NFL Player News

Bills head coach Sean McDermott said Wednesday he has a "better understanding" of how Samuel "can help us and the role that he may play for us" entering Year 2 with the team, Ralph Ventre of SI.com reports.

Samuel disappointed relative to high expectations after signing a three-year, $24 million contract with Buffalo in March 2024, finishing the 2024 campaign with just 31 catches for 253 yards and one score (on 46 targets), plus five rushes for 14 yards across 14 regular-season games. McDermott attributed Samuel's struggles to both "being new to the system last year" and having "battled some injuries." Samuel endured turf toe in training camp and the early portion of the regular season, missed Week 8 with a shoulder injury, and then was sidelined Weeks 16 and 17 with a ribs issue. As McDermott notes, though, the 28-year-old "got into a little bit of a rhythm late in the year," putting up a 6-81-2 receiving line across three playoff appearances. Khalil Shakir's firm grip on slot reps clouds Samuel's path to consistent involvement on offense, but improved health alone could be enough for him to improve on his 2024 showing.

Shaheed (knee) is participating in OTAs without any apparent restrictions and joined Chris Olave (concussion) in punt-return drills Thursday, Luke Johnson of NOLA.com reports.

Shaheed and Olave have both looked fully healthy at OTAs, per Matthew Paras of NOLA.com, an encouraging development as the Saints work through a three-way quarterback competition to recover from the offseason retirement of Derek Carr (shoulder). Rookie second-round pick Tyler Shough, 2024 fifth-rounder Spencer Rattler and third-year pro Jake Haener (oblique) all appear to have a legitimate shot at securing the starting gig for Week 1. With Haener sidelined multiple weeks, and potentially until training camp, Shaheed's current focus will be to build chemistry with Shough and Rattler. His full participation level aligns with the four-to-six-month recovery timetable attached to the season-ending meniscus injury Shaheed suffered last October.

Olave (concussion) is participating in OTAs without restrictions and took reps returning punts Thursday, Luke Johnson of NOLA.com reports.

Olave hasn't been tasked with fielding punts or kickoffs once since entering the league in 2022, so Thursday's special-teams reps likely don't forebode any actual upcoming usage in the return game. It's simply encouraging to note that the fourth-year pro looks completely healthy at spring practices, as Matthew Paras of NOLA.com reports, and that he's been available to assist with New Orleans' three-way quarterback competition that's the result of Derek Carr's (shoulder) recent retirement announcement. Olave has some experience playing with both Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener (oblique), the latter who could be out until training camp, but rookie second-rounder Tyler Shough is an entirely new name in the mix. The Saints exercised Olave's fifth-year option in April, so his rookie deal with the team now runs through 2026.

Pearsall is dealing with a hamstring injury, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Shanahan describes Pearsall's hamstring issue as a tweak, but the wideout, who Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News notes worked on the side during Thursday's OTA, isn't likely to resume practicing until training camp, with the team leaning toward exercising caution with Pearsall during next month's mandatory minicamp. Once he's healthy, the 2024 first-rounder is projected to have a key role in a 49ers wideout corps that no longer includes Deebo Samuel, especially with Brandon Aiyuk still recovering from ACL and MCL tears that he sustained to his right knee last October.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Thursday that Rice (knee) is "under the weather" and has been instructed to remain away from the team for this week of voluntary OTAs, Charles Goldman of AtoZSports.com reports.

Rice has missed Kansas City's first group of voluntary OTAs from May 27-29 due to an illness, but he may still be able to participate June 2-4 and/or June 10-13, after which the team will host mandatory minicamp June 17-19. Reid said Rice is making progress in his recovery from the season-ending right knee injury he sustained in Week 4, while quarterback Patrick Mahomes said the third-year wideout "looks explosive and fast" and appears to be working with "no limitations," per Charles Goldman of AtoZSports.com. It remains to be seen whether Rice is yet cleared for live contact, but it's encouraging to see that he's looked quick in on-field drills so far. Rice's ability to rack up yards after the catch gives him potential to be featured even in the Chiefs' crowded receiving corps, though the potential of a suspension in 2025 or 2026 still looms.

