Anderson reverted to the Chargers' practice squad Friday.
Anderson played a season-high 25 snaps on special teams Thursday and registered an assisted tackle on a punt return. Since the blowout loss to the Raiders was the third time Anderson has been elevated this season, the Chargers will have to sign him to the active roster if they wish to utilize him again this season.
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Chargers' Stephen Anderson: Elevated for TNF
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The Chargers elevated Anderson from the practice squad for Thursday night's game against the Raiders.
The 30-year-old has appeared in the Chargers' last two games, playing four offensive snaps. With Donald Parham (shoulder) banged up, Anderson could be in line for a little extra work versus Las Vegas.
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Stephen Anderson: Heads back to practice squad
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Anderson reverted to the Chargers' practice squad Monday.
Anderson was called up to the active roster for the second straight game. He played 20 snaps -- 18 on special teams, two on offense -- without recording a stat. Anderson can be elevated by the Chargers once more this season before the team would have to sign him to the active roster.
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Chargers' Stephen Anderson: Called up from practice squad
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The Chargers elevated Anderson to the active roster Saturday.
This is the second time Anderson has been elevated this season after joining the Chargers' practice squad Nov. 15. His first call-up was Week 13 against the Patriots, when he played 17 snaps (15 on special teams and two on offense). Anderson will likely resume a role on special teams if he plays Sunday against the Bears, as Nick Vannett is returning from a concussion.
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Chargers' Stephen Anderson: Joins active roster
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The Chargers elevated Anderson to their active roster Saturday.
The veteran tight end's elevation is likely in response to Nick Vannett (concussion) being ruled out for Sunday's contest. Anderson's most recent in-game action came in 2022 with the Cardinals, but he also appeared in 34 games for the Chargers from 2019-21.
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Stephen Anderson: Joins Chargers' practice squad
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The Chargers signed Anderson to their practice squad Wednesday.
The 30-year-old has yet to appear in a game this season, but Anderson has 78 career games of NFL experience dating back to 2016. He made 34 of those appearances with the Chargers from 2019 through 2021.
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Cardinals' Stephen Anderson: Not on injury report
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Anderson (illness) is absent from the Cardinals' injury report ahead of Sunday's regular-season finale against the 49ers, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.
Anderson is coming off a one-game absence due to an illness. His absence from the injury report indicates his health is back up to par. Barring any setbacks, he is on track to resume his usual role providing depth at tight end.
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Cardinals' Stephen Anderson: Not playing Sunday
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Anderson (illness) is out Sunday against the Falcons, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.
Anderson was a late scratch for Week 17 and not on the team's inactive list. In his absence, Maxx Williams may see a slight uptick in snaps.
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Cardinals' Stephen Anderson: Remains limited on offense
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Anderson played three of the Cardinals' 70 snaps on offense and wasn't targeted Sunday in the team's 34-26 loss to the Vikings.
Anderson has been active in all eight of the Cardinals' games this season, but he's played double-digit snaps on offense on just one occasion and has one reception to his name. He remains firmly behind Zach Ertz and Trey McBride on the depth chart at tight end, and Anderson's outlook is unlikely to improve unless one of the former two players misses time for any reason.
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Cardinals' Stephen Anderson: Re-signs with Arizona
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The Cardinals re-signed Anderson on Thursday, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.
Anderson was released by the Cardinals ahead of Tuesday's 53-man roster deadline but has returned to the team on a standard contract after Arizona made a number of roster moves. The 29-year-old tight end appeared in 17 games for the Chargers last season, catching 16 of 19 targets for 165 yards and a score. With Zach Ertz (calf) and Maxx Williams (knee) questionable for Week 1, Anderson may begin the season as the top backup behind rookie second-round pick Trey McBride.
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Stephen Anderson: Cut by Cards
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Arizona released Anderson on Tuesday, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.
Anderson failed to secure a depth role on the Cardinals' initial 53-man roster, but that doesn't preclude him from reuniting with the team at a later date. Over 17 games with the Chargers last year, Anderson logged 16 receptions (19 targets) for 165 yards and a touchdown.
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Cardinals' Stephen Anderson: Signs with Arizona
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Anderson signed a contract with the Cardinals on Monday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals official site reports.
Anderson had 16 receptions for 165 yards and a touchdown across 17 appearances for the Chargers last season and has totaled 60 catches for 706 yards and three scores since joining the league as an undrafted free agent with Houston in 2016. He's expected to offer depth behind Zach Ertz and Maxx Williams, though Anderson could garner a bigger role depending on how well Williams' ACL recovery goes during the offseason.
