NFL Player News

Higgins didn't haul in his only target during Sunday's 37-14 loss at Cincinnati.

After racking up a career-best 7-91-0 line on eight targets Week 16 against the Falcons, Higgins fell back to earth this past Sunday, notching no catches for the third time in 16 games this season. Because he routinely is a distant second to Trey McBride in the TE pecking order in Arizona, Higgins doesn't hold much sway in an offense that also has seen WR Michael Wilson emerge as one of QB Jacoby Brissett's favorite targets over the last seven games -- Wilson has 80 targets to McBride's 73 during that span. Higgins' recent eight-target performance aside, he has only nine total targets in the other six contests in that stretch, keeping him firmly out of fantasy consideration heading into Sunday's road matchup with the Rams.

Whittington returned three kicks for 80 yards during Monday's 27-24 loss to the Falcons.

For the third time in the last five games, Whittington failed to draw a target on offense. Konata Mumpfield and Xavier Smith have taken over as the primary backups behind Puka Nacua with Davante Adams (hamstring) still nursing an injury, and Whittington tied with Tutu Atwell with just 13 snaps on offense. It's likely that Whittington's primary role for the Rams will continue to be as a kick returner again in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Cardinals.

Atwell failed to secure his only target during Monday's 27-24 loss to the Falcons.

The only target that Atwell managed to earn during his 13 snaps on offense came late in the fourth quarter on a deep ball from Matthew Stafford that bounced off of Atwell's outstretched hands. In his three games back from injury, Atwell has recorded a total of just 25 snaps on offense and only one catch for nine yards, keeping him well off the fantasy radar with the regular-season finale against the Cardinals up next in Week 18.

Ferguson secured two of four targets for 54 yards and a touchdown during Monday's 27-24 loss to the Falcons.

Midway through the third quarter, Ferguson was able to get wide open in the end zone and secure a 27-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford, starting a series of 21 unanswered points for the Rams. Colby Parkinson had significantly more snaps compared to Ferguson (51 to 32), and turned them into a respectable seven targets and six catches for 53 yards, but it's clear that Ferguson possesses a big-play ability that has helped him earn touchdowns in the past two contests. Davis Allen failed to record a target and Tyler Higbee (ankle) is still on injured reserve, but Parkinson's presence limits the upside of the upward-trending Ferguson heading into the regular season finale against the Cardinals in Week 18.

Allen failed to draw a target during Monday's 27-24 loss to the Falcons.

Monday's contest felt like a shift in the dynamic of the tight end grouping for the Rams, with Colby Parkinson leading the group with seven targets and six catches for 53 yards, while Terrance Ferguson broke through with two big catches, including a 27-yard touchdown grab in the third quarter. Allen's 27 snaps on offense were the lowest he's recorded since Week 13 against Carolina, and Parkinson's 51 snaps marked the first truly significant separation in snap share for the trio of tight ends since Tyler Higbee (ankle) went on injured reserve. Given Parkinson's emergence and Ferguson's big-play ability starting to emerge in the past two weeks, Allen's arrow seems to be trending down heading into the regular-season finale against the Cardinals in Week 18.

Wharton (hamstring) was seen participating in Tuesday's walk-through practice, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Wharton has missed three consecutive games for the Panthers due to his hamstring injury. The participation in Tuesday's walk-through practice is a positive sign for the defensive end's chances of suiting up for Saturday's game against the Buccaneers, which could decide the division. If Wharton can practice enough to draw an active status, Bobby Brown, Cam Jackson and LaBryan Ray are likely all set to see a diminished defensive snap count in Saturday's contest.

Mumpfield secured two of five targets for 10 yards during Monday's 27-24 loss to the Falcons.

For the second straight week, Mumpfield brought in less than half of his targets from Matthew Stafford, including an overthrown pass in the second quarter that Jessie Bates intercepted and returned 34 yards for a touchdown. Mumpfield has gotten an extended look in the last six weeks, with at least 20 snaps played on offense during each contest, but an 8-80-0 receiving line on 17 targets over that span doesn't inspire much confidence for fantasy purposes. Week 18 against the Cardinals still has meaning for the Rams in terms of playoff seeding, but even with Davante Adams (hamstring) still recovering from injury, Mumpfield's production seems unlikely to deviate much from his recent trends.

The Cowboys waived Diggs on Tuesday, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

After racking up 14 interceptions between the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Diggs signed a five-year, $97 million contract extension with Dallas in the summer of 2023 but has struggled to meet expectations ever since. In addition to sitting out most of the 2023 season after sustaining an ACL tear, Diggs has missed time in the 2024 and 2025 campaigns due to a groin and knee injuries as well as a concussion. He had played in just eight of Dallas' first 16 games this season, logging 25 tackles and recording no interceptions. Any team putting in a claim for Diggs would have to assume the remaining money on his contract, though he could be cut with few ramifications this offseason since his deal is non-guaranteed after 2025.

Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports that coach Mike Tomlin is optimistic about Watt (lung) being available for the Week 18 showdown with the Ravens.

Watt has missed three consecutive weeks with a partially collapsed lung, and having the premier pass rusher available for Sunday's matchup could be huge for the Steelers' defense. The game will determine the AFC's No. 4 seed and the loser will be eliminated from playoff contention. Therefore, if the outside linebacker is unable to return for the game, his season could be over. Watt logged limited practices throughout Week 17, so a full practice at any point this week would be a positive sign pointing towards the 31-year-old's ability to suit up for Week 18.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed that Washington underwent surgery Tuesday to address a broken forearm and won't be available for Sunday's game against the Ravens, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Tomlin was reluctant to say whether Washington's surgery would keep him sidelined for a potential playoff run, but Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette relays that the Steelers aren't expecting the tight end back for the postseason even if Pittsburgh clinches the AFC North title with a victory over the Ravens. The Steelers appear set to head into Week 18 with Pat Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith and Connor Heyward as their available options at tight end. Washington concludes his third NFL season with 31 catches for 364 yards and a touchdown on 43 targets over 16 appearances.