NFL Player News

Knox isn't participating in Thursday's practice due to an illness, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.

Knox's ailment apparently surfaced at some point after Wednesday's practice, as the veteran tight end didn't appear on the Bills' initial weekly injury report released a day earlier. Assuming he's able to make a quick recovery from the illness and gets back on the field for Friday's practice, Knox should still be in good position to play in Sunday's wild-card game against the Steelers. After returning from injured reserve following the Bills' Week 13 bye, Knox suited up for each of the team's final five regular-season contests but played fewer than half of the offensive snaps in four of those games while rookie Dalton Kincaid surpassed him in the pecking order at tight end.

Brown finished the 2023 season with 13 catches (on 15 targets) for 208 yards and a touchdown in 17 games with the Patriots.

Brown, who turns 30 in May, carved out a niche in the Patriots offense this past season alongside fellow TEs Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki, making his mark as a run blocker, while also logging six receptions that resulted in 15-plus yard gains, per Evan Lazar of the team's official site. Brown is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason and should be able to land another opportunity to work in a complementary role in 2024, be it in New England or elsewhere.

Bellinger didn't draw a target across 53 snaps on offense in Sunday's 27-10 win over the Eagles.

Bellinger finished the regular season with 25 catches on 28 targets for 255 yards and no touchdowns over 17 contests. From a production standpoint, Bellinger was more or less in line with his numbers from his 2022 rookie campaign, when he posted 30 catches for 268 yards and a pair of scores. However, the tight end played in five more contests this season, and he took a step back on the depth chart after New York acquired Darren Waller in the offseason. The Giants have expressed an affinity for Bellinger despite the Waller addition, but with the latter under contract through 2026, it's difficult to envision a scenario in which Bellinger's role on offense grows substantially in the near future. Bellinger has two years remaining on his rookie deal.

Thomas finished the regular season with five catches on nine targets for 56 yards in 12 games.

Thomas endured the worst campaign of his six-year career, with his five missed games playing a factor. Even when healthy, though, Thomas has long been a blocking tight end, not topping 200 receiving yards since his rookie year. With the Panthers having a potential out from the final year of Thomas' current contract, it remains to be seen whether he'll return to Carolina under a new front office and coaching staff.

Tremble recorded two catches for 11 yards on two targets in Sunday's 9-0 loss to the Buccaneers.

Tremble appeared in 16 of the Panthers' 17 games during the regular season, finishing with 23 catches for 194 yards and three touchdowns on 32 targets. Even though he saw elevated snaps over the second half of the campaign while Hayden Hurst was out with a concussion, Tremble's receiving production remained strikingly similar to his two prior NFL seasons. The tight end will enter the final season of his rookie contract in 2024 and will look to remain a complementary option in what will hopefully be an improved offense under a new coaching staff.

Wright (hip) was a full participant in practice Wednesday.

As expected, Wright looks on track to be ready to go for Sunday's wild-card game versus the Rams. Meanwhile, top tight end Sam LaPorta (knee) didn't participate in practice Wednesday and is uncertain to be available for the playoff opener, making it increasingly likely that Wright finds himself in a starting role this weekend.

Higbee (shoulder) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Higbee wasn't able to practice at all last week after sustaining a dislocated left shoulder Week 17 against the Giants, so his return to drills this week marks the first noticeable progress in his recovery. His status will continued to be monitored Thursday and Friday to see if he has a chance to return to action for Sunday's wild-card contest in Detroit. If Higbee is sidelined this weekend or limited in any fashion, Davis Allen and Brycen Hopkins are the candidates to fill at tight end for the Rams.

LaPorta (knee) isn't practicing Wednesday, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports.

LaPorta isn't expected to practice much this week, if at all, after suffering a knee hyperextension and bone bruise during Detroit's Week 18 win over Minnesota. The Lions hope to have LaPorta available for the wild-card game against the Rams on Sunday, but even head coach Dan Campbell didn't sound too optimistic about that happening earlier this week, noting Monday that it's probably an "outside shot" that LaPorta plays.

Granson caught his lone target for 23 yards in Saturday's 23-19 loss to the Texans.

Granson finished the season in quiet fashion, catching just one pass for the third time in the Colts' last four contests. In 15 appearances this season, the 25-year-old tight end recorded just 30 receptions for 368 yards and one touchdown. The Colts spread out the snaps and targets liberally among their tight ends in 2024, capping Granson's potential to produce consistently meaningful numbers for fantasy purposes. Entering the final year of his contract in 2024, Granson will hope to establish a more prominent role in the Colts' offensive plans, though he could face another threat to his playing time in Jelani Woods (hamstring), who saw plenty of involvement as a rookie in 2022 before having his entire 2023 campaign wiped out by injury.

Dissly caught all three of his targets for 46 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 21-20 win over the Cardinals. He finished the season with 17 receptions (22 targets) for 172 yards and a touchdown through 16 games in 2023.

Dissly had the worst statistical season of his career, as he failed to find the end zone until Week 18 and never caught more than three balls in a game. The Washington product has one year left on his contract with a cap hit of $10.1 million.