NFL Player News

Parkinson caught five passes (eight targets) for 33 yards over 14 games during the 2021 season.

Parkinson re-injured his foot in August and ended up missing the first three games of the season as a result. He rarely played when both Gerald Everett and Will Dissly were healthy, as he averaged just four offensive snaps between Weeks 6 and 15. The 6-foot-7, 251-pound tight end was decently productive in college but simply hasn't made an impact at the NFL level. Both Everett and Dissly will be free agents in March. Dissly will likely stick around, but a pass-catching role could open up if Everett walks. Parkinson will likely face competition in training camp regardless.

Pruitt (ankle) recorded 14 catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns across 16 games in the 2021 season.

Pruitt suffered a severe ankle injury in Week 16, which cut short his most productive season as a pro. His best performance came early in Week 2 against Seattle, when he tallied three receptions for 43 yards. However, even prior to suffering the injury, his production had slowed, as he had failed to record multiple receptions in each of his final eight games. Pruitt will hit free agency at the start of the new league year and is likely to serve in a depth role regardless of where he lands for the 2022 campaign.

Jordan was not targeted over 27 snaps in Week 18's 28-25 loss to Tennessee.

Jordan had experienced an increase in chances over the second half of the season, but the momentum stalled over the final two weeks. He averaged four targets and scored three touchdowns over seven games between Week 8 and 16 but had just one target after that. He finished the season with 20 catches on 28 targets for 178 yards and three touchdowns over nine contests. Known more for his contributions as a receiver, Jordan took over that role from Jordan Akins, who missed Week 18 due to illness and was a healthy scratch three times following Houston's Week 10 bye. Jordan is in position to be the Texans' eading pass-catching tight end in 2022, but the team needs to add a traditional blocker at the position.

Brown was not targeted in Week 18's 28-25 loss to the Titans.

Brown earned the most playing time of Houston's tight ends in 2021, but it never translated into much worth for fantasy teams. He finished with 23 catches on 34 targets for 171 yards and zero touchdowns. Part of that was due to the shaky nature of the offense, but Brown has profiled more as a blocking tight end during his career. He becomes an unrestricted free agent, and the rebuilding Texans could probably find a less expensive replacement.

Waller (knee) doesn't carry an injury designation for Saturday's playoff game against the Bengals after being listed as a limited practice participant this week, Rachel Gossen of the Raiders' official site reports.

In his first game action since Week 12, Waller logged 62 of a possible 80 snaps on offense in this past Sunday's 35-32 overtime win over the Chargers en route to recording two receptions on nine targets for 22 yards. Now that he's further removed from his extended layoff, look for the star tight end to continue to see his share of targets this weekend, with improved efficiency a reasonable expectation for Waller, who finished the regular season with a 55-665-2 line on 93 targets in 11 contests.

Smythe secured 34 of 41 targets for 357 yards across 17 games in 2021. He also had two carries for three yards.

Smythe put together the best statistical season of his career at an opportune juncture, as both he and Mike Gesicki are scheduled for free agency this offseason. As a solid blocker and a capable, if unspectacular, receiver, Smythe shouldn't have much difficulty drumming up interest if he does hit the open market.

Bates finished his 2021 rookie campaign with 20 catches for 249 yards and a touchdown on 25 targets, starting eight of 17 games.

The fourth-round pick never missed a game, but it wasn't until Week 10 that he saw more than 17 snaps or one target in a contest. From that point on, he played over half of Washington's snaps in each game, averaging 2.0 catches for 26.4 yards on 2.6 targets over the final nine games of the season. Bates may fall back to a reserve role in his second year, however, as Logan Thomas' season-ending ACL injury was a big factor in the rookie taking so many snaps. That could leave Bates as Washington's No. 1 TE for the offseason program, if nothing else, depending on the team's transactions this spring. Plus, the timing and severity of Thomas' injury mean he's no lock to be ready for Week 1 of 2022.

Swaim recorded one reception on one target for two yards in Sunday's 28-25 win over the Texans.

Swaim continued to make minimal impact on the Titans' offense, as he failed to surpass 10 receiving yards for the fourth consecutive game. While he recorded at least three receptions in seven of his 16 contests, he still managed only 210 yards on 31 catches for the campaign. Meanwhile, the recent re-emergence of Anthony Firkser likely means that Swaim will only take a further step back during the Titans' playoff run. Once the season concludes, Swaim will be a free agent, though he could be a fit to return to Tennessee on a short contract.

The Jets signed Cager to a reserve/futures contract Wednesday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Cager spent the 2021 season on and off of the Browns' practice squad before signing a new contract with the Jets for the 2022 campaign. The wide receiver will return to the team he was with in 2020, a year in which he appeared in two games and made two catches for 35 yards.

Manhertz played 30 of 68 offensive snaps during Sunday's 26-11 win over the Colts and didn't draw a target.

Jacob Hollister and Luke Farrell both saw a bit more playing time, but Hollister was the only Jaguars tight end to be a factor in the passing game with three catches for 14 yards. Manhertz, who joined Jacksonville on a two-year, $6.65 million deal in March, suited up in all 17 games but finished with just six receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown. If the 29-year-old opens the 2022 season on the roster, he'll continue to serve mainly as a blocker.