NFL Player News

Allen finished the 2023 regular-season campaign with 10 catches for 95 yards and a touchdown.

At the start of his rookie year, Allen was buried on the depth chart behind starter Tyler Higbee (knee), recently acquired Hunter Long (knee) and returning backup Brycen Hopkins. Injuries to Higbee and Long thrust Allen into a starting role in Week 14, and he responded with four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown. The fifth-round pick out of Clemson saw a slight uptick in playing time the rest of the way and ended his season with a two-catch performance for 28 yards in the Rams' loss to the Lions in the opening round of the playoffs. Hopkins is an unrestricted free agent, and Higbee is feared to have torn his ACL in the postseason loss, which would leave Allen and Long -- who is coming off MCL surgery of his own -- as potentially the only two healthy tight ends for the Rams for the start of 2024 if Higbee isn't ready to return by the season opener.

Hendershot was seen with a walking boot on his right foot following Dallas' wild-card loss to Green Bay on Sunday, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Hendershot suffered a foot injury after failing to record any stats during Sunday's loss. The 24-year-old will now focus on getting healthy ahead of next season.

Kraft was targeted three times and caught two passes for 15 yards in Sunday's 48-32 victory over the Cowboys.

Kraft and fellow tight end Luke Musgrave both garnered starts Sunday, and although Kraft played 45 snaps to Musgrave's 15, the latter made far more of an impact in the box score with three catches for 52 yards and a score. Expect both players to remain involved when the Packers face the 49ers on Saturday in the divisional round.

Kroft was not targeted across eight regular-season appearances with the Dolphins in 2023.

Kroft ended the 2023 campaign as a healthy scratch for Miami's final four games, including Saturday's wild-card playoff loss to the Chiefs. The veteran tight end had never previously finished a season without a catch. Now heading into his 10th NFL season off a forgettable one-year stint with the Dolphins, Kroft seems unlikely to draw interest as more than a depth option on the free agent market.

Hill secured six of nine targets for 48 yards across 15 regular-season appearances with the Dolphins in 2023.

Hill, who linked with Miami as an undrafted free agent out of Campbell back in May, managed to earn an immediate rotational role on offense despite being forced to miss the first two games of the season due to an ankle injury. If Hill can further his development heading into Year 2, and if the Dolphins decline to add a big name to the tight end room, he could push for a more even split of reps with Durham Smythe.

Smythe secured three of four targets for 12 yards during Saturday's 26-7 wild-card loss to the Chiefs. Across 16 regular-season appearances, he racked up 35 catches for 366 yards on 43 targets without a touchdown.

Smythe put together a career-best season as a pass catcher while operating as Miami's top tight end for the first time, barely edging out his 34-357-0 line from 2021. Of course, Smythe's real usefulness to coach Mike McDaniel's scheme came as a blocker, which is how he was deployed for the majority of his 757 offensive snaps. He remains under contract with the Dolphins for two more seasons, though the team has a potential 'out' after the 2024 campaign.

Jordan caught his lone target for a 76-yard touchdown in Saturday's 45-14 wild-card win over the Browns.

Jordan turned a harmless pass in the flat into the game's longest play and what turned out to be the game-winning score. He's played second fiddle to Dalton Schultz all season, but Jordan is considered the better athlete and capable of breaking away from pursuit as he did on the TD. He played 50 percent of the snaps and provided a threat behind a wideout corps that dealt with injuries. Noah Brown (five snaps) was removed from the game with a shoulder injury, while Robert Woods (15 snaps) returned from a hip issue.

Higbee (knee) is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday to confirm what is feared to be a torn ACL sustained during Sunday's 24-23 wild-card loss to the Lions, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Higbee suffered a nasty right leg injury late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss due to a low tackle from Detroit safety Kerby Joseph on the Rams' final drive of the night. If an MRI confirms a severe injury for the veteran tight end, Higbee's recovery timetable could significantly impact his availability for the start of the 2024 campaign, for which he remains under contract with Los Angeles. Across 15 regular-season appearances this season, Higbee remained a steady contributor despite occasionally lackluster QB play, compiling 47 catches for 495 yards and two scores on 70 targets.

LaPorta (knee) pulled in all three of his targets for 19 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 24-23 win over the Rams.

The rookie tight end carried a questionable tag heading into Sunday's playoff tilt after suffering a hyperextended knee in the regular-season finale against the Vikings last week. LaPorta was able to suit up with the assistance of a knee brace and provide fantasy players with his second two-yard touchdown in as many weeks. The 22-year-old's first postseason score helped buoy Detroit to its first playoff win since before the tight end's birth (a 38-6 win over Dallas in 1992). LaPorta will now join his teammates as the Lions prepare to host the divisional round of the playoffs for the first time since 1994 next Sunday.

Higbee failed to catch his lone target in Sunday's 24-23 wild-card round loss to the Lions. He didn't return after getting injured in the fourth quarter, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Higbee stayed down after a Detroit defender dove at his legs. The team didn't have an immediate update on the tight end's injury, which occurred on the Rams' final drive, so it's unclear if Higbee would have returned had LA gotten another possession. The veteran tight end was also nursing a shoulder injury heading into Sunday's season-ending loss, but he'll now have plenty of time to recover before the 2024 season, for which Higbee remains under contract with the Rams.