NFL Player News

Kroft (chest) was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, Ethan Greenberg of the Jets' official site reports.

As a result, Kroft will be sidelined for at least the next three games, making a Week 13 matchup with the Eagles on Dec. 5 his earliest possible return date. Before sustaining a lung laceration in last week's loss to the Colts, Kroft had appeared in six games and tallied 10 receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown on 15 targets. While Kroft is sidelined, Ryan Griffin is set to serve as the Jets' clear No. 1 tight end.

Smith (knee) missed practice Tuesday due to a chronic knee injury, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

Smith left Sunday's game against the Raiders early and did not return after being evaluated for a concussion. However, it turns out he did not have a concussion, but he is still dealing with a knee injury. Smith will try to return to the practice field Wednesday.

Cager did test positive for COVID-19 on Monday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Cager was placed on the Browns' practice squad COVID-19 list Monday, but it was not known if he had actually tested positive or was a close contact. Cager will try to clear protocols and return to the field as quickly as possible.

Eubanks was signed to the Lions' practice squad Tuesday.

Eubanks spent time with the Eagles' and Cowboys' practice squads earlier this season. The Michigan product will likely fill the spot left by tight end Brock Wright who was moved to the active roster after the Lions released fellow tight end Darren Fells on Monday.

Okwuegbunam secured four of five targets for 25 yards in Sunday's 30-16 win over the Cowboys.

Okwuegbunam started in place of Noah Fant (illness), but he was unable to capitalize on his opportunity as the team's No. 1 tight end. The 23-year-old played on 63 of the teams 78 offensive snaps and his five targets were tied with wideout Tim Patrick for the second most among Broncos pass catchers. With Fant likely rejoining the team for Week 10, Okwuegbunam can't be trusted to produce consistently for fantasy as Denver's No. 2 tight end. Nonetheless, the 6-foot-5, 258-pounder gets a matchup against the Eagles in a Week 10 showdown.

Graham caught one pass for 28 yards in the Bears' 29-27 loss to the Steelers on Monday.

In addition to his long reception, Graham's other two targets were in the end zone, and he also had a potential touchdown negated by penalty. Despite the impressive red-zone usage, he's caught just two passes for 39 yards on six targets this season, making him a desperation fantasy option in most leagues.

Woerner was on the field for 11 offensive snaps (19 percent) but did not receive a target in Sunday's 31-17 loss to Arizona.

George Kittle was activated off of injured reserve prior to the contest, effectively ending Woerner's short run as fill-in starter. The 23-year-old accrued four receptions (five targets) for 41 yards in the three games he filled in for Kittle. Woerner remains a fantasy afterthought in his current role.

Sweeney caught both of his targets for 10 yards in Sunday's 9-6 loss to the Jaguars.

While the second-year man played a season-high 86 percent of the offensive snaps, he simply isn't being used as a pass-catching threat in the same way the injured Dawson Knox (hand) had been. With Knox scheduled to return to practice Wednesday, Sweeney's days of even modest production could be about to end. While he's a good depth guy for the Bills, he only has nine catches for 44 yards and a score in 2021.

Kmet caught six of eight targets for 87 yards in Monday night's 29-27 loss to the Steelers.

Kmet led the Bears in all major receiving categories, turning in the best performance of his young career. The second-year tight end showed a strong connection with quarterback Justin Fields, hooking up for gains of 25 and 21 yards during the first half. With at least six targets in three straight games, Kmet's role in Chicago's offense has expanded as the team heads into its bye week.

Freiermuth caught five of six targets for 43 yards and two touchdowns in Monday night's 29-27 win over the Bears.

Freiermuth hauled in both of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's touchdown passes, continuing his strong recent stretch. The rookie's first score came after Roethlisberger extended the play and found him in the end zone from four yards, then Freiermuth fought through a defensive pass-interference call to secure a contested, 10-yard TD in the third quarter. Since wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster (shoulder) went down in Week 5, Freiermuth has enjoyed a larger role in Pittsburgh's offense, totaling 16 catches and three touchdowns over his last three outings. That production gives him significant momentum heading into Week 10's matchup versus the Lions.