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Chargers' Stephen Anderson: Plays all 17 games in 2021
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Anderson caught 16 of 19 targets for 165 yards and one touchdown across 17 appearances during the 2021 campaign.
Anderson primarily operated as the No. 3 tight end, but both Jared Cook and Donald Parham missed multiple games during the season, so he saw increased roles periodically throughout the year. However, Anderson still wasn't able to crack fantasy relevancy with the pair out. Cook and Anderson will be unrestricted free agents this offseason, so Parham, an exclusive rights free agent, and rookie Tre' McKitty could jump to the top of the depth chart if the Chargers choose not to re-sign two of their top three tight ends.
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Chargers' Stephen Anderson: Catches one pass
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Anderson caught his lone target for eight yards in Sunday's 34-13 win over the Broncos.
With both Jared Cook (reserve/COVID-19 list) and Donald Parham (concussion) out for Week 17, Anderson filled in as the Chargers' No. 1 tight end. He effectively shared reps at the position with rookie Tre' McKitty, who played 52 percent of the Chargers' offensive snaps to Anderson's 78 percent. McKitty, however, was more involved in the passing game, seeing three targets to Anderson's one. Parham remains on injured reserve, but with Cook likely to make his return from the reserve/COVID-19 list ahead of a Week 18 matchup with the Raiders, Anderson will be in store for a role reduction.
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Chargers' Stephen Anderson: Poised for Week 17 start
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Anderson and Tre' McKitty are left as the Chargers' healthy tight ends for Sunday's game against the Broncos after Jared Cook (illness) was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Friday, per Gilbert Manzano of The Orange County Register.
The Chargers aren't expected to have Cook available Sunday, and No. 2 Donald Parham (concussion) is already on injured reserve. Anderson is more skilled as a pass catcher than the typical No. 3 tight end, but he's also undersized at 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, potentially setting up a timeshare with McKitty. There is some fantasy appeal for deeper leagues, with Anderson doing well in his limited opportunities this season (15-157-1 on 18 targets in 15 games).
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Chargers' Stephen Anderson: Records one catch in loss
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Anderson was targeted once and recorded one catch for 12 yards during Thursday's 34-28 overtime loss to the Chiefs.
Anderson saw a season-high 37 offensive snaps after Donald Parham was carted off the field early in the game with a serious head injury. The 28-year-old tight end hasn't seen much NFL action since his most productive season with the Texans in 2017, serving as a third option behind Jared Cook and Parham for the Chargers. In Parham's absence, Justin Herbert primarily looked toward veteran tight end Cook, who recorded seven targets in the game. Anderson has tallied only 13 catches on the season, but should Parham miss time, there will be additional opportunities at tight end. Anderson would most likely split those additional snaps with fourth-option Tre' McKitty, which would limit his upside.
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Chargers' Stephen Anderson: Targeted twice
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Anderson caught two of two targets for 18 yards in Sunday's 28-13 loss to the Broncos.
Anderson only saw six of 82 snaps after coming off of two games with no targets. This is just the fourth-string tight end's third game with at least two catches. Primarily Anderson has been a factor on special teams, and with the continual rise of rookie third-round pick Tre' McKitty, it's possible the backup tight end could be phased out of the offense altogether.
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Chargers' Stephen Anderson: Zero production in loss
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Anderson did not receive a target in Sunday's 27-20 loss against Minnesota.
Anderson mostly played special team snaps Sunday as he was only on the field for seven of 59 offensive snaps. The third-string tight end was unable to continue his momentum from last week's breakout game against Philadelphia where he caught all four passes for 39 yards and a touchdown. For the remainder of the season, look for Anderson to continue playing behind veteran Jared Cook and the emerging Donald Parham.
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Chargers' Stephen Anderson: Surprisingly successful outing
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Anderson caught all four of his targets for 39 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 27-24 win over the Seahawks.
The Chargers opted for a ton of three tight-end sets, which prompted a lot of usage for Anderson, Jared Cook and Donald Parham. It's hard to imagine the sixth-year tight end really factoring into the offense more frequently considering Sunday's totals accounted for essentially half of his total production (9-82-1 line on 12 targets) this season.
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Chargers' Stephen Anderson: Back with Bolts
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Anderson re-signed with the Chargers on Monday.
Anderson will return for a third straight season with the Chargers. Hunter Henry's departure could open up increased depth opportunities for Anderson, though Jared Cook and Donald Parham both are a notch above him in the tight end pecking order.
