NFL Player News

Prater (quad/calf) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice.

Prater was listed as a non-participant in Tuesday's walkthrough but was able to upgrade to full participation in Wednesday's session. The kicker was questionable to play ahead of last Sunday's playoff win over the Jaguars, but he managed to suit up for the game and put forth a flawless effort. The 41-year-old should be all set to play in Saturday's divisional-round matchup against the Broncos, barring any setbacks.

Collins (concussion) isn't practicing Wednesday, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.

While attempting to corral a C.J. Stroud pass in the third quarter of Monday's wild-card win at Pittsburgh, Collins wasn't able to brace himself as his helmet went directly into the turf. He remained on the field for a spell and then was carted from the sideline to the locker room, after which he was diagnosed with a concussion. With a short week to prepare for Sunday's divisional-round game in New England, Collins may be hard-pressed to gain clearance from the protocol for head injuries to be able to play this weekend, but he at least has chances Thursday and Friday for on-field work before then.

Gonzalez (concussion) is expected to practice Wednesday, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.

The Patriots' starting cornerback suffered a concussion in the second half of last Sunday's playoff win over the Chargers. Gonzalez's ability to practice Wednesday means he is likely ready to continue progressing the NFL's five-step concussion protocol in the hopes of being set to suit up for Sunday's divisional round matchup with the Texans.

Hairston (ankle) was not on the field during Wednesday's practice, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.

Hairston was unable to participate in the Bills' wild-card victory over the Jaguars last Sunday due to an ankle injury that kept him out of practice during the week. The rookie cornerback has continued the trend of nonparticipation through Week 20, missing consecutive practices to start the week. Unless Hairston can upgrade his participation level in Thursday's session, he will likely miss the Bills' divisional round matchup with the Broncos on Saturday as well.

The 49ers cut Baker from the practice squad Wednesday.

Baker was signed to the practice squad Dec. 9 and has been cut without being elevated to the active roster for any games. The 23-year-old wide receiver is a potential acquisition for several teams in need of wide receiver depth as the postseason continues.

The 49ers signed Rucci to the practice squad Wednesday.

Rucci had a tryout with the team Tuesday, and the tight end has officially joined the practice squad in anticipation of the 49ers' divisional round matchup with the Seahawks. With starting tight end George Kittle (Achilles) suffering a season-ending injury in last Sunday's playoff win over the Eagles, Rucci will add depth to the position group. The 24-year-old is a strong candidate for elevation to the active roster ahead of Saturday's game against the Seahawks.

The Cardinals signed Smith-Marsette to a reserve/future deal Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Smith-Marsette spent the 2025 season as a member of the Giants' practice squad and was not elevated for any games. The return specialist played in 15 games for the Giants during the 2024 campaign, logging 381 kick return yards and 228 punt return yards over 135 special-teams snaps.

Thielen announced on social media Wednesday that he is retiring from the NFL, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

In his last NFL campaign, Thielen played in 16 regular-season games (11 with the Vikings and five with the Steelers), combining for 19 catches (on 35 targets) for 186 yards in that span. The 35-year-old wideout, who originally entered the league with the Vikings after going undrafted out of Minnesota State in 2013, thus finishes up his NFL career -- which included two Pro Bowl selections -- with a 704/8,497/64 receiving line in 178 regular-season outings.

Jones (back) is recovering well from his herniated disk surgery and could have returned to the field this season if the Panthers had made a deeper playoff run, Mike Kaye reports.

Jones has been on injured reserve since the Panthers' Week 6 win over the Cowboys. The linebacker said he felt, "like I was getting real close" to an end-of-season return. Now that the Panthers have been eliminated from Super Bowl contention, Jones will have a full offseason to work back from his back injury and be ready for the 2026 season.

Jaguars GM James Gladstone confirmed Wednesday that Hunter (knee) will remain a two-way player in 2026 but implied that the wide receiver/cornerback is likely to see more playing time on defense during the upcoming season, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.

Gladstone noted that Hunter's rehab program is progressing "as expected," after the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft required season-ending surgery Nov. 11 to address a torn LCL in his right knee. Hunter looks on track to be ready for the start of the Jaguars' offseason program, which will be a pivotal one as he prepares to see increased time on the defensive side of the ball in 2026. In his seven appearances as a rookie, Hunter was on the field for 67 percent of the team's offensive snaps compared to only 36 percent of the defensive snaps, but Gladstone cited the Jaguars' positional needs (based on looming expiring contracts) as a primary factor in wanting the 22-year-old to get more exposure to cornerback. Shortly before Hunter got hurt, the Jaguars acquired Jakobi Meyers from the Raiders at the trade deadline and then signed him to an extension, and Parker Washington also emerged as a trusted slot man late in the season to complement Meyers and 2024 first-round pick Brian Thomas on the outside. A healthy Hunter is still likely to factor into the equation at receiver in some capacity next season, but because the wideout room already looks like an area of relative strength for Jacksonville, he could be headed for a steep reduction in reps on offense in what would obviously represent a negative development for his fantasy prospects.