NFL Player News

Culp secured three of four targets for 52 yards in the Buccaneers' 48-14 win over the Panthers on Sunday.

With Cade Otton (knee) sidelined for a second straight week, Culp saw the first four targets of his career and made good use of them with gains of 26, 17 and nine yards on his trio of grabs. A rookie seventh-round pick, Culp displayed some solid pass-catching chops during his college days at Washington with a 66-711-4 line across 42 games over his last four seasons of eligibility. Culp logged 20 snaps in Sunday's lopsided victory, and although Payne Durham paced the position group comfortably with 59 plays from scrimmage, Culp's performance may have earned him more playing time in a Week 18 home matchup against the Saints.

The Ravens are hopeful that Kolar (forearm) will be activated off injured reserve ahead of Saturday's regular-season finale against the Browns, Jonas Shaffer of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

Kolar was designated to return from IR on Monday after missing the last four games due to a fractured arm that he suffered against the Chargers in Week 12. Head coach John Harbaugh said that Baltimore will evaluate Kolar's progression in practice in order to determine whether the third-year tight end will play Saturday. If Kolar is cleared to play, he would serve as the Ravens' No. 3 tight end behind Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely.

Kolar (forearm) was designated to return from injured reserve Monday.

Kolar has missed the Ravens' last four games after fracturing his forearm in the Week 12 win over the Chargers. However, he was designated to return Monday and now has 21 days to be added to Baltimore's active roster before reverting to IR. Kolar's practice participation throughout the week will likely offer the best insight into whether he will be able to return for the Ravens' Week 18 matchup against the Browns.

Hill (knee) recently underwent surgery, and he's expected to make a full recovery, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.

Hill tore his left ACL in Week 13 against the Rams. With surgery complete and successful, the veteran tight end will work to return to action next season. Hill's current contract with New Orleans runs through the 2025 campaign.

Smartt caught both of his targets for 23 yards in the 40-7 win over the Patriots on Saturday.

Will Dissly (35 snaps) and Tucker Fisk (32 snaps) both played more than Smartt, who had benefitted in recent weeks due to the absence of Dissly and Hayden Hurst (illness). With Dissly back, Smartt should fade back into the No. 2 tight end committee that sees him typically used as an additional blocker.

Yeboah didn't catch either of his two targets in Sunday's 40-14 loss to the Bills

Yeboah has gone without a catch on three targets since scoring his first career touchdown in Week 11 against the Colts. He'll continue to fill a depth role in the season finale against Miami.

Hooper caught all three of his targets for 19 yards in Saturday's 40-7 loss to the Chargers.

Hooper was on the field for 24 of the Patriots' 53 snaps on offense Saturday, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, while fellow tight end Hunter Henry logged a season-low 30 snaps and didn't catch either of his targets in the contest. The duo will continue their TE time-share in next weekend's season finale at home versus a Bills team that has secured the AFC's No. 2 playoff seed.

Henry didn't record a catch (on two targets) in Saturday's 40-7 loss to the Chargers.

Henry, who logged a season-low 30 (out of a possible 53) snaps on offense Saturday, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, was blanked for the first time this year at an inopportune time for fantasy managers who'd grown accustomed to his steady production out of the tight-end position. Henry and the Patriots will close out their 2024 campaign this Sunday at home against a Buffalo team that is locked into the AFC's No. 2 playoff seed.

Trautman caught one of three targets for five yards in Saturday's 30-24 loss to the Bengals.

Trautman caught one pass for five yards for the second straight week, as the veteran continued his quiet 2024 campaign. The 27-year-old played 29 of the Broncos' 60 offensive snaps, slightly ahead of fellow tight ends Lucas Krull (24) and Nate Adkins (22). With few opportunities as a pass catcher, Trautman should not be trusted for fantasy purposes when the Broncos visit the Chiefs in Week 18.

Pitts caught four of five targets for 44 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 30-24 overtime loss to Washington.

Pitts turned in a rare strong fantasy line in Sunday's overtime loss. The underwhelming 2021 first-round pick upped his season marks to 49 receptions, 631 receiving yards and five touchdowns as Week 17 nears a close. Pitts has been a barometer for inconsistency in his four years in the league, making for a risky play as the Falcons prepare to host the Panthers next Sunday.