NFL Player News

Burks finished with four receptions for 66 yards on six targets in Monday's 23-17 loss to the 49ers.

The reception, yardage and target totals were all season-best totals for Burks, whose heightened involvement in the passing game may have been a byproduct of No. 1 wideout Terry McLaurin (knee) exiting the game late in the first quarter. Though Burks didn't see a major spike in playing time compared to prior weeks -- he was on the field for 37 of 67 offensive snaps (55.2 percent) -- he should be able to maintain a regular role in three-receiver sets alongside Stefon Diggs and Antonio Williams with McLaurin expected to miss time and potentially even being sidelined for the rest of the season.

The Dolphins released Patterson Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Miami will part ways with Patterson coming out of its Week 6 bye, after the kicker converted on seven of nine field-goal tries and five of six extra-point attempts through the team's first five games. Per NFL reporter Jordan Schultz, the Dolphins are expected to replace Patterson with Zane Gonzalez, who worked out for the team Tuesday and will be signed either to 53-man roster or practice squad.

The Giants will release Harris on Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

With head coach John Harbaugh electing to dramatically reduce lead back Cam Skattebo's playing time after he had fumbled four times through the first five games, Harris was awarded his first start of the season in the Giants' 34-27 loss to the Saints. Harris still ranked far behind fellow backs Devin Singletary (31 snaps) and Tyrone Tracy (29 snaps) in playing time in Week 6, taking the field for just 11 plays while gaining two yards on four carries. The poor showing on the ground was a familiar refrain for the 28-year-old, who will now hit the open market after struggling to show much burst in his return from the season-ending Achilles tear he sustained last September. Over five appearances with New York, Harris gained just 99 yards on 31 carries (3.2 YPC) and was a non-factor in the passing game (one catch for five yards).

McLaurin is slated to undergo an MRI on Tuesday after sustaining what the Commanders fear was a season-ending left knee injury in Monday's 23-17 loss to the 49ers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

After recording a 27-yard reception on the Commanders' opening drive, McLaurin went down with the injury on the team's second possession of the first quarter, when he lost his balance and fell awkwardly to the field while running a route on a third-and-9 play. McLaurin was carted off the field and fitted for an air cast before the Commanders quickly ruled him out for the rest of the game. The upcoming imaging will reveal the extent of McLaurin's injury, but head coach Dan Quinn acknowledged after the game that the Commanders are bracing for their No. 1 wideout to miss time, per John Keim of ESPN.com. If McLaurin is in fact sidelined for any stretch of action, Stefon Diggs would presumably settle in as Washington's new top wideout, with tight end Chig Okonkwo, running backs Rachaad White and Austin Ekeler and receivers Antonio Williams and Treylon Burks also potentially benefiting from added opportunities in the passing game.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said after Monday's 23-17 win over the Commanders that Evans' early exit was due to right Achilles tendinitis, but he doesn't believe the wideout will require further testing or imaging, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports. "I hope he recovers throughout the week, but you don't think it's a long-term thing, but right now it ended up costing him two quarters and hopefully he'll be able to play [Sunday in Atlanta]," Shanahan said.

Listed as questionable heading into Monday after failing to practice all week while nursing the Achilles issue in addition to fractured ribs, Evans suited up but lasted just two quarters before aggravating the Achilles injury. He still delivered for fantasy managers with three receptions for 94 yards on five targets, but the veteran wideout's latest setback on the health front could put him in danger of missing his first game of the season. Before deciding on Evans' status for Sunday's game, the 49ers will likely continue to rest him during practices throughout the week and see how he bounces back from the Achilles tendinitis. With a bye on tap in Week 8, the 49ers may be incentivized to hold Evans out against the Falcons to ensure he's in optimal health for the second half of the season.

Cooks brought in one of two targets for 13 yards in the 49ers' 23-17 win over the Commanders on Monday night.

Cooks unsurprisingly played a minor role in the air attack as one of four players with one catch on the night. The veteran wideout has two receptions for 20 yards and a touchdown on five targets over the three games for which he's been active to date, and with Demarcus Robinson (ankle) not likely to return from injured reserve until Week 8, Cooks is likely to suit up again in a Week 7 road matchup against the Falcons on Sunday.

Williams brought in three of four targets for 50 yards in the Commanders' 23-17 loss to the 49ers on Monday night.

Williams finished with the third-most receptions on the Commanders for the night, and the rookie posted the second-highest receiving yardage total of his nascent career. Williams has maintained a steady complementary presence in Washington's air attack while recording at least three catches in all but one game, and the third-round pick out of Clemson should continue filling a similar role when the Commanders return from a Week 7 bye in a home divisional battle against the Eagles on Sunday night, Nov. 1.

Black rushed eight times for 34 yards and brought in his only target for three yards in the 49ers' 23-17 win over the Commanders on Monday night.

Black logged half as many carries as Christian McCaffrey and a whopping nine fewer targets, cementing the pecking order in the 49ers' ground attack. However, Black is getting some nice complementary run as a rookie, as he's logged 45 carries over his first six games. Black has just three targets in that same span, however, so his fantasy upside will remain capped to a large degree in a Week 7 road matchup against the Falcons on Sunday.

Okonkwo brought in all seven targets for 69 yards in the Commanders' 23-17 loss to the 49ers on Monday night.

The athletic tight end set the pace for the Commanders in receptions and receiving yards while also sharing the team lead in targets. It was Okonkwo's most productive performance yet over his brief four-game Commanders tenure, and the Maryland product looks like he's hitting his stride after missing Weeks 2 and 3 due to a hamstring injury. Okonkwo will head into a Week 7 bye with a combined 11-129-0 line on 13 targets over the last two games before returning to action at home against the Eagles on Sunday night, Nov. 1.

White rushed seven times for 27 yards and brought in four of five targets for 30 yards and a touchdown in the Commanders' 23-17 loss to the 49ers on Monday night.

With Jacory Croskey-Merritt (IR, groin) unavailable, White worked as the de facto lead back despite Jeremy McNichols making his season debut. The ground attack took a back seat when the Commanders fell behind by a 20-3 margin going into intermission, but White was able to make an impact as a receiver. White posted his second receiving touchdown as a member of the Commanders as well, recording a nine-yard scoring grab in the fourth quarter for the final points of the night. With Croskey-Merritt out for at least three additional games, White could continue to see fairly solid volume in a Week 8 home matchup against the Eagles on Sunday night, Nov. 1, following a Week 7 bye.