NFL Player News

Bryant caught one of two targets for 17 yards in Sunday's 33-29 loss to Kansas City.

Bryant emerged as the second tight end ahead of David Njoku in 2020, but the roles were reversed in the season opener. Close watchers of the Browns' training camp and preseason were expecting this, but it became noticeable Week 1, when Njoku (35 snaps) nearly doubled the playing time of Bryant, who was on the field for 19 offensive snaps.

Njoku caught three of five targets for a team-high 76 yards in Sunday's 33-29 loss to Kansas City.

Njoku (35 snaps, 59 percent) played nearly as much as starter Austin Hooper (38, 64) and showed off his athleticism with a 43-yard reception, the second-longest among Cleveland targets. It's a promising start for Njoku, who appeared to have lost playing time to then-rookie Harrison Bryant in 2020, but he nearly doubled Bryant's 19 snaps.

Hooper caught all three targets for 27 yards in Sunday's 33-29 loss to the Chiefs.

Cleveland's reputation for a tight-end happy offense didn't disappoint Week 1, as the threesome of Hooper, David Njoku and Harrison Bryant combined for 10 targets. Hooper was targeted once in the red zone. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski talked during the preseason about expanding Hooper's role, but that did not materialize in the season opener. If anything, it was Njoku (five targets, three catches, 76 yards) who staked a claim as Cleveland's top receiving tight end.

Kmet had five receptions (seven targets) for 42 yards in Sunday's 34-14 loss to the Rams.

Kmet took over as the starting job in Chicago this season, and he responded with a solid performance, finishing second on the team in targets. Veteran tight end Jimmy Graham saw only two targets, so it appears the timeshare will favor the younger tight end heavily. No player finished with more than 45 receiving yards against the Rams' tough defense, so those hoping for a breakout performance from the 2020 second-round pick will have to wait another week. Kmet and the Bears will have a softer matchup against the Bengals in Week 2.

Firkser recorded three receptions on four targets for 19 yards in Sunday's Week 1 loss to Arizona.

As expected, despite being listed second on the team's depth chart, Firkser served as the primary pass-catching tight end for the Titans. However, that didn't translate to much production, as the likes of Chester Rogers, Jeremy McNichols and Derrick Henry either surpassed or equaled Firsker's target total. Despite the disappointing effort, Week 2 could provide Firkser with another solid opportunity to produce as the team will take on Seattle in what could be a high-scoring matchup.

Higbee caught five of six targets for 68 yards in Sunday's 34-14 win over the Bears.

Higbee was the only Los Angeles tight end to see any targets, which confirms his status as the clear starter at the position. The 28-year-old also finished second in targets behind Cooper Kupp, which is a great sign with Matthew Stafford making his Rams debut. The only downside is that Higbee didn't hit paydirt in a contest that saw his team cross the goal line four times. Still, the volume was solid and the job security appears to be strong as well. Higbee and the Rams will take on the Colts in Week 2.

Kelce caught six of seven targets for 76 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 33-29 win over the Browns.

Kansas City was down 22-10 heading into halftime, but Patrick Mahomes quickly got to work in the third quarter, hitting Kelce for an 11-yard score to begin the comeback and then finding the tight end again on an eight-yard strike midway through the fourth that gave his team its first lead of the game. Kelce and Tyreek Hill were the only two players to see more than three targets from Mahomes on the afternoon, a narrow tree that should lead to big numbers again for Kelce on the road in Week 2 against the Ravens.

Fant recorded six receptions on eight targets for 62 yards in the Broncos' Week 1 victory against the Giants on Sunday.

Fant led the team in targets, though that title likely would have belonged to Jerry Jeudy had the latter not suffered an ankle injury in the middle of the game. Fant served primarily as a target in the short areas of the field for Teddy Bridgewater, though he did manage to record a 25-yard reception. Perhaps most importantly, Fant should be in for a more consistent role in the offense while Jeudy remains sidelined and Courtland Sutton continues to ramp up after returning from a knee injury. Fant and the rest of the Broncos' receiving corps should be in for a good matchup against the Jaguars.

Dissly caught all three of his targets for 37 yards in Sunday's 28-16 win over the Colts.

Meanwhile, fellow tight end Gerald Everett registered two catches for 20 yards and a score. Dissly is locked into playing time because of his blocking acumen, but he'll be a touchdown-dependent fantasy option this year.

Freiermuth hauled in his lone target for 24 yards in Sunday's 23-16 win over the Bills.

Although Freiermuth was targeted just once in his NFL debut, he made the most of his opportunity by racking up 24 yards on his first career catch. The 2021 second-rounder started alongside veteran tight end Eric Ebron in Sunday's win, and it appears as though both of them will have a role in the Steelers' offense to begin the year.