NFL Player News

Higbee (knee) is questionable to return to Sunday's game against San Francisco, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Higbee caught two of three targets for 18 yards prior to getting hurt in the first half. Kendall Blanton is the only other tight end active for the Rams in the NFC Championship Game.

Gray (ankle) won't return to Sunday's contest against the Bengals.

Gray was forced to leave the AFC Championship Game in the first half due to an ankle issue. In Gray's absence, Blake Bell may see increased snaps behind Travis Kelce.

Uzomah won't return to Sunday's AFC Championship Game at Kansas City due to a left knee injury.

Uzomah couldn't put much weight on his left leg prior to being carted to the locker room in the first quarter. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Uzomah may have suffered an MCL sprain, so his availability for the Super Bowl -- if the Bengals pull out a win Sunday -- would be up in the air.

Gray is questionable to return Sunday against the Bengals due to an ankle injury.

Gray wasn't targeted in the passing game before he had to leave the AFC Championship Game. He registered two targets in each of the Chiefs' previous two playoff games, so if he's unable to come back, Blake Bell may have an increased role behind Travis Kelce.

Uzomah was forced out of Sunday's AFC Championship Game against Kansas City after suffering a left knee injury, Marisa Contipelli of the Bengals' official site reports.

Prior to his first-quarter exit from the contest, Uzomah -- who was carted to the locker room -- did not catch either of his two targets. In his absence, Drew Sample and Mitchell Wilcox are next up for the Bengals' tight end snaps.

Asiasi suited up for just one regular-season game in 2021, logging just 12 snaps and zero targets.

The 2020 third-rounder's lone appearance corresponded with the one-game absence of fellow tight end Jonnu Smith. Asiasi is signed with the Patriots through the 2023 season, as is Dalton Keene, who was also a third round choice in 2020. However, neither of the two pass catchers will be on the fantasy radar as long as Smith and Hunter Henry are healthy and available.

Jackson underwent successful surgery to repair his torn ACL on Thursday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Jackson tore his ACL during the Eagles' Week 18 loss to the Cowboys and will now shift his focus toward his lengthy recovery process. Since the injury happened so late in the 2021 campaign, it's not yet clear whether he'll be ready for training camp or Week 1 in 2022.

Kittle isn't listed on the 49ers injury report ahead of their NFC Championship Game matchup with the Rams on Sunday, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Kittle was limping toward the end of Sunday's divisional-round win over the Packers, but both he and Deebo Samuel (leg) have avoided the injury report for the NFC title game, giving quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo all his key receiving options. The tight end caught four of six targets for 63 yards in the 13-10 win over Green Bay last week, ending a four-game streak with fewer than 30 receiving yards. That includes a 10-yard dud against the Rams in Week 18, though Kittle put up 5-50-1 receiving line on seven targets in the first matchup between the divisional rivals (Week 10).

Smith finished the 2021 regular season with 28 catches (on 45 targets) for 294 yards and a touchdown to go along with nine carries for 40 yards over 16 games.

Smith, who agreed to a four-year, $50 million deal with the Patriots this past March, worked in tandem with fellow free-agent addition Hunter Henry, who inked a three-year, $37.5 million pact. The resulting timeshare tilted in Henry's favor -- he logged a 50-603-9 receiving line -- while Smith's output as a receiver in his first campaign with New England was modest. While an uptick in production is a plausible outcome for Smith in 2022, so long as he and Henry share snaps, the former may continue to see inconsistent volume.

Henry finished the 2021 regular season with 50 catches on 75 targets for 603 yards and a career-high nine touchdowns in 17 games.

For the first time in his career, the 2016 second-round pick played a full slate of games. Henry, who is signed through 2023, joined the Patriots as a splashy free-agent signing last March along with fellow tight end Jonnu Smith. Though the two operated in a timeshare, Henry was far more involved in the passing game in his first campaign with New England. In 2022, Henry and Smith are in line to continue working in tandem, an arrangement that caps Henry's volume when both are available. That said, Henry's nose for the end zone should continue to make him a startable weekly fantasy option in most leagues.