NFL Player News

Akins caught 17 passes for 225 yards in 16 games as a rookie in 2018.

Akins had a relatively lackluster year as a pass catcher after joining the Texans as a third-round pick in last year's draft. He operated as a No. 3 tight end behind Ryan Griffin and Jordan Thomas for much of the year, which limited his snaps. He could see an uptick in play time in 2019 if he's able to round into form and build on the potential that made him a Day 2 selection in the draft.

Alie-Cox hauled in seven of his 13 targets for 133 yards and two touchdowns in nine regular-season games in 2018.

Alie-Cox saw most of his offensive workload only after Jack Doyle (hip) landed on injured reserve in Week 12. Even then, the 25-year-old was mostly used as a blocker behind top tight end Eric Ebron. Alie-Cox has one year remaining on his contract, and appears likely to return to Indianapolis in a reserve role in 2019.

Hooper was named to the NFC Pro Bowl roster Tuesday after Zach Ertz withdrew from the event, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports.

Hooper enjoyed his best professional campaign by a mile in 2018, establishing new career highs in receptions (71), receiving yards (660) and touchdowns (four). As a reliable middle-of-the-field target for Matt Ryan, Hooper found himself well inside starting range among fantasy tight ends, but a plethora of options in the Falcons passing attack prevented him from becoming a truly elite option. With top wideouts Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley and Mohamed Sanu all set to return in 2019, Hooper appears poised to once again provide utility, albeit with a lower ceiling than most of the other top talents at the position.

Tomlinson (foot) didn't sustain any fractured bones after dropping a weight on his foot in December, Dennis Waszak Jr. of the Associated Press reports.

Tomlinson landed on injured reserve ahead of the Jets' regular-season finale and consequently finished the 2018 season with eight receptions for 72 yards and no scores. Given the six-week timetable for his recovery, it's possible the tight end may not have required a stint on IR had he sustained the same injury earlier during the year. In any case, Tomlinson remains under contract for the 2019 season and should be fully healthy by the time OTAs kick off this spring.

Goedert saw no targets and played just 20 snaps in Sunday's 20-14 playoff loss to the Saints.

It was the first time Goedert was held without a catch since Week 13 and his lowest snap count since the last time he faced New Orleans in Week 11. Despite the dud, the 2018 second-round pick finished the regular season with 33 catches on 44 targets for 334 yards and four touchdowns. While he'll look to build on his promising rookie campaign, the 23-year-old's 2019 value will still largely depend on Zach Ertz's health.

Mayle signed a futures deal with the Chargers on Monday, Ricky Henne of the Chargers' official site reports.

Mayle spent the majority of the season on the team's practice squad after appearing in 23 games over the past three seasons split between the Cowboys and Ravens. While Antonio Gates' future remains up in the air, the Chargers retain Hunter Henry, Virgil Green and Sean Culkin -- leaving Mayle as the longshot tight end.

Henry (knee) played 14 of the Chargers' 71 offensive snaps in Sunday's 41-28 loss to the Patriots in the divisional round. He failed to reel in his lone target of the contest.

Cleared to suit up less than eight months after tearing the ACL in his right knee, Henry was only able to contribute in a minimal capacity. Fellow tight ends Antonio Gates (44) and Virgil Green (21) both earned more snaps, even though the Chargers' pass-heavy game script would have typically favored Henry. The limited usage in a win-or-go-home game suggests Henry still hasn't fully recovered from knee surgery, but he should be closer to 100 percent health by the time OTAs begin in the spring. With Gates likely headed for retirement and Green offering most of his impact as a blocker, expect Henry to re-emerge as one of the Chargers' top pass-catching threats in 2019.

Ertz brought in five of eight targets for 50 yards in the Eagles' 20-14 divisional-round playoff loss to the Saints on Sunday.

Ertz's final line was somewhat deceptive, considering two of his catches came on the Eagles' final pair of drives. The Saints were stingy against the tight end position all season, and they lived up to that billing once again Sunday by mixing up their coverage on Ertz between linebackers, safeties and corners. It was a relatively quiet end to a career season for the 28-year-old, who finished the campaign with a record-setting 116 grabs for 1,163 yards and eight touchdowns. On the books for just over $12.1 million in 2019 as per Spotrac, Ertz nevertheless figures for another sizable role in an offense that is projected to once again be helmed by Carson Wentz (back), a quarterback with whom Ertz has enjoyed his greatest success.

Henry (knee) is listed as active for Sunday's playoff game against the Patriots.

Henry, who is bouncing back from surgery to repair his ACL back in May, will thus make his season debut for the Chargers on Sunday. Prior to suffering his injury, the 24-year-old displayed plenty of promise as a pass catcher, and his return to the mix gives QB Philip Rivers another option in the passing game. Given his lengthy absence, Henry figures to be on a "pitch count" Sunday, but we wouldn't be surprised to see him get some red-zone looks in his return to action, with Virgil Green and Antonio Gates also on hand to absorb tight end snaps that don't go to Henry.

Henry (knee) is expected to suit up for Sunday's divisional-round playoff game against the Patriots, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Official confirmation of his status will arrive upon the release of the Chargers' inactives in advance of the team's 1:05 ET contest, but it appears as though Henry, who has been recovering from a torn right ACL that he suffered back in May, will make his season debut Sunday. In such a scenario, he'll provide QB Philip Rivers with another pass-catching weapon, but it's expected that the tight end will be on some sort of "pitch count" in his return to action.