NFL Player News

Njoku caught four of five targets for 37 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 32-13 loss to the Patriots.

After missing last week's game with a knee issue, Njoku returned to action and made a splash with an 11-yard TD catch from Dillon Gabriel in the fourth quarter. The veteran also saw rookie Harold Fannin hit paydirt as well, and the duo have emerged as Gabriel's most reliable options, at the expense of the team's wideouts. Njoku will rest up on the Browns' Week 9 bye before facing the Jets in Week 10.

Taylor (quadriceps) caught five of eight targets for 34 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 39-38 win over the Bengals.

Taylor played through a quadriceps injury and led the Jets in targets. The first touchdown catch of his NFL career was a dramatic one, as running back Breece Hall found Taylor in the back of the end zone on a trick play for the game-winning score from four yards out just after the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter. The Jets could get some reinforcements at wide receiver if Garrett Wilson (knee) or Josh Reynolds (hip) can return after the team's Week 9 bye, but Taylor should remain involved as a pass catcher in the second half of his rookie campaign.

Johnson caught three of four targets for 20 yards in Sunday's 38-20 loss to the Eagles.

Johnson has scored four touchdowns in his last five games, but the Eagles managed to keep him out of the end zone in both meetings over that span. Fellow Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger exited due to a neck injury, which could open up more targets for Johnson if Bellinger doesn't return in Week 9 against the 49ers.

Andrews caught all three of his targets for 34 yards in Sunday's 30-16 win over the Bears.

He didn't see much volume with Tyler Huntley under center in place of Lamar Jackson (hamstring), but Andrews did have one big gain in the second quarter with a 24-yard reception that helped set up a field goal. The 34 yards on the afternoon actually represented his second-best total of the season, and Andrews has delivered a 24-208-2 line on 30 targets through seven contests. If Jackson returns in Week 9, his long-time chemistry with Andrews could boost the veteran tight end's numbers on the road against the Dolphins.

Loveland caught three of five targets for 38 yards in Sunday's 30-16 loss to the Ravens.

The rookie tight end got the start in place of Cole Kmet (back), and it looked like Loveland might be headed for a breakout performance after he caught Caleb Williams' first pass of the afternoon for an 18-yard gain. Loveland and the Bears' offense both struggled to gain consistent yards after that, however. Kmet had never missed a regular-season game in his career before Sunday and isn't expected to go on injured reserve, but even if he sits out a Week 9 tilt against the Bengals, Loveland will still be tough to rely on.

Bellinger suffered a neck injury during Sunday's contest in Philadelphia, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Bellinger combined for seven catches (on 10 targets) for 140 yards and one touchdown in New York's three games prior to Sunday, and he exited Week 8 action having hauled in his only target for 21 yards. As long as Bellinger is sidelined, Theo Johnson will take on a larger role among Giants tight ends.

Loveland is expected to serve as the Bears' No. 1 tight end and see a spike in playing time Sunday against the Ravens with Cole Kmet (back) inactive for the contest, Phil Thompson of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Following the Bears' Week 5 bye, Loveland had already noticed an uptick in snaps, handling a 51 percent share in a Week 6 win over the Commanders and a 41 percent share in the Week 7 win over the Saints. Though the Bears will have Durham Smythe and Stephen Carlson on hand as depth options at tight end, Loveland likely stands to see an even greater bump in snaps, with the absence of Kmet making the rookie first-round pick the clear top pass-catching option at the position. Loveland has flashed some upside in his limited opportunities thus far, recording eight receptions for 78 yards on 13 targets through his first five NFL games.

Mitchell (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Bills, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

Mitchell had suited up in three consecutive games from Weeks 4 through 6, but he'll be inactive Sunday for the second contest in a row. His move to the inactive list has coincided with the return of fellow tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders, who missed three straight games due to an ankle injury before returning to action for last Sunday's win over the Jets.

Grandy (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Jets.

Grandy will hit the inactive list for the fifth time in eight games while the Bengals keep three tight ends active ahead of him for Sunday's contest. Over his three appearances this season, Grandy has recorded a six-yard reception on his lone target.

Kincaid (oblique) is active for Sunday's game at Carolina.

After sitting out a Week 6 loss to the Falcons before the Bills went on bye Week 7, Kincaid looks ready to give it a go Sunday following three limited practices this week. The 2023 first-round pick should continue to fill his usual role as the Bills' top pass-catching tight end, though he's unlikely to dominate the snaps at the position since Buffalo remains keen on keeping Dawson Knox involved due to his blocking prowess.