NFL Player News

The Ravens signed Washington to a reserve/future contract Monday, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

The 2023 season marked Washington's fourth out of Wake Forest, but he's appeared in just one career contest, playing 22 offensive snaps in one game for the Patriots last season. He spent parts of this season with the Patriots, Steelers and Ravens.

Hockenson (knee) underwent successful ACL surgery Monday.

Hockenson's season ended when he tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee on Dec. 26. Given how late in the season his injury occurred, the star tight end is presumably in danger of not being ready for the start of the 2024 season. He now will move forward with the rehab process as the offseason gets underway.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Kittle will be day-to-day this week due to a toe injury, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Kittle had more offensive snaps (64 of 66) than any 49ers skill-position player not named quarterback Brock Purdy during Sunday's win against the Lions in the NFC Championship Game. Having said that, Kittle wasn't utilized much as a pass catcher, as he hauled in just two of three targets for 27 yards, while Deebo Samuel (nine targets), Brandon Aiyuk (eight) and Christian McCaffrey (five) dominated Purdy's attention. Kittle now will contend with a health concern as San Francisco prepares for Super Bowl LVIII versus the Chiefs, but he'll have nearly two weeks to get healthy before that game kicks off Sunday, Feb. 11.

Kittle had two receptions on three targets for 27 yards in Sunday's 34-31 win over Detroit in the NFC Championship Game.

Kittle essentially had one big catch for 28 yards after his second catch went for a loss of one yard. The star tight end falls victim to these low-usage games from time to time given the surplus of playmaking talent the 49ers boast on offense. While it didn't have an impact on his fantasy score, Kittle was able to secure the Lions' onside kick attempt in the waning moments of Sunday's win to send his team to Las Vegas to take on the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII.

LaPorta recorded nine receptions (on 13 targets) for 97 yards in Sunday's 34-31 loss to the 49ers.

LaPorta led the team in targets, receptions and yards, and it was also his second consecutive contest with nine receptions and double-digit targets. Though he didn't find the end zone, LaPorta was a consistent big-play threat as he recorded a pair of catches for 16 yards, and two more of his receptions went for double-digit gains. It was a strong close to an impressive rookie season, and LaPorta should be a strong second option in Detroit's passing attack behind wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown in 2024.

Kelce hauled in all 11 of his targets Sunday for 116 yards and a touchdown in the Chiefs' 17-10 win over the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game.

Kelce hit the ground running with three receptions, including a 19-yard touchdown, on the Chiefs' first offensive possession Sunday. The star tight end would team up with Patrick Mahomes eight more times as the teammates proceeded to systematically dissect one of the top-rated defenses in the league. Kansas City's defense flexed its own muscles to close out the low-scoring victory and send Kelce and Co. to Las Vegas to face either the Lions or the 49ers on Sunday, Feb. 11 for Super Bowl LVIII.

Andrews (leg) secured both targets for 15 yards in the Ravens' 17-10 AFC Championship Game loss to the Chiefs on Sunday.

Andrews' remarkable recovery and return from a significant mid-November leg injury culminated in an underwhelming performance, with Lamar Jackson often facing pressure from the Chiefs' aggressive front and Andrews, along with the rest of Baltimore's pass catchers, struggling to get open. The fact the talented tight end managed to get healthy enough to suit up is certainly encouraging from a longer-term perspective, however, and Andrews is expected back next season, albeit with a hefty $16.9 million cap hit, in what will be the fourth year of a five-year deal that he signed before the 2021 season.

LaPorta (knee) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game in San Francisco, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

LaPorta has been listed on Detroit's injury reports throughout the playoffs after suffering a knee hyperextension during Week 18 action, but the injury didn't stop him from handling his normal workload in the wild-card and divisional rounds. He topped 80 percent snap share in both games, combining for 12 catches, 79 yards and a touchdown on 14 targets. The rookie tight end now gets a tough matchup in the NFC Championship Game, facing a Niners defense that tends to do an excellent job of guarding the middle of the field thanks to LBs Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. A return to full practice participation Friday suggests LaPorta should be fine for his usual, starring role in the Detroit offense.

Andrews (leg) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Chiefs.

The Ravens removed Andrews from injured reserve earlier Friday, with head coach John Harbaugh clarifying shortly thereafter that he intended for the tight end to play. Andrews' lack of designation heading into Sunday confirms that he'll be available for the AFC Championship Game, a development that doesn't come as much of a surprise after the tight end was listed as a full participant on every practice report since last Wednesday. According to Ryan Mink of the Ravens' official site, Andrews declined to comment Friday on what his snap count might look like Sunday, leaving it unclear if he'll return to his pre-injury role or cede snaps to highly capable backup Isaiah Likely. Either way, Andrews will be playing in his first game since suffering a fibula fracture and ankle ligament injury in a Nov. 16 win over the Bengals in Week 11.

Coach John Harbaugh said Friday that Andrews (leg) will play in Sunday's game against the Chiefs "unless there's some kind of a problem" following his activation from injured reserve.

Harbaugh is merely stating the obvious -- that Andrews is being activated to play and not just as a decoy/distraction. The Ravens presumably would've removed him from injured reserve last week before facing the Texans if they sought to benefit from deception, so the real question now entails the extent of Andrews' role rather than whether or not he'll play. On that front, the Ravens aren't likely to reveal anything ahead of time, so we'll probably have to wait until Sunday to see how TE snaps are split between Andrews and capable backup Isaiah Likely. As well as Likely has played the past couple months, Andrews is still bigger, faster and more experienced, though he won't necessarily have his usual speed/explosiveness in his first game back after missing nine weeks.