NFL Player News
-
Zach Ertz TE | WAS
Commanders' Zach Ertz: Picks up where he left off with TD
Ertz caught three of five targets for 26 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 21-6 win over the Giants.
After scoring six touchdowns in the last seven games of the 2024 regular season, Ertz picked up where he left off with a seven-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. The 34-year-old tight end remains a reliable red-zone target for Jayden Daniels in an explosive Commanders offense. Ertz will try to continue his scoring binge Thursday in Green Bay.
-
Kyle Pitts TE | ATL
Falcons' Kyle Pitts: Seven grabs in Week 1 loss
Pitts brought in seven of eight targets for 59 yards in the Falcons' 23-20 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday.
The talented but oft-maligned tight end got his season off to a rousing start, finishing second in receptions, targets and receiving yards on the Falcons for the afternoon while displaying plenty of chemistry with Michael Penix as the latter begins his first full season as a starter. Pitts took full advantage of a matchup against a Buccaneers defense that's notoriously generous to tight ends, however, so it remains to be seen if he can carry the momentum over into a Week 2 road showdown against the Vikings next Sunday night.
-
Tucker Kraft TE | GB
Packers' Tucker Kraft: Quiet after early TD
Kraft caught two of four targets for 16 yards and a touchdown while rushing once for three yards in Sunday's 27-13 win over the Lions.
Kraft got the scoring started with a 15-yard touchdown catch on the opening drive, but he had just one yard thereafter. His four targets tied for second on the team behind Jayden Reed's five as the Packers spread the ball out on offense. Luke Musgrave was limited to four yards on one target, so Kraft's safely established atop the depth chart after his breakout sophomore season. The Packers have a short week before Thursday's Week 2 home game versus the Commanders.
-
George Kittle TE | SF
49ers' George Kittle: Set for MRI on hamstring
Kittle (hamstring) will have an MRI within the next 24 hours to determine the severity of his injury, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Kittle got hurt in the first half of Sunday's 17-13 win over the Seahawks. Jake Tonges stepped up in Kittle's absence, catching the game-winning touchdown pass with 1:34 remaining. Further clarity on a potential recovery timeline for Kittle will come after the MRI. If he sits out against the Saints in Week 2, Kittle will have missed at least one game for a seventh consecutive season.
-
Brenton Strange TE | JAC
Jaguars' Brenton Strange: Leading receiver in Week 1 win
Strange caught all four of his targets for a team-high 59 yards in Sunday's 26-10 win over the Panthers.
The third-year tight end finished second on the Jaguars in receptions to rookie WR/CB Travis Hunter, but Strange not only led the team in receiving yardage, he was on the other end of Trevor Lawrence's longest completion of the day, a 24-yard toss on the opening drive to help set up a Cam Little field goal. Strange set career-best numbers in 2024 while working behind Evan Engram, but with Engram now in Denver, Strange could be poised for a true breakout in 2025. He'll look to build on Sunday's performance on the road in Week 2 against the Bengals.
-
Evan Engram TE | DEN
Broncos' Evan Engram: Hurts calf in season opener
Engram (calf) is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Titans, Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post reports.
Engram injured his calf in the fourth quarter of his Broncos debut. Prior to getting hurt, the veteran tight end had three catches for 21 yards on four targets. Adam Trautman and Lucas Krull are the two remaining healthy options dressed at the position, with Nate Adkins (ankle) inactive.
-
Tyler Warren TE | IND
Colts' Tyler Warren: Excels in Week 1 win
Warren brought in seven of nine targets for 76 yards and rushed once for three yards in the Colts' 33-8 win over the Dolphins on Sunday.
The Colts, notorious for their scant tight-end usage over the last several seasons, wasted no time getting Warren involved in his first taste of NFL regular-season action. The rookie first-round pick was targeted on three of the first five plays from scrimmage, converting those opportunities into gains of 14, eight and 21 yards. While Warren's pace would naturally slow over the rest of the game, he still finished with team-high reception and target totals while also recording the second-most receiving yards on the afternoon for Indianapolis. It's clear involving Warren will be a priority, affording the Penn State product an abundance of momentum heading into a Week 2 home matchup against the Broncos next Sunday.
-
Juwan Johnson TE | NO
Saints' Juwan Johnson: Leading receiver against Cards
Johnson caught eight of 11 targets for 76 yards in Sunday's 20-13 loss to the Cardinals.
Arizona's Trey McBride came into the game as the big-name tight end, but Johnson bested him in targets, catches and yards while posting game-high totals in the latter two categories. New Orleans' new offense under coach Kellen Moore could be a boon to all the team's top pass catchers, as Spencer Rattler attempted a career-high 46 passes despite the fact that the score remained fairly close the whole way, and his reliance on Johnson is especially promising for the 28-year-old TE. Johnson will look to make a splash again at home Week 2 in a matchup against another elite player at his position, San Francisco's George Kittle (hamstring), assuming the latter is available.
-
Trey McBride TE | ARI
Cardinals' Trey McBride: Six grabs in Week 1 win
McBride caught six of nine targets for 61 yards in Sunday's 20-13 win over the Saints.
He led the Cardinals in receptions, but it was Marvin Harrison who produced a team-high 71 receiving yards. McBride is coming off a massive 2024 campaign in which he posted a 111-1,146-2 line on 147 targets, and while a breakout season from Harrison could cut into the tight end's volume, Arizona's target tree figures to be narrow. McBride will look to stay productive at home in Week 2 against the Panthers.
-
Colby Parkinson TE | LAR
Rams' Colby Parkinson: Returns Sunday
Parkinson (shoulder) returned in the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Texans, Stu Jackson of the Rams' official site reports.
Parkinson briefly left for the locker room to be evaluated for a shoulder injury. The injury doesn't appear to be a severe one, as the 2020 fourth-rounder is back on the field for the Rams. He logged a one-yard catch at the start of the second quarter prior to his injury.