NFL Player News

Okonkwo did not record a reception on two targets in Sunday's 16-15 loss to the Saints.

Okonkwo was a breakout candidate for much of the offseason, though those hopes were seemingly derailed by the addition of DeAndre Hopkins. That came to fruition in Week 1, as Hopkins dominated with 13 targets on only 33 catchable pass attempts from Ryan Tannehill. Okonkwo could become a threat in the red zone, but he'll likely face a difficult path to seeing consistent targets.

Hesse reverted to Atlanta's practice squad Monday.

Hesse will return to the practice squad after playing 14 snaps (seven offensive) and logging a tackle in punt coverage during the Week 1 win over the Panthers. The 28-year-old will be on standby for another opportunity to move up to the active roster.

Carlson reverted to the Bears' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's transaction log.

Carlson was elevated to Chicago's active roster Saturday, but he was ultimately ruled inactive prior to the game. Thus, he will continue to try and impress at practice while awaiting a new opportunity to get called up.

Hopkins secured one of two targets for 21 yards during Sunday's 30-13 win over the Seahawks.

Hopkins started his fourth year with the Rams similar fashion to his third, playing in just over a quarter of the snaps on offense and seeing a scant few targets head his way. His lone catch saw him showcase his elusiveness, as he shook off one defender in route to a big gain, but unless starter Tyler Higbee misses any time, Hopkins is unlikely to break through on the stat sheet in a meaningful way.

Higbee secured all three of his targets for 49 yards during Sunday's 30-13 win over the Seahawks.

It was a slightly down night for the Rams' veteran tight end in terms of usage, with just three of Matthew Stafford's 37 total passes aimed Higbee's way, but he made the most of his limited touches with a sweet double move for a 30-yard reception in the third quarter. Fantasy managers hoping for Higbee to be more involved with Cooper Kupp (hamstring) absent may be disappointed with the volume, and the emergence of Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell may have been a factor in the reduced target share. Higbee had mixed results against San Francisco, the Rams' Week 2 opponent, in 2022 with one great game (10-73-0 on 14 targets in Week 4) and one to forget (2-15-0 on six targets in Week 8).

Coach John Harbaugh said Monday that Andrews (quadriceps) "looks good" and that the Ravens will monitor him in practice, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Andrews appears to have a chance at returning for Week 2's matchup in Cincinnati, but his odds will depend on how he looks in practice. A return by the star tight end would be a needed piece of good news for Baltimore, as the team sustained a fair amount of injuries in Week 1's win over the Texans, with J.K. Dobbins (Achilles) most notably having been lost for the season.

Mundt played on five of the offense's 64 snaps in Sunday's loss to Tampa Bay and was not targeted in the passing game.

Mundt had 19 receptions on 21 targets for 140 yards and a touchdown last season, but he had a much more limited role with the acquisition of Josh Oliver to be the team's primary blocking tight end. Mundt won't be a factor in the passing game unless there are several injuries to the pass-catching corps.

Oliver brought in all three targets for 32 yards in Sunday's loss to Tampa Bay.

Oliver started at tight end opposite T.J. Hockenson as the Vikings opened in a two-TE set. Oliver is mostly a blocking tight end in head coach Kevin O'Connell's offense, but did go out for a pass on 13 of his 30 snaps. He won't generate enough targets for viable fantasy value in most leagues, but he could be a factor should Hockenson get hurt.

Likely caught his lone target for a four-yard gain in Sunday's win over the Texans in Week 1.

With Mark Andrews (quad) sidelined, Likely was expected to step into a larger role in the season opener. Likely logged 71 percent of the offensive snaps and yet he drew just one target. Likely was the only Ravens tight end to play significant snaps as Charlie Kolar logged 13 snaps on offense. Meanwhile, Lamar Jackson leaned on his receiving corps ,as Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Odell Beckham comprised the bulk of the target volume. Andrews' status for Week 2 is uncertain at this stage, so Likely could be in line for significant playing time once again. Still, Sunday's outing shows that Likely is not a lock for targets even if he's playing a high snap count.

Alie-Cox did not have a reception on two targets in Sunday's loss at Jacksonville.

Cox played on 30 of the offense's 72 snaps as he and Kylen Granson got nearly all the TE snaps with Andrew Ogletree suffering a concussion. Even with several tight ends injured (Jelani Woods is on IR with a hamstring injury), Alie-Cox can't find his way into the passing game. Cox went out on a route on 16 of his snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, compared to Granson's 35 routes on 44 snaps. Alie-Cox looks like mostly a blocking tight end in the offense who may get a rare red-zone target due to his height (6-foot-7).