NFL Player News

Firkser hauled in both of his targets for 24 yards during Sunday's 19-16 defeat against the Steelers.

Firkser played just 17 offensive snaps, which was significantly fewer than Parker Hesse (34) and MyCole Pruitt (27), but the former finished second on the team in receiving yards behind Drake London. As expected, with Kyle Pitts (knee) sidelined, Hesse continues to operate as the No. 1 tight end but is mostly relegated to blocking duties, while Pruitt and Firkser have seen more work in the passing game. However, all of Atlanta's pass-catching options remain risky plays as long as Marcus Mariota is the primary signal-caller.

Quitoriano failed to catch any of three targets in Sunday's 27-14 loss to Cleveland.

Quitoriano remained the leader in snaps from the tight end position, receiving 40 plays with Jordan Akins (34) and Brevin Jordan (24) following. O.J. Howard was inactive for the first time this season. Quitoriano is seen as the Texans' best blocker at the position, which is useful for a team that's had issues at quarterback and relies on rookie running back Dameon Pierce for much of its offense.

Akins caught three of six targets for 21 yards in Sunday's 27-14 loss to the Browns.

Akins, who has been the tight end target leader for the last several games, was given competition for targets by Brevin Jordan (five), who had been a healthy inactive the previous three weeks. If Houston plans to have Jordan active going forward, or if rookie Teagan Quitoriano's role continues to grow, Akins' opportunities could diminish.

Jordan caught four of five targets for 46 yards in Sunday's 27-14 loss to Cleveland.

Week 13 marked the first time in four weeks that Jordan was part of the active roster. After being a healthy inactive for three weeks, Jordan played 24 snaps and was heavily involved as a target. O.J. Howard was made inactive, clearing the way for Jordan's return. While it remains uncertain why Jordan was inactive the previous three weeks, it's assumed his failings as a blocker played a role in the decision.

Brown caught his lone target for 11 yards in Sunday's 27-14 win over the Texans.

Quarterback Deshaun Watson wasn't the only member of the Browns returning to the stadium where he once played. Brown, who was released by the Texans earlier this season, was in the starting lineup as a replacement for the injured David Njoku (knee) and played 40 snaps, the most he's had since joining the Browns in Week 5. Watson hadn't played a regular-season game since 2020, so they deployed a run-heavy scheme, which called for a tight end like Brown with elite blocking skills. He's caught five of 10 targets for 45 yards in eight games for Cleveland.

Bryant caught his lone target for six yards and had one carry for eight yards in Sunday's 27-14 win over Houston.

Starting tight end David Njoku was sidelined by a knee injury, but Bryant couldn't capitalize on the opportunity. That's probably because the Browns started quarterback Deshaun Watson, who hadn't played a regular-season game since 2020. The quarterback's rust was evident, and Cleveland stuck to its run-heavy attack.

Everett caught five of his six targets for 80 yards in Sunday's 27-20 loss to the Raiders.

Everett recorded the second-most receiving yards on the Chargers despite just six targets as the Raiders seemed content letting the tight end work the middle of the field. The 28-year-old is easily on pace to surpass both his career high in receiving yards (478) and receptions (48) set last year with the Seahawks, but he's failed to be much of a touchdown threat with just two total on the year. It's hard to imagine the veteran copying his season-high figures in future weeks due to the limited usage, but the Chargers' offense has been reliant on the aerial attack recently, thus making Everett a low-end fantasy play most weeks.

Engram brought in five of seven targets for 30 yards and a touchdown in the Jaguars' 40-14 loss to the Lions on Sunday.

Engram was second in receptions, receiving yards and targets to Christian Kirk, making it a somewhat atypical afternoon for the veteran tight end. Engram also recorded a three-yard scoring grab late in the third quarter, only his second touchdown of the season. Engram does now have multiple catches in six of the last eight games, but the fact he's topped 50 receiving yards on just three occasions caps his overall upside going into a tough Week 14 road matchup against the Titans.

Okonkwo recorded four receptions on five targets for 68 yards in Sunday's 35-10 loss to the Eagles.

Okonkwo recorded a career high in receptions and yards in the Titans' blowout loss, though the majority of his production came before garbage time. He caught a deep pass down the middle of the field in the second quarter, and he then shed a defender and turned upfield for a 41-yard gain. Though Austin Hooper is still the team's primary tight end, Okonkwo now has one reception of 40 or more yards in three of his last five games.

Kelce caught four of six targets for 56 yards in Sunday's 27-24 loss to the Bengals.

It's what passes for a quiet day for the tight end, as Kelce failed to either score a TD or record at least 98 receiving yards for the first time since Week 2. He's now 32 yards short of his seventh straight 1,000-yard campaign, a figure Kelce should reach in Week 14 against the Broncos.