NFL Player News

Johnson caught both of his targets for 35 yards in the Chargers' Week 17 win over the Chiefs. He finished the season with 20 receptions (on 26 targets) for 398 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Johnson became a key piece in the Chargers offense toward the latter half of the season with Keenan Allen (hamstring/COVID-19) and Mike Williams (back) missing time. While the 24-year-old was often schemed open on deep passes resulting in a shockingly high average depth of target (20.2 yards), he saw two or fewer targets in all but four games this season and never played in more than 80 percent of the team's offensive snaps in any given game. It's possible a change in offensive philosophy with head coach Anthony Lynn now gone could allow for the undrafted free agent rookie to push Jalen Guyton out of the way for snaps as the team's No. 3 wide receiver, but that's not a lock to occur given how the team has prioritized playing a field-stretching wide receiver despite rarely throwing to him.

Coach Bruce Arians indicated that Evans (knee) is a game-time decision for Saturday night's playoff opener against Washington, Carmen Vitali of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

The report notes that Arians thinks that Evans -- who got in some on-field work Thursday -- "has a chance" to play in Saturday's 8:15 p.m. ET contest. To that end, the wideout has been "living in the training room" this week. Look for Evans to approach the wild-card game officially listed as questionable by the Bucs.

Beasley (knee) was spotted at practice Thursday, Sal Capaccio of WGR Sports Radio 550 Buffalo reports.

As was Stefon Diggs (oblique), with the duo's status for Wild-Card Weekend likely to be solidified later Thursday, when the Bills' injury report for Saturday's game against the Colts is released. Prior to his return to the field Thursday, Beasley had logged consecutive 'DNP' listings.

Diggs (oblique) was spotted at practice Thursday, Sal Capaccio of WGR Sports Radio 550 Buffalo reports.

That's a good sign after Diggs was listed as a 'DNP' on Wednesday, and at this stage we'd expect the wideout to be a go Saturday against the Colts. For his part, Diggs previously suggested that's he's "fine," a notion that would be solidified if he approaches the Bills' playoff opener minus an injury designation.

Evans (knee) is participating in Thursday's practice, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

Four days after exiting the Buccaneers' Week 17 win over the Falcons with a hyperextended left knee, Evans was back on the field for the team's final practice ahead of Saturday's wild-card game in Washington. According to Laine, during the open portion of the practice, Evans was spotted going through a dynamic warmup that included squatting and jogging. The Buccaneers will release their final injury report later Thursday, which will reveal the extent of Evans' participation in the closed portion of the practice, while also indicating whether he'll carry a designation into the playoff game. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times relays that the Buccaneers are optimistic Evans will be able to suit up Saturday, but how his knee responds to Thursday's practice will likely factor heavily into the team's decision on his status.

Renfrow caught three passes for 24 yards on seven targets in Sunday's 32-31 win over the Broncos, bringing his season totals to 56 catches for 656 yards and two scores on 77 targets in 16 games. He also added 265 yards on 23 punt returns with a long of 32.

Renfrow's 56 receptions paced the Raiders wide receiver corps, which doesn't include tight end Darren Waller nearly doubling the slot man's totals with 107 catches (on 145 targets) of his own. Renfrow, who led the Raiders in red-zone receptions as a rookie, saw his touchdown count sliced in half this season, while the aforementioned Waller, as well as Nelson Agholor, combined for 17 trips to the end zone. With two years remaining on his rookie contract, Renfrow figures to continue his development in Las Vegas alongside Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards.

Agholor, who caught one pass for 57 yards on four targets in Sunday's 32-31 win over the Broncos, finished the 2020 season with 48 catches for 896 yards and eight touchdowns on 82 targets in 16 games.

A change of scenery proved beneficial for Agholor, who posted career highs in receiving yards and 20-plus yard catches while matching his previous best with eight touchdowns after signing a one-year deal with the Raiders last offseason. The 27-year-old eventually earned WR1 honors in Vegas with Tyrell Williams (shoulder) shelved for the season, but volume wasn't always consistent for Agholor while tight end Darren Waller erupted for 107 catches (on 145 targets) for 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns. Agholor saw double-digit targets just once, and he never caught more than six passes in a single contest. Nonetheless, Agholor may have earned himself a revamped contract with the Raiders as fellow receivers Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards continue to develop.

Zaccheaus (toe), who ended the season on injured reserve, finished with 20 receptions for 274 yards and a touchdown over 11 games.

Though Zaccheaus missed the final five weeks of the regular season, he was still much more involved offensively compared to his rookie campaign in 2019. The Virginia standout only totaled three catches for 115 yards last season, with 93 of those yards coming from a single Week 14 touchdown reception. With a long offseason on tap to recover from the toe injury, Zaccheaus should receive full medical clearance well in advance of training camp.

The Dolphins signed Merritt to a reserve/future contract Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Merritt appeared in one game with the Dolphins in 2020, a Week 9 matchup against the Cardinals in which he wasn't targeted. Otherwise, he spent most of the year on Miami's practice squad. He'll work to continue his development with the team during the offseason.

The 49ers activated Taylor (undisclosed) from the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, per the league's official transactions report.

Taylor missed the final two games of the regular season while on the COVID list. On the year, he caught 10 of 21 targets for 86 yards in 12 appearances. The 26-year-old is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.