NFL Player News

Smythe was not targeted in the Bears' 19-16 loss to the Lions on Sunday.

Smythe finished the season playing all 17 games and caught four passes for 25 yards on six targets. He has totaled 13 receptions over the last two seasons while serving primarily as a blocking tight end, limiting his fantasy relevance to deep leagues. He is set to hit free agency.

Kincaid (knee) will be listed as limited in practice Wednesday, Maddy Glab of the Bills' official site reports.

Kincaid was limited at practice last week before being listed as questionable for the Sunday's regular-season finale against the Jets. The tight end suited up for the Bills' 35-8 win, en route to playing 10 snaps and catching all three of his targets for 48 yards in a game in which the team managed the workload of several key players. With no reported setbacks with the knee issue Kincaid has been managing, chances are his looming limitations Wednesday are maintenance-related.

LaPorta said Monday that he will enter the next phase of his rehab from back surgery this week and anticipates being fully cleared in advance of training camp, Richard Silva of The Detroit News reports.

The 24-year-old tight end ended up missing the Lions' final eight games of the season after he suffered a herniated disk in a Nov. 9 win over the Commanders. LaPorta said that he was initially hopeful to avoid a stint on injured reserve and return to action in 2-to-3 weeks after suffering the injury, but after further deliberation, he and the Lions decided that opting for surgery was the best long-term course of action. Six weeks removed from his procedure, LaPorta appears to be progressing as anticipated, and while he may not be ready to take contact in OTAs this spring, he expressed optimism that he'll be able to be "up, running around" during those workouts. LaPorta will be eligible for an extension when the new league year begins in March, and retaining the tight end on a long-term deal will likely be a priority for Detroit after he averaged 4.4 receptions and 50.1 receiving yards per game while scoring 20 total touchdowns in 42 appearances through his first three NFL seasons.

Giddens rushed eight times for 30 yards in Sunday's 38-30 loss to the Texans. He finished the season with 26 rushes for 96 yards in nine appearances.

Giddens's eight carries Sunday were his most in a contest since Week 1. The rookie running back barely saw the field in his first season in the NFL, as he was buried on the depth chart behind Jonathan Taylor, Ameer Abdullah and Tyler Goodson. Taylor handled the vast majority of the work out of the backfield, leaving very few opportunities for the backups in Indianapolis. The 25-year-old Goodson should continue to improve and get acclimated to the Colts' offense heading into his second season, and it's possible he could take on a bigger role as a backup behind Taylor with Abdullah and Goodson entering free agency this offseason.

Goodson rushed once for three yards in Sunday's 38-30 loss to the Texans. He finished the season with nine rushes for 24 yards, adding two receptions for eight yards on three targets in 11 appearances.

Goodson was a nonfactor this season, barely seeing the field on offense. The 25-year-old running back played well behind Jonathan Taylor and Ameer Abdullah in the Colts' backfield rotation throughout the 2025 campaign. With that said, Goodson will enter the offseason as a restricted free agent, giving Indianapolis the opportunity to match any offers he may receive from other teams in free agency. Based on his limited usage, it remains unclear if the Colts will try to keep him in their locker room or afford him the opportunity to catch on with another team ahead of next season.

Abdullah rushed once for one yard and caught both of his targets for 24 yards in Sunday's 38-30 loss to the Texans. He finished the season with 14 rushes for 60 yards and one touchdown, adding 16 receptions for 99 yards on 17 targets in 13 appearances.

Abdullah finished the 2025 campaign having very little impact offensively, a theme for the veteran running back for most of the season. The 32-year-old operated as one of the Colts' top backup options out of the backfield, but he was unable to get much going each week with starter Jonathan Taylor handling a large majority of the work at running back. Abdullah will enter the offseason as an unrestricted free agent, but his age and lack of impressive production may make it difficult to garner much interest from teams around the league.

Demercado rushed twice for 29 yards and caught his lone target for 28 yards in Sunday's 37-20 loss to the Rams. He finished the season with 44 rushes for 312 yards, adding 13 receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown on 20 targets across 13 games.

Demercado had an underwhelming 2025 campaign despite being given more opportunities than expected when both James Conner (foot) and Trey Benson (knee) were lost early in the season. The third-year running back shared backfield duties with Michael Carter and Bam Knight for most of the season, limiting his fantasy production. Demercado will enter the 2026 offseason as a restricted free agent, giving the Cardinals the opportunity to match any potential offers from other teams in free agency. With Knight also set to become a restricted free agent and Carter becoming an unrestricted free agent, it remains to be seen how this backfield will shake out and if Demercado will be back with the team next season.

Carter rushed seven times for 18 yards, adding three catches for 21 yards in Sunday's 37-20 loss to the Rams. He finished the season with 92 rushes for 333 yards and one touchdown, adding 33 receptions for 267 yards on 45 targets.

Despite an uneven 2025 campaign, Carter finished the season as the team leader in carries, rushing yards, targets, receptions and receiving yards. The 26-year-old was forced into a bigger role in the backfield when teammates James Conner (foot) and Trey Benson (knee) were lost early in the season. Alongside Emari Demercado and Bam Knight, Carter handled backfield duties for a significant part of the season, allowing him to show off his abilities ahead of the 2026 offseason, in which he will become an unrestricted free agent. Though it is unclear if he'll be back with Arizona, the North Carolina product has likely done enough to garner interest from teams around the NFL as a versatile rotational player out of the backfield.

Thrash finished 2025 with 10 receptions on 15 targets for 107 yards over nine games.

Thrash was inactive for the final eight games, either due to injury or coach's decision. He had signed a four-year contract with the Browns after being selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but Thrash was eventually waived in December and brought back on a one-year deal. He had just 13 catches for 129 yards in his two seasons with Cleveland and enters the offseason as an exclusive rights free agent. One of the team's priorities during the offseason will be a makeover at wide receiver, which may not involve Thrash.

Willis (right shoulder/hamstring) was a limited participant in Tuesday's walkthrough practice.

Willis was inactive for the Packers' Week 18 loss to the Vikings while he managed his pair of injuries, but head coach Matt LaFleur said prior to Tuesday's practice that he expects the fourth-year quarterback to be available for Saturday's wild-card game against the Bears, per Ryan Wood of USA Today. However, after starting in the Packers' Week 17 loss to the Ravens, Willis will return to a backup role after LaFleur confirmed that Jordan Love would return to the starting role as Green Bay opens its postseason. As such, Willis will have two more chances to upgrade his activity level at practice and avoid taking a designation into Saturday. Desmond Ridder is also available as a third option at quarterback for the Packers, while the team cut Clayton Tune after his Week 18 spot start.