NFL Player News

Freiermuth caught eight of 12 targets for 79 yards in Sunday's 37-30 loss to the Bengals.

Freiermuth led the Steelers in targets for a second consecutive week while setting a new season high in that category and also tying his season-high total in catches. His only touchdown came back in Week 2, but the second-year tight end has racked up at least 75 receiving yards in four of nine appearances this season. Freiermuth should remain a key target for rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett in Week 12 against the Colts.

Cager caught two passes on three targets for 20 yards in Sunday's Week 11 loss to the Lions.

Cager didn't do anything exceptional on offense, but he was the only Giants tight end with a target in the contest. The 25-year-old has emerged as New York's top tight end with four catches for 29 yards and a touchdown over the past two weeks, but his opportunities could take a significant hit if Daniel Bellinger (eye) is able to return to action on Thanksgiving against Dallas.

Hurst had two catches for 28 yards on three targets in Sunday's win over the Steelers.

Hurst had his two catches early in the game before quarterback Joe Burrow started finding his wideouts more often later on. Hurst faces a Titans defense next week that has allowed just two touchdowns to tight ends so far this season.

Njoku (ankle) secured two of three targets for 17 yards in the Browns' 31-23 loss to the Bills on Sunday.

Njoku had a relatively quiet return from a two-game absence that was sandwiched around the Week 9 bye. The veteran tight end's reception and yardage totals were his lowest since Week 1 against the Panthers, which is not surprising given that he played a season-low 28 snaps (37 percent), but a Week 12 home matchup against a Buccaneers defense that can be vulnerable to tight ends may offer a chance for a boost in production.

Johnson hauled in three of four targets for 47 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's 27-20 victory over the Rams.

Johnson once again played a significant role during this bounce-back performance for the Saints' offense, as he tied running back Alvin Kamara for the team's second-most receiving yards behind wideout Chris Olave. The tight end also caught an eight-yard touchdown from quarterback Andy Dalton in the second quarter, marking his third straight game with at least 42 receiving yards and one score. Outside of a disappointing two-catch performance against the Raiders in Week 8, Johnson has been a consistent factor in the passing game for the past five contests, and he should maintain a reliable role next week against San Francisco.

Everett (groin) is inactive for Sunday night's game against the Chiefs.

After initially approaching the weekend without an injury designation, Everett was downgraded to questionable Saturday, setting the stage for him to sit this one out. In his absence, Tre' McKitty, Richard Rodgers and Stone Smartt are available to handle the Chargers' tight end duties, with McKitty -- who caught three of his six targets for 21 yards in relief of Everett in Week 10 versus the 49ers -- seemingly poised to see an expanded role again.

Knox brought in all seven targets for 70 yards in the Bills' 31-23 win over the Browns on Sunday. He also visited the X-ray room briefly but subsequently confirmed he was okay, per Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com.

Knox enjoyed his most productive day of the season while pacing the Bills' pass-catching corps in receptions and receiving yards. The third-year tight end has picked up the pace over the last two games with an 11-127 line on 13 targets and will look to keep that momentum in a Week 12 Thanksgiving battle against an inconsistent Lions defense.

Higbee brought in four of eight targets for 45 yards in the Rams' 27-20 loss to the Saints on Sunday.

The veteran tight end tied for the team lead in receptions with Allen Robinson on what appeared to be a potentially big day in the making for the Rams passing attack before Matthew Stafford was forced back into concussion protocol. Higbee figures to remain busy no matter who's under center for Los Angeles in a Week 12 road battle against the Chiefs considering his elevated role in the absence of Cooper Kupp (ankle) for what could be the rest of the season.

Conklin caught two of three targets for 15 yards in Sunday's 10-3 loss to the Patriots.

Quarterback Zach Wilson threw for just 77 yards, so Conklin was far from the only Jets skill position player to put forth an underwhelming performance in this one. The 27-year-old tight end has 35 catches for 331 yards through 10 games with the Jets. In Week 12, he'll face a Bears team that held Conklin to his two lowest yardage totals of the season (seven and six) when he was with the Vikings last year.

Coach Arthur Smith didn't have an update on the status of Pitts (knee) following Sunday's win over the Bears, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site report.

Prior to his exit from the contest, Pitts caught three of his five targets for 43 yards. In any case, the 2021 first-rounder's status will need to be monitored closely as next Sunday's game against the Commanders approaches, with Parker Hesse and MyCole Pruitt next up for TE snaps should Pitts be forced to miss any time.