NFL Player News

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan announced that Kittle (Achilles) will undergo season-ending surgery Wednesday.

Kittle will have his surgery three days after tearing his right Achilles tendon in the second quarter of a 23-19 win over the Eagles in the wild-card round. Since most Achilles tears typically entail 9-to-12-month recovery periods, Kittle appears likely to be sidelined for at least some portion of the 2026 season. Jake Tonges will serve as the 49ers' top pass-catching tight end in Kittle's absence for the duration of the team's playoff run, and blocking specialist Luke Farrell may also be in line for added snaps.

Hadden (fibia/fibula) expects to face "a four- or five-month recovery" due to the broken right tibia and fibula he suffered versus the Ravens in Week 17, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Hadden is still using a knee coaster for mobility early January, as he recovers from surgery undergone to address a pair of fractures suffered to the area of his lower right leg. The reserve cornerback said he's taking his rehab a "day at a time." Hadden is slated to become an exclusive rights free agent this offseason, meaning Green Bay will have the option to retain him via a one-year, minimum-salary tender.

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said that Pearsall (knee/ankle) will be listed as a limited participant in Tuesday's walkthrough practice, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Pearsall hasn't practiced over the past two weeks after aggravating a right knee PCL injury in addition to injuring his ankle, but the wideout is showing some progress as the 49ers gear up for a divisional-round matchup with the Seahawks on Saturday. If Pearsall is available for the contest, there should be targets up for grabs after star tight end George Kittle suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon in a wild-card win over the Eagles.

Jones (pectoral) could be a candidate to return to action for Super Bowl LX, if the Broncos advance to that point in the postseason, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

Jones was placed on IR in mid-December and subsequently underwent surgery to repair a torn pec suffered Week 15 versus the Packers. While he could be a candidate to return early February, Jones will remain sidelined for Sunday's divisional-round matchup against the Bills or the AFC Championship Game, leaving P.J. Locke (leg) to continue filling in as Denver's starting free safety.

The Bills designated Oliver (biceps/knee) for return from injured reserve Tuesday.

Oliver now kicks off a 21-day window where he can be evaluated at practice without counting against the 53-man roster, making him eligible to return to action as early as Saturday's divisional-round game in Denver, if healthy. The veteran defensive tackle was placed on IR in late October due to a torn biceps, and he's also recovering from meniscus surgery on his knee.

Buffalo signed Wilkerson to the practice squad Tuesday.

Wilkerson being signed to the Bills' practice squad coincides with the placement of Gabe Davis (ACL) on IR and Curtis Samuel (elbow/neck) having his 21-day practice window opened. In the event that Samuel isn't cleared to return in time for Saturday's divisional-round game in Denver, Wilkerson could be a candidate to provide emergency depth for Buffalo at wide receiver. He spent time on the practice squads of the Bills and Titans during the regular season.

Melton (ankle) said he is expected to need roughly one month to recover from the injury he suffered Week 18 and may have been a candidate to return to action had Green Bay advanced to Super Bowl LX, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Melton declined to speculate on whether he'll enter the 2026 offseason working primarily at cornerback or wide receiver, but he noted that he expects to have that discussion with the Packers' coaching staff. He was moved to cornerback last offseason but contributed mostly as a backup receiver for Green Bay during the 2025 campaign. Melton will be a restricted free agent this offseason, giving the Packers the right to match any contract offers he receives from other teams or potentially receive draft pick compensation should he sign elsewhere.

Mack said after Sunday's 16-3 wild-card loss to the Patriots that he will make a decision on his future in the NFL " based on how I'm feeling and how my family is feeling, the vibes," Omar Navarro of the Chargers' official site reports.

Mack recorded one assisted tackle versus New England, while across 12 regular-season appearances in 2025 he totaled 32 tackles (19 solo), including 5.5 sacks, plus four forced fumbles. The 34-year-old veteran is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason after having played out the 2025 campaign via a one-year, $18 million contract with Los Angeles. If Mack decides to continue his playing career for another season, he and the Chargers could have mutual agreement on a similar deal for 2026.

Addison was arrested Monday in Tampa, Fla. on a misdemeanor trespassing charge, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.

Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said Tuesday at his annual end-of-season press conference that the team is "always supportive of [...] Addison" but noted that the 2023 first-round pick's off-field incidents are "something we have to consider when you're talking about long-term ramifications of a contract extension and different things like that." Minnesota will have to make a decision about the potential fifth-year option of Addison's rookie deal this offseason, and No. 3 wide receiver Jalen Nailor is also a pending free agent. While Monday's arrest may not result in league discipline or be a major factor in the Vikings' decision regarding an extension, it's notable that the wideout has now had three legal situations arise since entering the NFL. He previously plead guilty to a misdemeanor speeding charge related to a July 2023 incident and was also arrested on a DUI charge in 2024. Addison was also suspended the first three games of the 2025 campaign for violating the NFL's substances of abuse policy.

The Bills designated Samuel (elbow/neck) for return from injured reserve Tuesday.

Samuel is scheduled to practice Tuesday in some fashion for the first time since Week 11, after missing the last eight games. Given the length of his layoff, Samuel may not have a realistic shot of playing in Saturday's divisional-round game in Denver. However, if he is available this weekend, Samuel could play meaningful snaps right off the bat after Tyrell Shavers suffered a knee injury and Gabe Davis tore his ACL tear in the wild-card round.