NFL Player News

Kelce secured two of four targets for 47 yards and a touchdown in the Chiefs' 27-21 loss to the Chargers on Friday night.

It was shaping up as an utterly forgettable night for Kelce until his early fourth-quarter 37-yard touchdown grab, as he had just one catch for 10 yards until that point and had collided with teammate Xavier Worthy on the third play from scrimmage, causing a shoulder injury that forced the latter's exit from the game. Kelce's score therefore served as the only highlight of his night, and with Worthy out, both Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster outpaced the talented tight end in targets. Kelce could well see an increase in opportunity during a Week 2 home Super Bowl LIX rematch against the Eagles on Sunday, Sept. 14, especially if Worthy remains sidelined for that marquee contest.

Wiley (coach's decision) is inactive for Friday's game against the Chargers, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Wiley appeared in seven regular-season games for the Chiefs as a rookie in 2024, though he saw only 97 total snaps. He slipped behind Robert Tonyan on the depth chart this offseason and will begin 2025 on the inactive list.

Gadsden (coach's decision) is listed as inactive for Friday's game versus Kansas City, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.

The Chargers apparently feel good rolling into Week 1 with just Will Dissly and Tyler Conklin available at tight end, so Gadsden will have to wait at least another week to make his regular-season debut. His absence might mean a few more snaps from the slot for Keenan Allen.

Schoonmaker failed to catch his only target in Thursday's 24-20 loss to the Eagles.

The third-year tight end had a limited role, as expected, while working behind starter Jake Ferguson. Schoonmaker's hold on the No. 2 spot on the depth chart may not be secure, either, despite his standing as a 2023 second-round pick -- he played 15 snaps on offense to Brevyn Spann-Ford's 10, and the latter made a more noticeable impact with his blocking.

Likely (foot) has been ruled out for Sunday night's season opener against the Bills.

Likely didn't practice this week, so it's not a surprise that he'll be sidelined Sunday. As for the tight end's status beyond Week 1, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com noted that Likely was running on a side field Friday, which is a positive sign relative to his chances of returning in the next couple of weeks. As long as Likely remains sidelined, however, fellow TE Mark Andrews figures to be busy, with Charlie Kolar also mixing in at the position.

Whiteheart (knee) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Bengals, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plan Dealer reports.

Whiteheart gained clearance with full participation in practice Friday following a pair of limited sessions. He's a distant third on the depth chart behind David Njoku and rookie third-round pick Harold Fannin.

Waller (hip) has been ruled out for Sunday's season opener against the Colts, Travis Wingfield of the Dolphins' official site reports.

Per Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com, Waller suffered a hip strain this week, and the injury setback will be enough to sideline the tight end Week 1. In Waller's absence versus Indianapolis, fellow TEs Julian Hill and Tanner Conner are in line for added opportunities, while Greg Dulcich and Hayden Rucci are potential practice-squad elevations.

Calcaterra wasn't targeted in Thursday's 24-20 win over the Cowboys.

Jalen Hurts peppered starting tight end Dallas Goedert with a team-high seven targets, but there was no action left over in the passing game for Calcaterra and Kylen Granson. On the bright side, Calcaterra was on the field for 59 percent of Philadelphia's offensive snaps, behind Goedert's 83 percent but well ahead of Granson's 27 percent. It would likely take an injury to Goedert for Calcaterra to gain any fantasy relevance in 2025.

Likely (foot) isn't practicing Friday, Jonas Shaffer of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

That said, Shaffer notes that Likely appears to be ramping things up, with the tight end spotted doing some on-field work Friday with trainers that included light running but not much hard cutting. Look for Likely to be ruled out for Week 1 action later Friday, but in that scenario the tight end's absence may not linger too long beyond the Ravens' regular-season opener against the Bills.

Coach Mike McDaniel revealed Friday that Waller (hip) suffered a setback before Thursday's practice, Travis Wingfield of the Dolphins' official site reports.

As a result, Waller didn't take part in Thursday's session, and at this stage, McDaniel said he doesn't believe the tight end will play Sunday against the Colts, a notion that could be confirmed when Friday's final Week 1 injury report is posted. If Waller is ruled out, Julian Hill and Tanner Conner would be next up for Miami's tight end reps this weekend.