NFL Player News

Akins was not targeted during Saturday's 20-14 win over the Cowboys in preseason Week 2.

Akins made his preseason debut but did not start, per Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle. That honor went to Pharaoh Brown, who also made his preseason debut. The tight end position group was largely invisible, as only rookie Brevin Jordan was targeted (twice) and had one catch for seven yards. Akins and Brown are one-two atop the depth chart, but if the Texans rely heavily on the ground game --which is the consensus -- then Brown is the more favored blocker of the two.

Sternberger was targeted three times and caught two passes for five yards and a touchdown in Saturday's preseason game against the Jets.

Sternberger hauled in a five-yard touchdown pass from Kurt Benkert in the second quarter of Saturday's contest, but he also mishandled a third-down pass earlier in the game that would have given the Packers a first down, so it was not the clean showing he could have used to secure a spot on the roster. Sternberger will have one more chance to impress before the Packers decide to keep him around -- and place him on the suspended list to start the season -- or move on.

Kroft caught both of his targets for 36 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 23-14 preseason win over the Packers.

Kroft scored a pair of 18-yard touchdowns thrown by starting quarterback Zach Wilson -- the first two touchdowns of Wilson's NFL career. On both plays, Kroft caught the ball outside the end zone and used his 6-foot-6, 252-pound frame to power his way over the goal line. After signing with the Jets in the offseason, the 28-year-old Kroft has made a strong impression and appears to have surpassed Chris Herndon for the top spot on the team's tight end depth chart heading into the preseason finale against the Eagles.

Andrews (undisclosed) didn't play in Saturday's preseason game against the Panthers, Ryan Mink of the Ravens' official site reports.

The same applies to starting quarterback Lamar Jackson, as well as Baltimore's top wide receivers. In the case of Andrews, the tight end had a severe bout of cramping at Thursday's practice, so it's no surprise he was held out of action Saturday. It remains to be seen if Andrews suits up for the team's preseason finale, but either way the 25-year-old approaches the 2021 regular season entrenched as the team's No. 1 tight end.

Pitts is among Atlanta's key skill players who have yet to see preseason action, Jeff Schultz of The Athletic reports.

Schultz suggests that players such as Pitts, QB Matt Ryan, WR Calvin Ridley and RB Mike Davis could see work on a drive or two in the team's preseason finale against the Browns next weekend, but that's not a lock to occur. In any case, given that the Falcons took Pitts, fourth overall, in the 2021 NFL Draft, it's clear that the team has big plans for the talented tight end this season. Though rookies at his position tend to be eased into fantasy relevance, Pitts has the skills and likely the immediate playing time opportunity needed to be an exception to that trend.

Smith corralled one of two targets for three yards during Saturday's preseason loss to the Colts.

Smith made his only marks in the box score during the Vikings' second possession of the game, which resulted in a three-and-out. And with Justin Jefferson (shoulder), Adam Thielen (thigh) and Tyler Conklin (hamstring) all banged-up, the team may opt to rest its starting offense in preseason Week 3 with the regular-season opener in mind. If so, Smith may not experience game action again until Week 1 in Cincinnati.

Higbee didn't play in Saturday's preseason game against the Raiders.

The veteran tight end was joined by the Rams' entire collection of projected starting skill-position players on the sideline, so his absence was entirely unsurprising. Higbee will be operating with an experienced and proficient downfield passer in Matthew Stafford this coming season, and with his hold on the starting job seemingly secure, he could potentially put up numbers akin to the career-best 69-734-3 line he produced over 15 games back in 2019 with Jared Goff under center.

Firkser recorded two receptions on two targets in Saturday's preseason contest against the Buccaneers.

Firkser got sparse playing time in the team's preseason opener, but his role increased in Saturday's contest. Both of his receptions came on the team's opening drive, and he tallied gains of 11 and four yards. Though Geoff Swaim was listed ahead of him on the team's initial depth chart, Firkser figures to earn most of the work at the position as a receiver.

Freiermuth secured two of three targets for 19 yards and two touchdowns in the Steelers' 26-20 preseason win over the Lions on Saturday night.

The rookie tight end flashed his height, leaping ability and sure hands on his two grabs, which came from 11 and eight yards out. Freiermuth impressively went up high near the back line of the end zone to snare the first scoring throw from Ben Roethlisberger and he made an impressive catch in tight coverage on the second touchdown. The red-zone usage was certainly encouraging from a fantasy perspective, and although veteran Eric Ebron will certainly command his share of targets near the end zone in the coming season, Freiermuth's 6-foot-5 frame should garner him a fair amount of opportunities as well.

Gesicki secured both targets for 43 yards in the Dolphins' 37-17 preseason win over the Falcons on Saturday night.

Gesicki checked in second to Mack Hollins in receiving yardage among non-running backs for the night. The 25-year-old endured a stint on the reserve/COVID-19 list earlier in camp, but as Saturday's performance demonstrated, he seems back to his usual form. Gesicki should once again play an important role in Miami's passing game in 2021 after logging 174 total targets over the last two seasons, but the team's offseason wide receiver additions and the return of Albert Wilson (undisclosed) after an opt-out season could ding the fourth-year tight end's opportunities some.