NFL Player News

Head coach Andy Reid said Thursday that Fortson (elbow) is "probably not" going to be activated for Saturday's AFC divisional-round matchup against the Jaguars, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports.

Despite being designated to return from injured reserve Tuesday, it currently sounds like Fortson is on track to miss a fourth consecutive matchup due to a subluxated elbow. Should that eventually be the case, Noah Gray and Blake Bell are both slated to receive rotational tight end snaps behind All-Pro selection Travis Kelce this weekend.

Kieft failed to bring in his only target during the Buccaneers' 31-14 wild-card loss to the Cowboys on Monday night. He finished the 2022 regular season with seven receptions (10 targets) for 80 yards and a touchdown and one kickoff return for seven yards across 17 games.

The rookie tight end was primarily utilized as a blocker and on special teams, where he logged 271 snaps. Kieft was efficient with his few opportunities as a receiver, and he could be set to move up to the No. 2 role next season if veterans Cameron Brate and Kyle Rudolph (knee) aren't brought back.

Morris played 22 of the Bills' 72 snaps on offense and hauled in his lone target for a 12-yard gain in Sunday's 34-31 win over the Dolphins in the wild-card round.

Morris' reception came on the first snap of a five-play scoring drive late in the third quarter that culminated in a Gabe Davis touchdown reception to push Buffalo's lead to 10 points. As per usual, Morris played second fiddle to starting tight end Dawson Knox (61 snaps, 3-20-1 receiving line on five targets), and the two are likely to maintain a significant gap in playing time so long as Knox is healthy for the duration of Buffalo's playoff run.

Otton brought in four of seven targets for 58 yards in the Buccaneers' 31-14 wild-card loss to the Cowboys on Monday night. He finished the 2022 regular season with 42 receptions for 391 yards and two touchdowns on 65 targets across 16 games.

The rookie tight end put a productive cap on his first NFL season with Monday night's showing, which saw him check in third in receiving yards and fourth in catches and targets on the night for the Buccaneers. Otton recorded just one catch for four yards on two targets over his first two NFL games, but he began expanding his profile in the offense beginning in Week 4 against Kansas City and posted multiple receptions in 11 of the final 14 contests of the campaign. Otton was afforded enough of a platform to prove he can serve as the top receiving option at the position, but it remains to be seen who he'll be catching passes from in 2023 with Tom Brady potentially not back in Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay signed Wells to a reserve/future contract Tuesday, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Wells spent the majority of the 2022 campaign on Tampa Bay's practice squad, but he was never elevated to the active roster. With his new contract, he'll have a chance to compete for a larger role throughout the offseason.

Kolar played in two games as a rookie and recorded four receptions for 49 yards on six targets.

The fourth-round selection out of Iowa State had his rookie season thrown off kilter by a sports hernia that required surgery during the preseason. He did not see his first game action until Week 17 but managed to make an impact in the regular season finale against the Bengals with four grabs for 49 yards. Fair or not, Kolar will be compared to fellow rookie tight end Isaiah Likely as they were drafted in the same round and both are competing to be the top tight end behind Mark Andrews. Kolar gets an incomplete grade for his rookie season due to the injury while Likely became a reliable part of the offense. If the offense does not change in 2023, Kolar could take over the role occupied by Josh Oliver provided Oliver is not retained. A less tight end-reliant system could put Kolar in a squeeze for playing time, however.

Fortson (elbow) was designated to return from injured reserve and will practice Tuesday, Herbie Teope of The Kansas City Star reports.

Fortson missed the final three regular-season games due to a subluxated elbow, but he'll return to practice this week and have a shot to play in Saturday's divisional-round matchup against Jacksonville. Across 13 appearances, the backup tight end caught nine of 13 targets for 108 yards and two scores, but he played more on special teams (181 snaps) than he did on offense (175).

Bell caught his only target for three yards during the Week 18 victory versus the Raiders.

Bell spent most of the 2022 campaign on injured reserve due to a hip flexor injury that required surgery. He didn't rejoin the action until Week 16 and played minimal offensive snaps over the final three weeks. Despite that, the veteran backup tight end compiled a pair of catches for 20 yards and his first career touchdown. Bell is late enough in his career that he's clearly not going to turn into a significant receiving threat, so he can be left on waiver wires everywhere heading into 2023. Bell is also a free agent heading into next season, so he'll aim to find a home somewhere as a backup again.

Gray gathered in their only target for 14 yards during the Week 18 win against the Raiders.

Gray tallied just one catch in each of the final three games of the regular season and no more than three in any single game while reaching pay dirt just once through the air and once on the ground. Gray at least finished 2022 with an offensive snap count percentage (52.7) north of 50 for the first time in his young career and may be aligned as the top in-house option to take over at tight end once Travis Kelce retires. Until then, and assuming the team doesn't upgrade the tight end depth by other means, Gray is largely irrelevant from a fantasy perspective aside from some deep dynasty formats.

Oliver caught 14 of 25 targets for 126 yards and two touchdowns in 2022.

Oliver saw a role increase in his second year with Baltimore as he played nearly 500 snaps and recorded his first season with double-digit receptions despite the team bringing in two tight ends in the fourth round of the draft. Rookie Charlie Kolar being injured for much of the season helped Oliver carve out a bigger role, and he established himself as a useful blocker in Baltimore's run-heavy scheme. He's due to hit free agency this offseason, and with Mark Andrews already in the fold along with Baltimore's investments at tight end in the draft, it's possible he will be playing elsewhere in 2023.