Woods (knee) participated in Wednesday's organized team activities, Joshua Gunter of Cleveland.com reports.

The 2022 sixth-round pick from Oklahoma missed the Browns' 2024 season finale due to a knee injury, but his participation during the team's OTAs suggests he's now past the issue. Woods appeared in five games with Cleveland last season, catching seven of his 18 targets for 65 yards across 291 offensive snaps. Now healthy, he's expected to compete for a depth spot in the team's wide receiver room throughout the summer.

Tillman (concussion) is participating in OTAs and worked alongside Jerry Jeudy with the first-team offense Wednesday, Dan Lebbe of cleveland.com reports.

Tillman missed the Browns' final six regular-season games of 2024 while in the concussion protocol and ended the year on IR, so it's encouraging to see him working without any apparent limitations during spring drills. The 2023 third-round pick seems the early favorite to earn the No. 2 receiver spot alongside Jeudy, with Elijah Moore now in Buffalo and veteran Diontae Johnson representing Cleveland's largest splash at wideout this offseason. Tillman was barely involved the first six weeks of 2024, in which span he totaled just six catches for nine yards, but he enjoyed a brief five-game breakout with Jameis Winston under center from Week 7 to Week 12. He put together a 26-330-3 receiving line on 44 targets in those five appearances, with the concussion cutting his Week 12 short at 56 percent of snaps. As Tillman works to translate that production into a true Year 3 breakout rather than a mere flash in the pan, he seems destined to once again have to overcome a quarterback rotation that will carry the risk of subpar play.

Polk (shoulder) isn't participating in full team drills during the Patriots' current organized team activities, Evan Lazar of the team's official site reports.

That said, Lazar notes that Polk -- who is bouncing back from an offseason shoulder procedure -- has been running routes during team periods of practice with offensive assistant Riley Larkin, adding that the 2024 second-rounder appears to be going at full speed. Once Polk is cleared to absorb contact, he'll look to secure a role in a wideout corps that still includes DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Kendrick Bourne and Javon Baker and has added Stefon Diggs (knee), Mack Hollins and rookie third-rounder Kyle Williams to the mix. However, after a disappointing rookie season in which he caught just 12 passes in 15 games, Polk has some ground to make up before he re-enters the fantasy radar in re-draft formats.

Rice (shoulder) was spotted participating in Wednesday's practice, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.

The 23-year-old finished his 2024 campaign on injured reserve due to a shoulder injury, but his participation in Wednesday's practice suggests he's moved past the issue. Rice appeared in three games during his rookie season, failing to tally any stats across 13 total snaps. Now fully healthy, Rice is expected to compete for a depth role in Los Angeles' wide receiver corps throughout the summer.

Kirk (collarbone) is participating in on-field positional drills at OTAs on Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Kirk no longer looks hindered by the broken collarbone that ended his 2024 season in Jacksonville after just eight games. The Texans traded for Kirk in early March, then selected two rookies out of Iowa State -- Jayden Higgins (second round) and Jaylin Noel (third round) -- in the 2025 NFL Draft. Even with Tank Dell (knee) nursing a serious enough injury that he could miss most, or all, of the upcoming season, Higgins and Noel represent notable competition for targets behind No. 1 wideout Nico Collins. At 6-foot-4, 212 pounds with 4.47 speed, Higgins is a physical clone of Collins capable of joining him on the boundary, while Noel's smaller frame and 4.39 speed seemingly positions him to begin as a deep threat. That leaves Kirk with a clear path to dominate slot reps, with the catch being that Noel could eventually compete for such snaps, and Houston's other wideouts could emerge as higher-priority targets for C.J. Stroud.