NFL Player News

Rams coach Sean McVay said after the Rams' wild-card win over Minnesota on Monday that Higbee is in the hospital and in stable condition due to the chest injury he suffered during the matchup, Stu Jackson of the Rams' official site reports.

While McVay's update suggests Higbee's injury is more than minor, the coach also stated of the tight end, "I think he's going to be okay." At this point, it is unclear if Higbee will be able to suit up in next Sunday's divisional-round clash against the Eagles. If he's unable to play, the Rams would likely deploy a tight-end committee of Colby Parkinson, Hunter Long and Davis Allen. All three logged exactly 13 receiving yards (Allen and Long on one catch apiece and Parkinson on two) following Higbee's exit Monday.

Durham, who did not log any targets across 15 snaps in Sunday night's 23-20 wild-card loss to the Commanders, finished the 2024 regular season with 11 receptions for 115 yards and two touchdowns across 16 games.

Durham saw a significant increase in opportunity on offense during his second season, logging 417 plays from scrimmage after playing only 125 as a rookie in 2023. However, the Purdue product was likely on his way to potentially falling short of his meager 5-58-0 receiving line of a season prior before top tight end Cade Otton suffered a knee injury that caused him to miss the final three games of the regular season. That opened the door for Durham to serve as the No. 1 tight end from Weeks 16-18, during which he generated a 9-81-2 line on 12 targets despite position mate Devin Culp also showing some promise during that span and absorbing some targets in his own right. Nevertheless, Durham garnered active status over Culp for Sunday night's postseason game, although with Otton back in action, that didn't lead to any production. Durham will be heading into the penultimate year of his rookie deal in 2025 and profiles as the likely No. 2 option at the position again.

Higbee (chest) has been ruled out from returning to Monday's wild-card matchup versus Minnesota, Adam Grosbard of The Orange County Register reports.

Brown got off to a red-hot start Monday, catching all five of his targets for 58 yards in the first quarter. However, he was deemed questionable to return due to a chest issue early in the second quarter and was ruled out for the remainder of the game just after halftime. A combination of Colby Parkinson, Hunter Long and Davis Allen could fill in at tight end for the Rams through the remainder of Monday's game.

Higbee is doubtful to return to Monday's wild-card matchup against Minnesota due to a chest injury, Stu Jackson of the Rams' official site reports.

Higbee was outstanding early in the contest, catching all five of his targets for 58 yards. However, he's likely done for the day after suffering a chest injury. The veteran tight end missed most of the campaign due to a knee issue, as he didn't suit up until Week 16. Colby Parkinson, Hunter Long and Davis Allen are the other tight ends on Los Angeles' roster.

The Chargers signed Castles to a reserve/future contract Monday.

Castles was waived from injured reserve by the Eagles on Sept. 23 due to an undisclosed injury. He was signed to the Chargers' practice squad Oct. 15 but was not elevated to the active roster during the 2024 season. The 25-year-old tight end will have a chance to develop under the Chargers' coaching staff during the offseason and will look to earn a spot on the 53-man roster for the 2025 campaign.

Swinson signed a reserve/future contract with the Packers on Monday.

Swinson spent most of September on the Panthers' active roster after being signed off the Packers' practice squad Sept. 3. He was a healthy scratch for Carolina's first two regular-season games before being waived Sept. 24, and after clearing waivers, he opted to rejoin Green Bay on the practice squad two days later. Swinson will stay with the Packers during the offseason, where he will have the opportunity to participate in OTAs and minicamp ahead of training camp in July.

The Broncos signed Yassmin to a reserve/future contract Monday, Aric DiLalla of the team's official site reports.

Yassmin signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent May 11, and he did not count against Denver's 90-man roster due to being designated as an international player exemption. He spent the entire 2024 season on the Broncos' practice squad, and while he wasn't elevated to the active roster, he'll have the whole offseason to hone his skills and compete for a spot on the 53-man roster for the 2025 campaign.

Spann-Ford caught nine of 14 targets for 88 yards over 17 regular-season games in 2024.

The undrafted rookie out of Minnesota did well to suit up for every game, but he was mainly limited to blocking assignments while Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker were healthy. Six of Spann-Ford's nine receptions came over two games in Weeks 11-12 while Ferguson worked through a concussion however, hinting as some upside as a pass catcher. Spann-Ford will head into 2025 in the No. 3 spot on the depth chart once again, barring a high-profile offseason addition by Dallas.

Schoonmaker caught 27 of 36 targets for 241 yards and a touchdown over 17 regular-season games in 2024.

The second-year tight end took a step forward with his production, and over a three-game stretch in Weeks 11-13 during which Jake Ferguson was dealing with a concussion, Schoonmaker delivered a solid 14-144-1 line on 20 targets. The Michigan product will head into 2025 in the No. 2 spot on the Dallas depth chart, but if Ferguson deals with injuries once again, Schoonmaker has shown he's capable of handling the starting job.

Bell finished the 2024 regular season with two catches (on three targets) for 20 yards in 15 games.

The 2024 seventh-rounder out of Florida State saw limited snaps on offense as a rookie while working behind veteran tight ends Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper. While Henry remains under contract with the Patriots in 2025, Hooper is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent, and if he's not re-signed, the 6-foot-2, 241-pound Bell could have an opportunity to see an increased complementary role in his second campaign as a pro.