NFL Player News

Rookie WR Xavier Legette, struggling with a foot injury that could keep him out a while, is listed as a second-team option for Carolina. Mingo has drawn a surprising amount of praise and hype after a spectacularly awful rookie season in the Panthers offense. He had 43 catches for 418 scoreless yards as a full-time Carolina starter in 2023. It appears Mingo has a chance to start alongside Adam Thielen and Diontae Johnson.

Among the most sought after front office hires in this cycle, Spytek is also talking to the Titans about their GM opening. A second interview means the Raiders are likely to offer the job to Spytek, Tampa’s assistant GM for the past two seasons who was integral in creating the Bucs roster that won the Super Bowl following the 2020 season. Tom Brady, minority owner of the Raiders, was of course part of that team.

Pickens, always an emotional player, was downright malignant in the Steelers organization in 2024, showing up late to games, screaming at fans, and getting flagged for baffling personal foul penalties. His behavior turned harmful to the team when Pittsburgh quarterbacks weren’t peppering him with targets. Pickens often looked disinterested, even if the Steelers were winning or in a tight game. Following a Pickens sideline meltdown against the Bengals in Week 13, head coach Mike Tomlin said the wideout needed to “grow up.” “The organization needs to learn its lesson and realize if it’s ever going to win a playoff game again, it needs players who at least show up to work on time,” DeFabo said, adding that the Steelers should part ways with Pickens and sign one of free agency’s top receivers. With players like Tee Higgins, Chris Godwin, Marquise Brown, Amari Cooper, Keenan Allen, DeAndre Hopkins, and Stefon Diggs available this offseason, it’s a viable path for the middling Steelers.

Allen saw additional run in the offense after Tyler Higbee left after the team’s second possession. Higbee would be immediately deemed doubtful to return with a chest injury before being ruled out for the remainder of the game at halftime, something that could provide more run for both Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen in the Divisional Round against the Eagles.

Robinson’s two targets came in a game in which quarterback Matthew Stafford attempted just 27 passes due to extremely positive game script. The Los Angeles defense completely took over this game, sacking Sam Darnold nine times with one interception and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. Robinson remains entrenched as the WR3 for a Rams team that could be forced into increased volume in the Divisional Round against the Eagles.

Kupp was notably held without a target in the first half as the team relied heavily on tight end Tyler Higbee and Puka Nacua through the air. HIgbee departed after the second possession with a chest injury and was promptly deemed doubtful to return before ultimately being ruled out, something that could influence the team’s target pecking order in a Divisional Round matchup against the Eagles next weekend, even though that appeared to be influenced by the matchup against the blitz-heavy Vikings.

For all intents and purposes, Nacua and Stafford were not really on the same page in the blowout win, but a dominant performance by their defense, which included nine sacks and a strip sack fumble recovery for a touchdown in the second quarter led to only 51 offensive plays run from scrimmage. Nacua appeared to bang knees with a defender in the third quarter and he was seen limping to the sideline, but he would return on the same possession and finish the game for the Rams. The win sends the Rams to a road Divisional Round clash with the Eagles next weekend.

Williams got the scoring started for the Rams on the opening possession of the game, catching a five-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford on a leak play to the middle of the end zone. The Rams ran only 51 offensive plays as their defense clamped down on the Vikings, resulting in only 19 opportunities for the running back that led the league in percentage of team touches in the regular season at 43%. Williams and the rest of the Los Angeles skill position players could be called on at greater frequency in the Divisional Round against the Eagles.

Stafford and the Rams controlled the flow of the game throughout after scoring on their opening possession. A second quarter fumble recovery for a touchdown from their defense padded their lead early, eventually leading to a 24-3 lead heading into the half. That allowed the Rams to use more caution on offense after the break, something that contributed to Stafford’s lowly 27 pass attempts. The win sends the Rams to a road Divisional Round matchup against the Eagles, which will showcase two defenses playing their best football of the season.

Addison failed to come down with multiple deep passes in single coverage, most of which came with the game well out of hand in the second half. The second-year receiver failed to match his gaudy stats from a season ago after a breakout 2023 campaign, finishing his 2024 season with 63 catches for 875 yards and nine touchdowns. Most notably, Addison managed just four receptions on 15 targets in his final two appearances against the Lions and Rams, coinciding with poor quarterback play from Sam Darnold to end the season. Either way, Addison is likely to remain an integral part of the offense moving forward only two years into his rookie contract.

Under contract through the 2025 season, Nailor is likely to reprise his role as the WR3 for the Vikings in the new league year after catching 28 passes for 414 yards and six touchdowns during the 2024 regular season. That said, he could be catching passes from a different quarterback considering Sam Darnold’s contract is up and his significant struggles to end the season against the Lions and Rams.