NFL Player News

Ertz (ribs) secured two of four targets for 44 yards in the Eagles' 17-9 wild-card loss to the Seahawks on Sunday.

Ertz battled back from both ribs and kidney injuries to play in the contest, but he ultimately was only able to make a modest impact. The fact Carson Wentz (concussion) was knocked out of the game early certainly didn't help Ertz's cause, and backup Josh McCown turned much more often to Ertz's position mate Dallas Goedert. Ertz finished the regular season with the second-highest reception (88), receiving yardage (916) and touchdown (six) totals of his career across 15 games, and he'll look to make a similar impact again in 2020 while sharing the position with the emerging Dallas Goedert.

Goedert secured seven of eight targets for 73 yards in the Eagles' 17-9 wild-card loss to the Seahawks on Sunday.

Goedert unsurprisingly served as the leader of the pass-catching corps in receptions, receiving yards and targets, even with Zach Ertz (ribs/kidney) active for the contest. Goedert made an exponential leap in his second pro season, finishing with a 58-607-5 line across 15 games during the regular season in addition to Sunday's production. The 25-year-old managed to avoid peaks and valleys for the most part as well, notching at least three grabs in each of the last 11 games of the campaign. He'll now enter the offseason with an eye on making an even bigger impact in 2020, although that could prove challenging as long as Ertz is around and healthy.

Hill completed his only pass attempt for 50 yards and caught both of his targets for 25 yards and a touchdown in the Saints' 26-20 overtime wild-card loss to the Vikings on Sunday.

He also rushed for 50 yards on just four carries. Hill did a bit of everything Sunday and looked to be the more explosive Saints' quarterback on the afternoon. The 50-yard completion was a career-long connection, the rushing yards led the team and the 125 scrimmage yards were a career high in Hill's final game of the 2019 season. The third-year BYU product ended his third season in New Orleans with a career-best 445 scrimmage yards and seven total touchdowns. He'll be a restricted free agent in 2020, and there should certainly be an interest in his multi-faceted services.

Fant caught 40 of 66 passes for 562 yards and three touchdowns in 2019. He lost 12 yards on three carries and lost a fumble.

It was an uneven rookie campaign for the 2019 first-round pick, as he struggled at times to track the deep ball and did not establish himself as a blocker. Still, Fant showed some serious upside as a catch-and-run target with a team-leading up 388 yards after catch. His 14.1 yards per catch this season ranked behind only New Orleans' Jared Cook among tight ends. If Fant is able to be more consistent with fellow now-sophomore quarterback Drew Lock in 2020, his existing big-play ability could push him toward being an upper-echelon player at his position.

Ertz (ribs) is listed as active Sunday against the Seahawks.

In Week 16, Ertz played through a cracked rib and lacerated kidney, which combined to force a hospital visit after the game. Thus, it's no surprise he didn't suit up for Philly's regular-season finale. Per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Ertz didn't get cleared for contact until Saturday, but his ability to log limited practices all week put him into a position to return. While Ertz will be available to an Eagles offense short of experience in the skill positions, he may be relegated to serve as a decoy for second-year tight end Dallas Goedert, who averaged 7.9 targets per game over the last seven games.

Conklin (knee) is questionable to return to Sunday's wild-card game against the Saints.

Conklin went up for a catch in the redzone in the second quarter and came up limping after missing the pass. He'll likely get additional treatment at the halftime break, but as long as he's sidelined, the only healthy tight ends for the Vikings are Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr.

Firkser hauled in two off three targets for 23 yards and a touchdown in the team's playoff win over the Patriots on Saturday.

Firkser was given limited opportunity to produce as the team attempted just 15 passes for the game. However, he managed to make one of the most impactful plays of the game, hauling in a 12-yard touchdown halfway through the first quarter. Firkser has worked behind both MyCole Pruitt and Jonnu Smith of late, though his frame does make him a good red-zone target. He'll look to come up big again in the team's second-round matchup against Baltimore.

Akins (hamstring) is inactive for Saturday's playoff game against the Bills.

With Akins sidelined, Darren Fells will serve as the Texans' primary tight end Saturday, with Jordan Thomas a candidate to see added work in the team's offense as well.

Ertz (ribs) is expected to be cleared to play in Sunday's wild-card matchup with the Seahawks, Derrick Gunn of NBCS Philly reports.

Ertz suffered a lacerated kidney and broken ribs in Week 16, but he has apparently recovered enough to give it a go Sunday. Coach Doug Pederson expressed optimism regarding his status at Friday's news conference, so he has seemingly been trending in this direction. Still, there has been no official announcement made yet by the team.

Everett didn't play an offensive snap during Sunday's 31-24 win over Arizona. He did see the field for two special-teams snaps.

The third-year tight end appeared to be headed for a breakout campaign with 18 receptions for 239 yards and two touchdowns during Weeks 4 through 7, but then a wrist injury cut into his practice time and hurt his production. Everett then sustained a knee injury in late November, which kept him out Weeks 13 through 15 before playing just four offensive snaps over the final two games of the year. Making matters worse, fellow tight end Tyler Higbee emerged as a go-to option in the passing attack and accumulated 43 receptions for 522 yards and two touchdowns over the final five games of the year. The Rams invested a second-round selection in 2017 in Everett, so he's going to have opportunities to carve out a role in 2020. However, his fantasy stock is definitely trending in the wrong direction despite his high-end athleticism and potential.