NFL Player News

Kelce (knee) was a limited practice participant Wednesday.

Kelce experienced a cap on his practice reps in advance of the Chiefs' first two postseason contests due to the same knee issue, only to suit up on game day. With two weeks to prepare for the Super Bowl, he'll have plenty of time to get as close to 100 percent as possible. In the aforementioned matchups, he totaled 13 receptions (on 16 targets) for 164 yards and three touchdowns.

General manager Thomas Dimitroff said Wednesday there are "no updates" on Hooper's contract discussions with the Falcons, Kelsey Conway of Atlanta's official site reports.

Dimitroff's statement is actually an update of sorts, and he also used the term "trudging along" when reporters asked him about the tight end. Hooper enjoyed a breakout season in the final year of his rookie contract, potentially positioning himself as the top tight end available in free agency. However, the franchise tag is arguably a bargain from the Falcons' perspective, as the number -- expected to be around $10.7 million -- comes from a formula based on the five largest salary cap hits for the position group in each of the past five years. It just so happens that most of the league's premium tight ends in recent seasons -- including Rob Gronkowski, Zach Ertz and Travis Kelce -- signed team-friendly extensions that sacrificed upside for security. That reality gives the Falcons some leverage in negotiations, but their dicey cap situation hands the leverage right back to Hooper. Ultimately, the Falcons will have a tough time making other moves unless they allow Hooper to leave or sign him to a long-term deal with a lower cap hit for 2020. As such, the franchise tag likely would be viewed as a bridge for a multi-year contract.

Sternberger appeared in six regular-season games during his rookie season and did not catch a pass while being targeted only once. He did tally three receptions for 15 yards and a touchdown over two postseason games, though.

Sternberger got a late start to his career after missing the first eight games of the season with an ankle injury, and he played mostly a bit role after that. He did end the season on a high note, playing a career-high 28 offensive snaps in the Packers' divisional-round victory and finding pay dirt for the first time in the NFC Championship Game. Sternberger was a third-round pick last season, so while he was quiet as a rookie, he'll surely get more chances to contribute in his second season. He could even be in the mix for a starting spot should the Packers part ways with Jimmy Graham and/or Marcedes Lewis.

Tonyan appeared in 11 regular-season games for the Packers in 2019 and tallied 10 receptions on 15 targets for an even 100 yards and a touchdown.

Tonyan regularly served as the Packers' No. 3 tight end before and after missing five games and most of a sixth with a hip injury suffered in Week 5. While he has caught just 14 passes over 27 games in his two professional seasons, he has shown some play-making ability, scoring twice and averaging 12.6 yards per reception. The tight end position is in flux for the Packers with Jimmy Graham a possible salary-cap casualty and Marcedes Lewis a free agent, so Tonyan could have a chance to play a more prominent role in 2020.

Hesse signed a reserve/future contract with the Titans on Monday.

Hesse spent last offseason in Tennessee, and he'll now get another chance to develop within the team's system. The Iowa product will face long odds to compete for a roster spot in 2020.

Uzomah finished the season with a second consecutive strong performance, catching five passes for 25 yards and a touchdown in Week 17 against the Browns. He was on the field for 53 offensive snaps, good for a 77 percent snap share.

Uzomah was asked to handle more of the blocking duties between the Bengals' top two tight ends, and with them protecting a lead against the Browns for most of their season finale, he was on the field far more often than Tyler Eifert. Eifert is a free agent this offseason, so it's possible that Uzomah will be free to improve upon his 2019 production, which saw him at 27 catches for 242 yards and two touchdowns.

Lewis, who caught 15 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown over 16 regular-season games in 2019, relayed that he wants to continue playing and would like to stick in Green Bay, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Lewis hauled in two passes for 14 yards in the NFC Championship Game loss to the 49ers as well. He's set to be an unrestricted free agent in March, and he'll turn 36 years old in May. The veteran tight end said he felt like he found his groove in head coach Matt LaFleur's offense. While Lewis won't have a big pass-catching role at this age, the Packers could benefit from re-signing him if they decide to cut Jimmy Graham, which would save nearly $9 million against the cap.

Kittle (ankle) caught his lone target for 19 yards in Sunday's 37-20 victory over Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game.

Kittle was held out of practice until Thursday due to his lingering ankle injury, but it didn't appear to limit the star tight end in the run game, as he did his usual man-handling of defensive assignments to help Raheem Mostert rush for 220 yards and four scores. San Francisco threw the ball just eight times while playing with a big lead all game, resulting in the disappointing stat line from the 26-year-old. Kittle played through broken ribs for nearly the entire 2018 season, and he has been playing with a bone chip in his ankle since Week 12 of the regular season, so those deploying him in DFS formats shouldn't be concerned with his ability to get through a game. Game script is what Kittle backers need to worry about, but that may be less of a concern with the high-octane Chiefs set to oppose the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV in two weeks.

Graham secured four of five targets for 59 yards during the Packers' 37-20 loss to the 49ers in Sunday's NFC Championship Game.

The veteran tight end amassed the majority of his production on a 42-yard second-half grab that was initially ruled a touchdown and then reversed on replay. Graham was second in receptions and receiving yards behind Davante Adams for the night, capping off a quiet second season in Green Bay during which he generated a 38-447-3 line across 16 games. Graham is on the books for a likely untenable $11.7 million in 2020, a figure that strongly portends a contract restructure or a release for the 33-year-old.

Firkser hauled in one of two targets for 22 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 35-24 loss to Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game.

Firkser wasn't a major part of the offensive game-plan, but managed his second touchdown of the postseason late in the fourth quarter. He'll now head into the offseason as an exclusive rights free agent, meaning the Titans will only have to offer him a minimum contract to retain his rights. If Firkser remains in Tennessee, he isn't likely to see a significant increase in his role as Jonnu Smith and Delanie Walker (ankle) -- if he chooses to return -- figure to stay ahead of him on the depth chart.