NFL Player News

Higgins said Wednesday at voluntary OTAs that he's adapted his offseason practice regimen to focus on preventing injuries, Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official site reports.

Higgins, who inked a massive four-year, $115 million deal with the Bengals in March, said that in addition to focusing on strength and speed, his goal this offseason has been to "get my muscles right" and break his trend of lower-body soft-tissue injuries. Such issues forced him to miss five regular-season games in both 2023 and 2024. Even if he plays a full 17 regular-season games for the first time in his career, Higgins could have a tough time repeating his per-game efficiency from 2024, when he tallied 73 catches for 911 yards (on 109 targets) and a career-high 12 touchdowns across 12 appearances. A portion of Higgins' production can be attributed to Joe Burrow leading the league in pass attempts while struggling to compensate for Cincinnati's porous defense, which allowed 25.5 points per game. The Bengals failed to substantially revamp the defense this offseason, though, which could set the stage for a similar script in 2025, especially with Ja'Marr Chase and TE Mike Gesicki having re-signed to provide complete continuity on offense.

Moore (knee) has been an on-field participant at OTAs, per the Vikings' official site.

Moore appears healthy as he begins work to carve out a depth role in Minnesota's wide receiver corps, where Jalen Nailor appears fairly secure as the No. 3 receiver behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. A non-contact knee injury sustained last August forced Moore to spend the entire 2024 season, his first and only in Atlanta, on IR. Across three years and 39 regular-season games with Arizona, the 2021 second-rounder combined for 135 catches for 1,201 yards and three touchdowns, plus 52 carries for 249 rushing yards. If Moore's recovery hasn't impacted his burst, his unusual skill set could find a place in head coach Kevin O'Connell's offense.

Coker (undisclosed) continues to work off to the side during OTAs, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

The wide receiver was also only getting in limited work in late May during OTAs. Though he's likely behind Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette and Adam Thielen on Carolina's depth chart, Coker is definitely in the mix after catching 32 passes for 478 yards and two scores as a rookie in 2024.

Washington (undisclosed) has been doing work in a non-contact jersey during OTAs, Chris Perkins of The South Florida Sentinel reports.

The seventh-round pick in the 2024 draft was placed on the reserve/injured list with his undisclosed issue last July, ending his rookie season before it started. Now, the USC product might have a chance to compete for a depth role behind Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. Washington caught 59 passes for 1,062 yards and eight touchdowns in his final collegiate season in 2023.

Pittman left Thursday's practice with knee soreness, Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis reports.

Pittman was down on the field for a few seconds after suffering the injury and then limped to the sidelines. While the issue appeared alarming, Pittman was diagnosed with soreness and has avoided serious injury. Chappell suggests that Pittman will sit out minicamp, but no official timeline has emerged.

Pittman (undisclosed) did not return to Thursday's practice after getting tangled up during a route and limping off the field, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Pittman sustained an apparent injury at the final day of Indianapolis' voluntary OTAs, so it's possible an update on his health won't arrive until closer to the start of mandatory minicamp June 10. Meanwhile, head coach Shane Steichen said Thursday that quarterback Anthony Richardson (shoulder) won't participate in mandatory minicamp due to an aggravation of an AC joint injury, which leaves Daniel Jones primed to handle the bulk of first-team reps. Pittman played through a small fracture in his back from Week 5 onward in 2024, tallying a 69-808-3 receiving line across 16 regular-season appearances and 111 targets, while also struggling to overcome inconsistent quarterback play. Though Pittman has fully recovered from the back issue, his status now needs to be monitored until such time as he retakes the practice field.

St. Brown said Thursday that he hasn't been practicing at voluntary OTAs due to an offseason knee procedure undergone to "clean some stuff up," Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News reports.

St. Brown stressed that his surgery wasn't major, but that he's being cautious in his recovery. Per Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com, the star wideout expects to be ready for training camp. A minor offseason knee procedure shouldn't warrant any change to St. Brown's offseason ADP in early fantasy drafts, wherein he remains an essential lock to come off the board in the first round. More notable, though, is the attrition on offense Detroit has suffered throughout the offseason, especially with former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson having assumed Chicago's head coach position, and the surprising retirement of top-end center Frank Ragnow on Monday. Still, St. Brown has been one of the league's most consistent receivers since joining the Lions as a fourth-round pick in 2021, with three consecutive seasons over the 1,000-yard mark under his belt, plus back-to-back years scoring double-digit touchdowns. Even if Detroit takes a step back after scoring a league-leading 33.2 points per game in the 2024 regular season, St. Brown remains entrenched as one of Jared Goff's top playmakers in what still projects as a strong offense under new OC John Morton.

Baltimore signed Bateman to a three-year, $36.75 million contract extension Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Bateman inks a contract extension with the Ravens for a second straight offseason, after the team extended him on a two-year, $12.87 million deal through 2026 last April. The 2021 first-round pick put together the healthiest and most productive season of his career in 2024, suiting up for all 17 regular-season contests and securing 45 of 72 targets for 759 yards and nine touchdowns. He's emerged as a reliable deep threat and end zone target for Lamar Jackson, though Zay Flowers remains entrenched atop the wide receiver depth chart, and free agency signee DeAndre Hopkins is an additional competition for targets. With TEs Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely also involved in the passing game, and this team still deploying a run-first approach led by Derrick Henry, Bateman's ceiling in terms of target volume appears capped, but he figures to retain fantasy value as a boom-or-bust weekly option in 2025. Bateman's fantasy outlook is more positive in standard leagues than for PPR scoring.

The Seahawks waived McCollum on Wednesday.

Seattle needed the roster spot to sign undrafted rookie TE Mitch Van Vooren. McCollum also went undrafted out of North Carolina in April. He'll try to find work elsewhere ahead of training camp.

Bears head coach Ben Johnson said Tuesday that Moore "has been a guy that's highly motivated" during voluntary OTAs, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun Times reports.

"[Moore] wants to be as complete of a receiver as he can possibly be, and he's willing to do whatever it takes to get there," Johnson said. The wide receiver's poor body language last season was also addressed by Johnson, who said at the start of OTAs that the offseason will be "all about educating" Chicago's players about new team culture expectations. Moore said Tuesday that his body language was brought up once this offseason, but that "we nipped it in the bud and it never happened again." Entering his second season with Caleb Williams under center, the departure of Keenan Allen in free agency leaves Moore as the clear leader among the Bears' pass-catching corps, and he remains entrenched as the team's No. 1 wideout. Chicago's O-line upgrades and Johnson's track record in Detroit both point to a much improved offense for 2025, but Moore faces considerable target competition from last year's No. 9 overall pick Rome Odunze, rookie second-rounder Luther Burden (undisclosed) and tight end Colston Loveland (shoulder), the 10th overall selection of the 2025 draft. Moore tallied a career-high 98 catches across 17 regular-season games with Williams in 2024, though he took a step backward from his breakout 2023 campaign in terms of yards (966 vs. 1,364) and touchdowns (six vs. eight).