landed him on injured reserve. His lack of production through his first three NFL seasons may put him on the roster bubble heading into 2022.

Ward (back) finished the 2021 campaign with seven catches on 11 targets for 95 yards and three touchdowns across 17 appearances.

Ward was active for every game, but his production was spread out. He never saw more than three targets in a game and only recorded multiple targets on four occasions. His scoring production draws some intrigue, though. He recorded three touchdowns on six red-zone targets -- including three looks from inside the five. He's set to be a restricted free agent this season, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him return to the team he's spent his entire three-year career with.

Skowronek failed to catch his lone target during Sunday's 20-17 win over the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.

This was the first target of the postseason for Skowronek, and it was an unfortunate drop, as the rookie would have scored a touchdown if he'd completed the catch. Skowronek likely will slot in as the No. 4 wide receiver for the Rams and play a limited role in the Super Bowl, so it's unlikely he makes a significant fantasy impact.

Jefferson caught two of five targets for nine yards during Sunday's 20-17 win over the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.

The five targets were a playoff high for Jefferson, and he also missed time during the game with a knee injury. Additionally, with two weeks to heal up, the second-year wideout projects to be ready for the Super Bowl. He'll remain a risky fantasy option, though. Jefferson's been limited to just five receptions for 79 yards through three postseason games.