NFL Player News

Fortson hauled in his lone target for a one-yard touchdown reception in the Chiefs' 44-21 win over the Cardinals on Sunday.

Starting tight end Travis Kelce had a huge outing in Week 1 (eight receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown on nine targets), but the Chiefs were still able to find playing time for depth options in Noah Gray (36 snaps, one catch for 10 yards on two targets) and Fortson (22 snaps). Gray and Fortson are still likely to operate mostly as blockers when they're on the field, but quarterback Patrick Mahomes won't hesitate to occasionally look for the big-bodied Fortson (6-foot-4, 226 pounds) near the goal line. Fortson has only six career receptions to his name, but he's scored three touchdowns.

Johnson secured two of five targets for 43 yards during Sunday's 27-26 win over the Falcons.

Johnson recorded a career game during Sunday's comeback victory. He led all Saints TEs in targets, though Taysom Hill rushed four times for 81 yards and a touchdown while also making a two-yard catch. The 2020 UDFA is only a deep depth stash for fantasy at this point, but his involvement will be worth monitoring Week 2 versus Tampa Bay. He converted positions from wide receiver last offseason.

Thomas secured three of six targets for 45 yards during Sunday's 28-22 win over Jacksonville.

Thomas saw ample involvement on offense in his first game since suffering a torn ACL last December, especially considering that no other tight end saw more than one target. He'll continue to operate as one the top receiving options for Carson Wentz alongside wide receivers Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel heading into the Commanders' Week 2 game against the Lions.

Kieft logged 16 snaps on offense but did not draw a target during the Buccaneers' 19-3 win over the Cowboys in Week 1.

The rookie sixth-round pick garnered active status as the No. 3 tight end behind Cameron Brate and fellow first-year player Cade Otton, but his role was limited to blocking in the opener. That's very likely to be par for the course moving forward, considering both Kieft's 265-pound frame and the fact he was used in a very similar role during his college days at Minnesota (12 catches in four seasons).

Otton logged 30 snaps on offense but did not see a target during the Buccaneers' 19-3 win over the Cowboys in Week 1.

The rookie did at least see a solid amount of action, playing just under half (48 percent) of the offensive snaps while logging an additional 12 on special teams. Notably, both Otton and fellow first-year tight end Ko Kieft garnered active status over veteran Kyle Rudolph, but that may not necessarily be indicative of what can be counted on from a game-to-game basis for the time being.

The Steelers waived Rigg from their practice squad Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

Rigg spent time with the Bengals throughout training camp and preseason, but he was later waived by the team prior to the NFL's 53-man roster deadline in late-August. The rookie tight end joined the Steelers' practice squad the following Thursday, but his tenure in Pittsburgh came to a close after the team waived him Tuesday. He'll now wait for another opportunity across the league to make his NFL debut.

Chargers head coach Brandon Staley said Parham (hamstring) won't play Thursday against the Chiefs, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Staley ruled out Parham two days in advance of the Week 2 matchup while the tight end remained a spectator in practice due to the left hamstring injury that has bothered him for over a month. Tre' McKitty, who hauled in three of four targets for 24 yards in the Chargers' season-opening win over the Raiders last weekend, should remain the clear No. 2 tight end behind Gerald Everett while Parham is out Thursday.

Denver signed Dafney to its practice squad Tuesday, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.

Dafney was waived by Green Bay during the preseason, but he has now found another opportunity to make an impression with the Broncos and Coach Nathaniel Hackett, with whom he spent the past two seasons with the Packers. He was used sparingly in a hybrid tight end/fullback role by Hackett in Green Bay, a role currency occupied by Andrew Beck in Denver, who caught two of three targets for 52 yards Week 1 at Seattle.

The Steelers signed Williams to their practice squad Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

Williams signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee Martin, but he was waived ahead of the 85-man roster deadline. However, the 6-foot-4 tight end will extend his NFL dream by attempting to carve out a role on Pittsburgh's practice squad. During his final collegiate season, Williams caught 29 passes for 417 yards and three touchdowns.

Atlanta signed Firkser off its practice squad Tuesday, Scott Bair of the Falcons' official site reports.

The Falcons elevated Firkser from the practice squad in advance of Sunday's loss to the Saints, with the tight end playing three snaps on offense in the contest. He'll now get a permanent spot on the 53-man roster, joining a tight-end room that includes Kyle Pitts, Parker Hesse and Feleipe Franks. Franks didn't see the field in the Week 1 contest, so Firkser could slot third on the depth chart behind Pitts and Hesse heading into Sunday's game against the Rams.