NFL Player News

Trautman secured both of his targets for 15 yards in Monday's 24-22 win over the Bills.

Trautman continued his streak of underwhelming performances Monday, despite leading the way in snaps among Denver tight ends. Through nine games, Trautman has totaled just 13 catches for 84 yards and a touchdown.

Waller (hamstring) said Tuesday he's "still kinda in the early phases" of his recovery process, Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic reports.

Waller has already missed two of the requisite four games since being placed on injured reserve, but based on his comments, he may not be ready to complete his recovery process by the time he's first eligible to be reinstated to the 53-man roster in early December. The veteran tight end said he's already resumed jogging, but he noted that running at full speed and cutting are obstacles he'll need to overcome in the coming weeks before he's deemed ready to practice. With Daniel Jones (knee) already done for the season and the Giants sitting on a 2-8 record, the team has little incentive to rush Waller back on the field until he's truly 100 percent healthy.

The Steelers announced Wednesday that Freiermuth (hamstring) has been designated for return from injured reserve.

With the Steelers opening his 21-day evaluation window, Freiermuth is eligible to resume practicing Wednesday, and Adam Schefter of ESPN relays that the tight end is expected to be officially added to the active roster ahead of Sunday's game against the Browns. Before missing the Steelers' last five games with the hamstring injury, Freiermuth had gotten off to a slow start to the season through his first four appearances. He failed to reach double-digit receiving yards three times and posted a 3-41-1 receiving line on four targets in the other contest.

Sample caught two of his three targets for 12 yards in Sunday's 30-27 loss to the Texans.

Sample played 23 of the Bengals' 64 offensive snaps Sunday, just ahead of Irv Smith (21) and Tanner Hudson (20). The near-even split in snaps amongst Cincinnati's tight ends will likely continue to limit Sample's potential for consistent production going forward. Sample is extremely difficult to trust for fantasy purposes heading into a Week 11 matchup with the Ravens on Thursday.

Smith secured his only target for six yards in Sunday's 30-27 loss to the Texans.

Smith's underwhelming performance came on a day in which fellow tight end Tanner Hudson saw a season-high seven targets in the contest. The 25-year-old Smith has been a disappointment for much of the 2023 campaign, totaling just 14 receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown over seven games. In addition, the veteran is splitting tight end snaps relatively evenly with Hudson and Drew Sample. Smith should remain difficult to trust for fantasy purposes when the Bengals visit the Ravens on Thursday.

Hudson secured six of seven targets for 33 yards in Sunday's 30-27 loss to the Texans.

Hudson's seven targets were his most of the season and led all Bengals tight ends. Three of Cincinnati's tight ends split the playing time in fairly even fashion Week 10, with Hudson, Irv Smith and Drew Sample playing 20, 21 and 23 snaps, respectively. With 12 targets over the Bengals' past two games, Hudson appears to be the most fantasy-friendly option among the three tight ends in question, though his upside is still relatively modest while he shares snaps.

Granson caught one of his two targets for five yards in Sunday's 10-6 win over the Colts.

Granson played 32 of the Colts' 57 offensive snaps Sunday, just behind fellow tight end Mo Alie-Cox who finished the game with 34 offensive snaps. In the eight games Granson has played, he has totaled just 17 catches for 175 yards and a touchdown. The 25-year-old will likely continue to see limited opportunities in the Colts' passing attack while splitting snaps with Alie-Cox. Granson should remain off the fantasy radar when the Colts' return from their Week 11 bye to host the Buccaneers on Nov. 26.

The Rams activated Long (hamstring) from injured reserve Tuesday.

Long finally appears to be on track to make his 2023 debut following the Rams' bye in Week 10. When he suits up, he'll settle into a depth role behind top tight end Tyler Higbee.

Hurst entered the NFL's concussion protocol during this past Thursday's 16-13 loss to the Bears, a league source tells Joe Person of The Athletic.

Panthers head coach Frank Reich hasn't confirmed that Hurst was placed in the protocol, but the tight end's status could get cleared up when the team releases its first Week 11 injury report Wednesday. Hurst finished the Week 10 contest with two catches for 14 yards on four targets and has moved into a time share with Tommy Tremble, with both players logging north of 30 percent of the offensive snaps over the past four games. If Hurst can't go Sunday against the Cowboys, Tremble would likely serve as the Panthers' primary tight end, though Ian Thomas (calf) could also factor into the mix after he was designated for return from injured reserve last week.

Jenkins was cut from the Eagles' practice squad Tuesday.

The Eagles have decided to part ways with the 25-year-old tight end just two weeks after signing him to their practice squad. Jenkins played his college ball at Georgia Tech, and he has yet to appear in an NFL game. In a corresponding move, Philadelphia signed tight end Noah Togiai to its practice squad Tuesday.