NFL Player News

Running back Jonathan Ward was also re-signed. Both players were exclusive rights free agents. With Christian Kirk and A.J. Green set to hit free agency, Wesely gives the team a backstop at wide receiver. He posted a 19/208/3 receiving line in 2021 and took on a larger role after DeAndre Hopkins went down. Wesley could climb as high as WR3 on the depth chart this season.

Gannon said he may not know the official status of Conner or fellow running back Trey Benson when the team boards the plan on Friday to head to Los Angeles to take on the Rams, but it sounds like Conner will have an outside shot to play if he continues to progress through his knee injury. Conner was listed as a limited participant in each of the team’s first two practices to start the week and will presumably log another limited session on Thursday. If both Conner and Benson are held out of Saturday’s contest, practice squad back Michael Carter figures to see a busy day after seeing 10 opportunities in last week’s loss to the Panthers.

Hurts was listed as a DNP for Wednesday’s practice and is at risk of missing Week 17’s game against the Cowboys if he can’t get on the field before the weekend. Kenny Pickett was also listed as limited with a rib injury, and the team signed quarterback Ian Book to its practice squad on Thursday. Signs are pointing toward Hurts missing at least one game, but we’ll see how things go over the next two days of practice.

Barrett will be waived from the Reserve Retired list and can be picked up by any team. If he clears waivers, he will be free to sign with any team of his choosing. Barrett applied for reinstatement to the league last month after announcing his retirement in July, but the Dolphins said they had no plans to waive the veteran linebacker or activate him at that time. Now, with an apparent change of heart, Barrett hopes to join a contender and compete in the postseason for a third NFL championship after winning two rings with the Broncos and Buccaneers.

Stevenson, who was benched earlier this season for fumbling issues, lost another fumble in Week 16 against Buffalo. “I think everyone understands how important the football is. We’re a team that we just can’t turn the ball over,” Mayo said when asked about Stevenson’s ongoing fumbling issues. “I thought Gibby, when he got in there, did a great job. We gotta go back and talk about it as a staff, but that’s definitely still a possibility.” Gibson last week had ten rushes for 28 yards and two grabs for eight yards in a loss to the Bills. He could figure more prominently in the New England backfield this week against the Chargers if Mayo is intent on sending a message to Stevenson. It makes Stevenson a shaky option in fantasy leagues.

Schultz came back to life last week with 45 yards and a score on five grabs. Even with Tank Dell out for this game (and the rest of the year), the veteran tight end failed to step up versus the Ravens, though that wasn’t entirely on him. C.J. Stroud missed him on multiple easy throws, turning a potentially average fantasy game into a flop for Schultz. With five catches and 66 yards serving as the ceiling performances for Schultz this year, he is stuck in the TE2 ranks for Week 18.

Metchie operated as the team’s No. 2 receiver with Tank Dell done for the year. He parlayed the role into a team-high in targets and only fell 11 yards short of Nico Collins. While Metchie will have to play a prominent role in the offense in Week 18 and beyond, Diontae Johnson is expected to suit up next week, throwing a wrench in the Metchie streaming plans. He is, at best, a WR5 heading into Week 18 against the Titans.

Collins erupted for 119 yards versus the Jags in Week 13 but has been quiet ever since. He has 136 yards in his subsequent three games. John Metchie led the Texans in targets this week with eight looks, though that likely speaks to just how dysfunctional the team was versus a superior Baltimore squad. Collins gets the Titans in Week 18. He went for 92 yards and a touchdown when the teams last faced in Week 12. Houston has nothing left to play for with the AFC South title already in hand, so fantasy managers with stake in the final game of the year will want to make sure Houston is playing their starters before rolling out Collins as a WR1 next week.

The Texans couldn’t get anything going on offense and fell behind early, giving them no shot at establishing a ground game. Mixon, in turn, was held under 60 yards for the third time in four weeks. The veteran back has been banged up late this year and Houston’s offense isn’t setting him up for success. A date with the Titans would normally be a phenomenal remedy for his slump, but Houston has nothing to play for next week. Mixon and the rest of the starters could get the day off. If he does suit up, Mixon will be a mid-range RB2 versus Tennessee.

It was another stagnant outing from Stroud and the Texans’ offense. Stroud routinely missed layup throws in the first half and was put in bad spots with destined-to-fail runs on early downs all too often. The second-year passer also got banged up on several plays. He was stepped on early but didn’t seem affected after a play or two. Then, right before the end of the first half, Stroud was slammed to the ground by a Baltimore defender and seemed to injure his right arm in the process. Davis Mills took one snap but Stroud was back on the field for the next play. After being thoroughly out-played for another quarter and change, the Houston starters hit the bench late in the contest. Although the injury didn’t stop Sroud from playing beyond the lone rep, it could keep him on the sidelines for Week 18. The Texans have the AFC South title locked up but are stuck with the No. 4 seed regardless of the outcome of their final game. It’s possible Stroud gets the week off to recover and prepare for the playoffs instead of facing the Titans.

Bateman was held to one reception for the second week in a row, though it’s hard to blame him for the low receiving total this week. Lamar Jackson attempted just 15 passes while Derrick Henry alone piled up 27 rush attempts. The Ravens were not pushed in the slightest by a hapless Houston offense, resulting in a quiet game from most of the Baltimore pass-catchers. Bateman is stuck as a no-floor WR5 for his Week 18 date with the Browns.