NFL Player News

Okwuegbunam caught all three of his targets for 34 yards in Sunday's 17-10 win over Washington.

Okwuegbunam was activated off injured reserve Saturday ahead of the matchup with Washington, returning from a hamstring injury suffered in Week 5. In his return, the tight end played 49 percent of the team's offensive snaps. His usage would suggest that the 23-year-old could continue to eat into Noah Fant's target share as the year goes on. Okwuegbunam and the Broncos will take on the Cowboys in Week 9.

Fant secured two of four targets for eight yards in Sunday's 17-10 win over Washington.

Fant's four targets were tied for the team high, but the tight end had an overall tough day at the office. His eight yards were a season low as the Broncos squeezed out a win in a low-scoring affair. Fellow tight end Albert Okwuegbunam made his return to the field and played 49 percent of Denver's offensive snaps, compared to Fant's 77 percent share. With Okwuegbunam and wideout Jerry Jeudy finally back, Fant may have a difficult time providing consistent production. The 23-year-old will have to clear the league's COVID-19 protocols before attempting to get back on track in a Week 9 matchup against the Cowboys.

Smith (knee) saw zero targets during Monday's 20-17 loss against the Chiefs.

Smith was active in Monday's game against the Chiefs despite missing practice Saturday with a knee injury, but failed to see any targets. The 24-year-old tight end played 18 offensive snaps (30 percent) while Kyle Rudolph and Evan Engram took over a greater share of the workload. Although Smith figures to remain as the team's No. 3 tight end, the Giants have been heavily rumored to trade Engram during Tuesday's trade deadline, which could afford Smith more playing time. If nothing else, a banged-up Giants wideout group might force Smith to at least play a handful more snaps, even just as a blocker.

Schultz caught two of seven targets for 11 yards in Sunday's 20-16 win over the Vikings.

While the Cowboys' passing game as a whole had plenty of success with Cooper Rush at the reins in place of Dak Prescott (calf), Schultz was not on the same page as the No. 2 QB and put together his worst performance of the season. Prescott is expected back Week 9 against the Broncos, however, which could allow the tight end to bounce back to the level that saw him post a 23-296-3 line on 29 targets over his prior four games.

Brown (thigh) may not play in Week 9 against the Dolphins, Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Brown sat out Week 8's loss to the Rams after sustaining an injury during the practice week leading up to the game. The injury allowed the Texans to get a look at rookie tight end Brevin Jordan, who made his NFL debut and scored a touchdown.

Engram caught three of four targets for 15 yards and a touchdown in Monday night's 20-17 loss to the Chiefs.

Engram didn't get involved until the second half, but he put the Giants ahead with a five-yard touchdown catch to begin the fourth quarter. That marked the tight end's first trip to the end zone this season. Although usually hard to rely on, Engram's stock could benefit from New York's other offensive skill-position players being so banged up in advance of Week 9's matchup versus the Raiders.

Wright reverted to Philadelphia's practice squad Monday, per the NFL's official transaction log.

Wright was brought up to the active roster for Week 8 against the Lions, and he logged 16 snaps on offense along with 10 on special teams. This marks the second game in a row that he's made an appearance.

Kelce caught four of seven targets for 27 yards and lost a fumble in Monday night's 20-17 win over the Giants.

Kelce's performance was his worst of the season, as he was sparingly involved prior to coughing the ball up during the third quarter. The tight end rebounded with a strong gain afterward, but overall it was an outing to forget for Kelce. He'll strive to return to his usual heights in Week 9 versus the Packers.

The 49ers are expected to open the practice window for Kittle (calf) this week, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

This comes after Shanahan relayed last Wednesday that the team was planning to have Kittle back in action Week 9 against the Cardinals. The 49ers will have to make procedural moves in the form of designating Kittle to return from injured reserve and outright activating him to the 53-man roster, but the tight end appears to be getting past the sore calf he suffered back in Week 4.

Smith (knee) is active for Monday's game against Kansas City, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Smith received the questionable tag after sitting out Saturday's practice, but he apparently improved enough over the last two days to suit up Monday. He should serve as New York's No. 3 tight end behind Evan Engram and Kyle Rudolph.