NFL Player News

LaPorta brought in all four targets for 53 yards in the Lions' 42-29 win over the Seahawks on Monday night.

LaPorta finished second in both receptions and receiving yards on the night, with the latter total also serving as a season high. The second-year tight end's catch tally also tied the total he'd recorded against the Rams in Week 1, but he still remains well below the pace he set during a spectacular 2023 rookie season. LaPorta has topped out at five targets (Week 1) as far as a single-game high this season, but he could be poised for more opportunities against an inconsistent Cowboys defense in a Week 6 road battle on Sunday, Oct. 13 following a Week 5 bye.

Higgins gathered in two of three targets for 12 yards during Sunday's 42-14 loss to the Commanders.

With Trey McBride sidelined due to a concussion Week 4, Higgins was slated to take a leap in terms of usage, and he did just that with a 68 percent snap share. Both Higgins and rookie tight end Tip Reiman (42 percent) started, but only the former made a mark in the box score, albeit in a minimal fashion. Coach Jonathan Gannon told Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic on Monday that McBride still is in the protocol for head injuries and is making progress in his recovery, so how he fares in practice later this week will determine if Higgins is able to retain an expanded workload this coming Sunday at San Francisco.

Otton secured six of nine targets for 52 yards in the Buccaneers' 33-16 win over the Eagles on Sunday.

After opening the season with one catch for five yards (on four targets) over his first two games, Otton has emerged as a key option in the air attack over the subsequent pair of contests. The third-year tight end has generated a 13-99-0 line on 17 looks from Baker Mayfield in that span, and on Sunday, he tied Chris Godwin for second in targets. Otton's role still may fluctuate on occasion, but he appears to be finding his niche within coordinator Liam Coen's offense heading into Thursday night's road showdown against the Falcons.

Moreau accrued zero targets during Sunday's 26-24 defeat against the Falcons.

Moreau played a season-low 57 percent of offensive snaps after playing at 71 percent in each of the previous three games. The 27-year-old has been listed as the Saints' starting tight end so far this season, but he was overshadowed by Juwan Johnson this week, as the latter logged two catches (on three targets) while playing 67 percent of offensive snaps. Moreau has now totaled two targets since his four-catch performance against Carolina in Week 1. It's unlikely that he'll get significantly more playing time during the Saints' next game versus the Chiefs on Monday, Oct. 7.

Johnson caught two of three targets for 13 yards during Sunday's 26-24 loss to the Falcons.

Johnson logged his first targets since the season opener versus Carolina. The 6-foot-4 tight end also would have finished with one more target and catch, as he had a 28-yard catch wiped off the board by an offensive holding penalty early in the third quarter. The 6-foot-4 tight end looked like a total non-factor and was overshadowed for playing time by Foster Moreau over the last two weeks. But Johnson played a season-high 67 percent of offensive snaps compared to 57 percent for Moreau in Week 4. Neither Johnson nor Moreau has had a consistent role in the receiving game so far this season, combining for 12 total targets over four games. There's not much reason to expect that their roles will increase during their next game versus Kansas City on Monday, Oct. 7.

Tonyan reverted to the Vikings' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's official transaction log.

The tight end played on seven of 68 offensive snaps and 10 special-teams snaps, recording no stats. Tonyan was also elevated for the Vikings' Week 3 win over the Texans but was also blanked on the stat sheet. Tonyan served as the No. 3 tight end behind Johnny Mundt and Josh Oliver in both contests.

Wilcox reverted to New England's practice squad Monday.

Wilcox played exclusively on special teams during Sunday's loss to the 49ers, and he was unable to record any stats. The 27-year-old will now await his next opportunity to be elevated for a game.

Swaim reverted to Cleveland's practice squad Monday.

Swaim saw playing time on both offense and special teams during Sunday's loss to the Raiders but failed to record any stats. He could be elevated again in Week 5 versus the Commanders if David Njoku remains sidelined with an ankle injury.

Saubert did not receive a target in Sunday's 30-13 win over the Patriots, logging 18 snaps on offense (29 percent) while playing 20 on special teams.

Saubert reverted to his expected backup role after starter George Kittle (4-45-1) returned from a one-game absence. The veteran backup saw his role diminish on offense after gaining 41 yards on two receptions in last week's spot start for Kittle. Saubert can only operate as a deep-league fantasy option in games that Kittle misses, which does not appear to be the situation for this coming Sunday's contest against the Cardinals.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Kittle (ribs) will be "day-to-day" this week, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

During Sunday's win against the Patriots, Kittle was announced as questionable to return due to a rib injury at halftime, but he was able to join the 49ers offense for the team's first offensive possession of the second half and play out the remainder of the contest. His snap share (94 percent) didn't deviate from his normal workload, and he finished with four catches (on four targets) for 45 yards and one touchdown. Because of Shanahan's comments, Kittle likely isn't in danger of sitting out this coming Sunday versus the Cardinals, but he may endure some practice limitations Wednesday through Friday.