NFL Player News

Tonyan's (knee) availability for the Packers' season opener against the Vikings is still is unclear after he spent OTAs and minicamp rehabbing off to the side, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Tonyan's lack of participation so far this offseason comes as no surprise given he is just over eight months out from suffering a torn ACL late last October. The Packers likely will take their time in bringing the 28-year-old tight end back, as the team needs him to fill a more prominent role in the passing game after the loss of star wideout Davante Adams. Backup tight ends Josiah Deguara, Marcedes Lewis and Tyler Davis combined for 39 catches, 358 receiving yards and two touchdowns without Tonyan in the lineup over the final nine games of the 2021 season, and these three should rotate to help fill in if Tonyan is unable to go by Week 1.

Kmet anticipates having a large role in the passing game under new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, John Schrock of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Getsy comes over from Green Bay, where he mostly worked with mediocre tight ends but did help coordinate a prolific 2020 passing attack with QB Aaron Rodgers throwing 48 TDs and TE Robert Tonyan scoring 11 of them on only 59 targets. Kmet got 93 targets last season under a different coaching staff, but his 60 catches produced only 612 yards (10.2 YPC, 6.6 YPT) and nary a touchdown. While the 2020 second-round pick has shown some potential as a chain mover, he's scored just once on 18 career red-zone targets and has only one gain of more than 25 yards. Development from QB Justin Fields would go a long way in helping with the lack of big plays and TDs, and there's some volume upside for Kmet in a Chicago offense with subpar options at wide receiver behind undersized No. 1 Darnell Mooney.

Freiermuth said he expects to reach 800 or 900 yards this year, noting that his rookie-year average of 8.3 yards per catch was "atrocious", Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

Freiermuth had a solid debut campaign in 2021 even with the poor per-catch average, scoring seven TDs while seeing 20 of his 79 targets in the red zone. All those looks near the goal line tend to depress yardage averages like YPC and YPT, though the trade off is mostly a good one for fantasy. The bigger factor in Freiermuth's lack of yardage (497 from 60 catches) was a 5.5 aDOT, placing him 19th out of 25 TEs with 50-plus targets. That number could rise as Freiermuth improves his route-running and YAC skills and takes some snaps with QBs other than Ben Roethlisberger (though neither Mitch Trubisky nor Kenny Pickett figure to be an upgrade in terms of short-pass accuracy). Realistically, Freiermuth needs triple-digit targets to reach the yardage range he's talking about -- neither likely nor impossible. He'll get plenty of snaps if he stays healthy, as the Steelers don't have much behind him at tight end in terms of either experience or pass-catching potential now that Eric Ebron is gone.

Kelce said "you can't pay me enough" when KSHB 41's Aaron Ladd asked him if he's underpaid, but the tight end also suggested he isn't concerned with his contract right now, noting that he'll "let everyone else worry about the money situation."

It's probably not news to Kelce that he's signed extensions early and lost some money because of it. He's still been among the highest-paid tight ends in the league most years, which nonetheless makes him a bargain for the Chiefs when he puts up receiving stats more like a top WR than a top TE. The 32-year-old most recently signed an extension in August 2020, keeping him under contract through 2025 with projected cap hits of $8.9 million (2022), $14.7 million (2023), $16.4 million (2024) and $18.7 million (2025) -- good pay for a TE; not so much for someone with 5,106 receiving yards over the past four years. Another extension wouldn't make sense given his age, unless it's just adding dummy years for cap reasons, but the Chiefs could give Kelce a modest raise this season or next to keep him happy. He isn't holding out and is poised for a busy 2022 after the Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill to Miami this spring.

Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said Pitts is only "scratching the surface," Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.

Pitts was drafted fourth overall by the Falcons in 2021 and lived up to the hype by recording 1,026 receiving yards as a rookie, becoming the first tight end to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in his first year since Mike Ditka in 1961. The 6-foot-6 phenom registered three 100-plus yard games -- including a 163-yard performance in Week 7 -- and averaged 15.1 yards per catch. However, Pitts, who was projected to be a major red-zone threat, caught just one touchdown on 25 targets from inside 20 yards. If the Florida product is going to continue living up to the hype, he'll have to improve his red-zone efficiency in Year 2. Atlanta hopes that the addition of fellow first-round pick Drake London and former Raider Bryan Edwards will open up more 1-on-1 opportunities for Pitts to showcase his athletic ability near the end zone moving forward, though it remains to be seen how prolific a Marcus Mariota-led offense can be in 2022.

Hooper has made a strong impression on quarterback Ryan Tannehill during offseason practices, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.

The Titans have overhauled their pass catchers this offseason, moving on from A.J. Brown but also adding rookie Treylon Burks and Robert Woods. Hooper is a more under-the-radar addition, particularly after a couple uninspiring seasons in Cleveland. However, he has earned praise from Tannehill regarding his feel for running routes and ability to get open out of breaks. Though Hooper is entering his seventh season in the NFL, he still is only 27 years old and could be heavily involved in the Titans offense in 2022.

Uzomah (undisclosed) didn't participate in June minicamp, Connor Hughes of The Athletic reports.

While the injury isn't believed to be serious, it did allow fellow free-agent acquisition Tyler Conklin to take more reps with the first-team offense. Competition for snaps should be fierce this summer, as the Jets suddenly have good depth at both wide receiver and tight end.

Ruckert (foot) didn't participate in June minicamp, Connor Hughes of The Athletic reports.

Neither did fellow tight end C.J. Uzomah, who reportedly was nursing a minor injury. Ruckert came to the Jets with a foot injury when they drafted him in the third round at the end of April, but he should have time to recover before training camp. Earning Year 1 snaps will be more of a challenge, as the Jets signed both Uzomah and Tyler Conklin earlier this offseason.

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said Fant had the "most spectacular camp of anybody" following the team's offseason program, Brady Henderson of ESPN reports.

The Seahawks received Fant from Denver in the Russell Wilson trade earlier this offseason, and he seems to already be making a strong first impression with the coaching staff. The 2019 first-round pick posted 68 catches for 670 yards and four touchdowns last season while catching passes from Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock. Lock will compete with Geno Smith to start for the Seahawks in 2022, and neither quarterback should be considered an upgrade. Nevertheless, Fant has an opportunity to be a solid underneath threat while DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett draw the attention of defenses.

Wesco (knee) is healthy and looking good in offseason practices after suffering a season-ending knee injury last year, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Cimini lists Wesco -- along with three other offensive players -- as under-the-radar standouts during practices this offseason. The 2019 fourth-round pick made 12 appearances last season but caught just three passes for 35 yards before suffering the knee injury. The Jets bolstered their tight end corps by signing C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin in free agency and drafting Jeremy Ruckert (foot) in the third round, so despite the positive impression he's making, Wesco will still have an uphill battle for offensive snaps.