NFL Player News

Kmet caught five of seven targets for 44 yards in Sunday's 38-20 loss to the Packers. He also rushed once for zero yards.

Kmet tied with two others for Chicago's team lead in targets, but his production mostly came in garbage time. With quarterback Justin Fields still unproven as a downfield passer, Kmet holds moderate value as an underneath option, with added upside in the red zone after seven touchdowns last season.

Musgrave caught three of four targets for 50 yards in Sunday's 38-20 win over the Bears.

Musgrave finished second on the Packers in receiving yards, with his NFL debut highlighted by a 37-yard gain to begin the fourth quarter. On that play, though, Musgrave was all alone and missed out on an easy touchdown while stumbling to make a relatively routine catch. With a missed connection on another open deep shot earlier, Musgrave's starting tight-end role could lend itself to decent value over the course of his rookie season.

Ertz caught six of 10 passes for 21 yards in Sunday's 20-16 loss to the Commanders.

The veteran tight end's numbers summed up the tepid performance of the Arizona offense as a whole, as Ertz led the team in catches but saw his longest gain go for only six yards. Trey McBride caught two passes for 23 yards, and the younger TE could cut into Ertz's production as the season wears on -- assuming Ertz doesn't get traded as part of the team's rebuilding efforts. He'll take on a familiar foe in Week 2 as the Cardinals host the Giants, a team Ertz has an active five-game TD streak against dating back to his days with the Eagles, although the last time he faced them was in 2019.

Hurst brought in five of seven targets for 41 yards and a touchdown in the Panthers' 24-10 loss to the Falcons on Sunday.

Perhaps it isn't as surprising as it might seem on the surface for Hurst to pace the Panthers' pass catchers in first overall pick Bryce Young's pro debut, considering the sure-handed tight end has the talent to serve as an effective safety valve and is a proven effective route runner. Hurst was the recipient of Young's first professional TD pass as well, burning his former Falcons squad for a four-yard score in the latter portion of the second quarter. The absence of DJ Chark (hamstring) likely helped Hurst's cause for extra volume Sunday, but the sixth-year veteran should remain a consistent part of the air attack in a Week 2 home matchup against the Saints on Monday night, Sept. 18.

Waller (hamstring) is listed as active Sunday versus the Cowboys, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

After making a sudden appearance on the Giants' injury report Friday, Waller took a questionable designation into the weekend due to a hamstring injury. Initially, he was considered 50/50 to be able to suit up for the season opener, but the tide turned Sunday morning, when Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that there was an expectation the tight end would be active. Indeed, that has come to pass, but the breakdown of TE reps between Waller, Daniel Bellinger and Lawrence Cager remains to be seen.

Dulcich was forced out of Sunday's game against the Raiders due to a leg injury, Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post reports.

The Broncos announced that Dulcich won't return to the contest, so he'll finish Week 1 action with two catches on as many targets for 22 yards. In his absence, look for Adam Trautman to see increased opportunities in Denver's passing attack.

Hockenson brought in eight of nine targets for 35 yards in the Vikings' 20-17 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday.

The talented tight end got his season off to a strong start reception-wise, with his catch and target totals second only to those of Justin Jefferson's on the afternoon. However, the Buccaneers' talented array of linebackers and safeties limited Hockenson to just 4.4 yards per reception with a 14-yard grab serving as his longest for the day. Hockenson's degree of involvement right out of the gate is naturally very encouraging and likely indicative of what should be expected most weeks, and he and Kirk Cousins will look to rekindle their prolific connection with a bit more downfield work in a Week 2 road date versus the Eagles on Thursday night.

Granson caught four of six targets for 39 yards in Sunday's 31-21 loss to the Jaguars.

The third-year tight end produced a solid start to his season and was the clear top receiving option at his position for the Colts, as Andrew Ogletree (concussion) and Mo Alie-Cox combined for just one catch on four targets. Rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson left late in Sunday's loss with a knee bruise, but whether he or Gardner Minshew are under center for Indianapolis in Week 2, Granson should be a reliable security blanket against the Texans.

Engram caught all five of his targets for 49 yards in Sunday's 31-21 win over the Colts.

It was a strong start to the season for the tight end, who gained more than half his yards on a 26-yard grab in the third quarter that helped set up a Jacksonville field goal. Engram set new career highs in catches and receiving yards last year, and the 29-year-old's role doesn't appear to have changed much in 2023. He'll look to stay productive in Week 2 against Kansas City.

Kittle (groin) caught three of six targets for 19 yards in Sunday's 30-7 win over the Steelers.

Kittle made an early impact with an 11-yard catch to convert on 4th-and-1 on San Francisco's first possession, but he and Deebo Samuel (63 scrimmage yards) were comparatively quiet while Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk combined for 298 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns. The talented tight end is sometimes asked to take a back seat in a stacked San Francisco offense with many mouths to feed, but Kittle finished the 2022 season with seven touchdowns over the final four games, showcasing his immense upside. After having his practice reps capped heading into Week 1 due to a groin injury, Kittle will look to play a larger role against the Rams in Week 2. He found the end zone in both games versus Los Angeles last season.