NFL Player News

Smith reverted to the Jets' practice squad following Sunday's loss to the Dolpihns and was placed on the practice squad/COVID-19 list after testing positive for the virus Monday, Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York reports.

Smith was one of five players in the organization to test positive Monday. The 6-foot-3 wideout has been elevated both of the last two weeks, playing 27 snaps and garnering one target between those contests. Even if Smith is able to test out of the protocol and is added back to the roster for the Jets' Week 16 matchup with the Jaguars, he won't be in store for a meaningful role on offense.

Schwartz (concussion) is listed as active for Monday's game against the Raiders, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.

With fellow wideout Jarvis Landry and tight end Austin Hooper currently on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Schwartz has a chance to pick up some targets in his first game action since Week 10. However, with the likes of Donovan Peoples-Jones, Rashard Higgins and David Njoku also in the mix to catch passes from fill-in QB Nick Mullens, the speedy Schwartz -- who has put together an 8-117-0 stat line in 10 games to date -- profiles as a speculative Week 15 fantasy lineup option.

Coach Bruce Arians said Monday that Perriman (undisclosed) could return from the reserve/COVID-19 list prior to Sunday's game against Carolina, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

Perriman was inactive for Sunday's matchup against the Saints while on the reserve/COVID-19 list, but he could be back in action following a one-game absence. If the 28-year-old returns to the field against the Panthers, he should see an uptick in playing time because Chris Godwin has been ruled out for the season with a torn ACL.

Samuel (hamstring) is listed as out for Tuesday's game against the Eagles.

Even with the NFL pushing back the Football Team's Week 15 game two days due to COVID-19-related concerns within the Washington organization, Samuel wasn't able to demonstrate enough progress in his recovery from the hamstring injury to get the green light to play. He'll end up sitting out his ninth game of the season Tuesday, with his previous eight absences stemming from a groin injury.

McLaurin (concussion) doesn't carry an injury designation ahead of Tuesday's game against the Eagles.

McLaurin fully participated in each of Washington's three practice sessions this week, and he'll be able to suit up against the Eagles on Tuesday. The 2019 third-rounder has been held in check across the last three games, as he's hauled in seven of 15 targets for 73 yards during that time.

Coach John Harbaugh said Monday that Duvernay is considered day-to-day with an ankle injury, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

Duvernay's snap count decreased in Sunday's loss to the Packers, and his ankle injury provides an explanation for his lack of playing time. The Ravens presumably will monitor his status in practice this week before determining his availability for Sunday's game against Cincinnati. If Duvernay is unable to play Week 16, Miles Boykin and James Proche could see an uptick in playing time.

The Buccaneers aren't ruling Evans from playing Week 16 against the Panthers after he exited Sunday's 9-0 loss to the Saints with a strained hamstring, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Although the report suggests that Evans is considered week-to-week, Tampa Bay is holding out hope that the wideout could show enough improvement over the next several days to put himself on track to play this weekend. Whether Evans is available Week 16 or later down the road, he could see a bit of an uptick in targets going forward, given that fellow receiver Chris Godwin (knee) has been ruled out for the season with a torn ACL.

Sherfield logged five offensive snaps (nine percent) and did not record a catch on his lone target in Sunday's 31-13 win over the Falcons.

Jauan Jennings (3-28-1) maintained his role as the 49ers' third wideout on the depth chart, keeping Sherfield buried in his recent role as the fourth wideout and special-teams contributor. The 25-year-old has just seven receptions through 14 games this season, so he won't garner fantasy attention heading into a Week 16 matchup against the Titans.

Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians announced Monday that Godwin (knee) will miss the remainder of the season after he was diagnosed with a torn ACL in addition to an MCL sprain, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

Early tests on the right knee injury Godwin sustained in Sunday's 9-0 loss to the Saints revealed that he was dealing with only the MCL injury, but a follow-up MRI on Monday detected more serious damage. The 25-year-old will soon undergo surgery to address the injury, an unfortunate development as he heads into free agency this spring. He appeared in 14 games for the Buccaneers in 2021 and recorded 98 receptions -- eight shy of the franchise single-season record -- for 1,103 yards and five touchdowns while rushing four times for 21 yards and another score. Mike Evans (hamstring) -- when available -- and Antonio Brown (ankle) are expected to serve as the team's top receivers down the stretch, while Tyler Johnson, Breshad Perriman (reserve/COVID-19 list) and Scotty Miller could also see increased playing time. Given the timing of his injury, Godwin's recovery from surgery could extend into the early portion of the 2022 season.

Peoples-Jones will likely serve as Cleveland's No. 1 wideout for Monday's game against Las Vegas after Jarvis Landry (illness) wasn't reinstated from the reserve/COVID-19 list, Anthony Poisal of the Browns' official site reports.

Rashard Higgins, Anthony Schwartz (concussion) and Ja'Marcus Bradley also are expected to see increased reps in two- and three-receiver sets sans Landry, but throughout the season Peoples-Jones has held the most consistent role in the offensive game plan among Cleveland's available wideouts. Peoples-Jones has mostly been a boom-or-bust fantasy option -- he has four games with 70-plus receiving yards and six games with fewer than 40 yards -- but he should at least have a clear path to a fair amount of targets Week 15 with Landry out of the mix. Peoples-Jones' efficiency could suffer, however, as he'll be fielding targets from third-string quarterback Nick Mullens, who gets the start in his Cleveland debut after neither Baker Mayfield (illness) nor Case Keenum (illness) was able to clear the NFL's COVID-19 protocols ahead of Monday's 5:00 p.m. ET kickoff.