NFL Player News

Houston executive vice president and general manager Nick Caserio said Tuesday that he expects Stover (foot) to return at some point in 2025, Sam Warren of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Stover suffered a broken foot in the season-opening loss to the Rams and was placed on injured reserve, which ensures at least four missed games. Caserio's comments suggest the tight end will be unavailable beyond the four-week minimum. While addressing the status of Houston's injured players, the GM lumped Stover into a group whose return timeline is "not as definitive" as it is with some other players.

Likely secured his lone target for 12 yards in Sunday's 44-10 loss to the Texans.

Likely's catch against the Texans on Sunday was his first of the season. The 25-year-old tight end played 23 of the Ravens' 43 offensive snaps, just behind Mark Andrews (25). Andrews led all tight ends in both receptions (2) and targets (3). With Cooper Rush operating as Baltimore's starting quarterback as Lamar Jackson (hamstring) is sidelined, the offense struggled to get much going in the contest. If Rush continues to start, the potential success of all Baltimore pass catchers is capped until Jackson returns. With that said, Likely should continue to play significant snaps but faces an uphill battle for consistent opportunities. The Coastal Carolina product will have his next chance to take a step forward in the Ravens' offense in a Week 6 matchup against the Rams.

Thomas caught all three of his targets for 20 yards in Sunday's 40-6 loss to the Colts.

Thomas' three receptions were his first of the season after he failed to earn a single target in the first four games of the season. With both Brock Bowers (knee) and Michael Mayer (concussion) sidelined, the veteran led all Raiders' tight ends in snaps. Thomas played 38 of the Raiders' 68 offensive snaps, ahead of both Albert Okwuegbunam (31) and Carter Runyon (6). Even if Bowers and Mayer continue to be sidelined, the 29-year-old Thomas should be ignored for fantasy purposes based on his limited potential as a pass catcher. The Raiders will host the Titans in Week 6.

Helm recorded four catches on five targets for 34 yards in Sunday's 22-21 win over the Cardinals.

Helm was rumored to be stepping into a more expanded role in the Tennessee offense, and he responded by setting career-best marks in every receiving statistic. He narrowly missed his first career touchdown on a 19-yard reception early in the fourth quarter on a throw that guided him out of bounds at the one-yard line. Helm has done well with limited opportunity to begin his rookie season, and he is a bright spot for one of the least effective offenses in the league.

Okonkwo recorded four receptions on five targets for 48 yards in Sunday's 22-21 win over the Cardinals.

Okonkwo remained a relatively steady part of the Tennessee offense, and Sunday's performance marked his third game with at least four catches. His most significant contribution came late in the fourth quarter on a 16-yard catch that helped push the Titans into field-goal range. Gunnar Helm is pushing for a bigger role in the team's offense, but Okonkwo has still played more than 60 percent of offensive snaps in every game this season.

The Eagles listed Calcaterra (oblique) as a non-participant for Thursday's walk-through practice.

Calcaterra is recovering from an oblique injury that he suffered during Sunday's loss to the Broncos. With the Eagles facing a quick turnaround for Week 6 with a Thursday night matchup versus the Eagles, the expectation is that Calcalterra will miss his first game of the season, according to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer. If Calcaterra ends up being ruled out for the Week 6 contest, Kylen Granson would step in as the top backup to starting tight end Dallas Goedert.

Fant didn't draw a target while playing 15 of the Bengals' 62 snaps on offense in Sunday's 37-24 loss to the Lions.

Fant made his return to action Sunday after a concussion kept him out of the Bengals' Week 4 loss to the Broncos. The Bengals didn't necessarily ease Fant back in with a light workload, as he had logged just 17 and 18 snaps in his previous two appearances. He'll continue to handle a light role as a backup tight end while Mike Gesicki is fully healthy.

Gesicki recorded two catches for 15 yards on five targets in Sunday's 37-24 loss to the Lions.

After turning in a big campaign in 2024 with 65 catches for 665 yards and two touchdowns, Gesicki hasn't gotten on track in five games this season. The addition of Noah Fant has cut into Gesicki's workload, and the Bengals have struggled as a whole offensively since Jake Browning stepped in at quarterback for the injured Joe Burrow (toe). Through five weeks, Gesicki has managed a poor 8-61-0 receiving line on 16 targets.

The Saints signed Matavao to the practice squad Tuesday.

Matavao was a seventh-round pick by the Saints back in April's NFL Draft and has bounced between the practice squad and active roster for much of the first five weeks of the season.

The Jaguars placed Strange on injured reserve Tuesday due to a quadriceps injury, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Strange sustained what the Jaguars had previously labeled as a hip injury with just over four minutes remaining in the first half of Monday's 31-28 win over the Chiefs, resulting in his early exit from the contest. After undergoing further testing, Strange has now been diagnosed with a quad issue that will keep him out multiple games, though Garafolo relays that the Jaguars anticipate that the tight end has avoided a season-ending injury and will be able to return in around a month. Despite playing just 22 snaps in Monday's win, Strange leads the Jaguars with 20 catches through five games and has produced 204 receiving yards and no touchdowns. His absence should open up more opportunities at tight end for Johnny Mundt and Hunter Long.