NFL Player News

Strange wasn't targeted during Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Dolphins.

The 2023 second-round pick out-snapped Luke Farrell 19 to 14 on offense, but starter Evan Engram was the only Jacksonville tight end to be involved in the passing game. Strange caught five passes for 35 yards and a touchdown in 14 games as a rookie last year, and he's again opened 2024 in a minor role.

Mayer caught two of three targets for three yards in Sunday's 22-10 loss to the Chargers.

Mayer averaged just one yard per target in the Raiders' season opener, while rookie tight end Brock Bowers paced the team in receptions with six grabs for 58 yards on eight looks from quarterback Gardner Minshew. Despite being the No. 2 TE option in Las Vegas, Mayer played only seven fewer snaps than Bowers' 41, but the former's fantasy output could remain touchdown dependent, whereas Bowers seems better positioned to see more consistent target volume.

The Browns hosted Swaim (calf) for a tryout on Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Swaim looks healthy after a 2023 campaign in which he suited up for 14 games with the Cardinals, but was placed on IR due to a calf issue late in the year. The 10-year veteran could help fill in as a depth player for the Browns in the wake of tight end David Njoku (ankle) being labeled week-to-week.

Kieft did not see any targets in the Buccaneers' 37-20 win over the Commanders on Sunday.

Kieft wasn't even deployed as a blocker as much as he typically was in former coordinator Dave Canales' offense, with all but two of his 18 total snaps Sunday coming on special teams. Even if he does end up seeing an uptick in playing time on offense in coming weeks, Kieft is expected to remain a distant third pass-catching option at tight end behind Cade Otton and Payne Durham.

Durham did not draw a target in the Buccaneers' 37-20 win over the Commanders on Sunday.

Durham saw a modest 17 snaps from scrimmage and wasn't afforded any opportunities to touch the ball. However, it was a down game for the Buccaneers' tight ends in general, as Cade Otton saw only two targets in his own right despite playing 52 snaps. Given new offensive coordinator Liam Coen's scheme is expected to frequently deploy tight ends as pass-catching options, Week 1 might ultimately prove to be an outlier. However, Otton is the clear top target at the position, meaning Durham will still be difficult to trust on a game-to-game basis even when he does start getting more involved.

Otton secured one of two targets for five yards in the Buccaneers' 37-20 win over the Commanders on Sunday.

Most of the Buccaneers' incumbent skill-position assets enjoyed productive days in their first game operating in new coordinator Liam Coen's offense, but Otton was a notable exception. The third-year tight end's modest target count over 52 snaps from scrimmage was particularly disappointing, but given Coen's typically heavy use of two-tight-end sets, Otton's downturn could quickly end in a Week 2 road showdown against the Lions.

Kittle corralled four of five targets for 40 yards in Monday's 32-19 win over the Jets.

Kittle finished as San Francisco's third leading receiver on a night where the passing attack was only needed for 225 yards and no touchdowns. All things considered, the star tight end had a solid game given the opportunities present. The rushing attack shined against the Jets on Monday, producing 180 yards and two touchdowns on 38 attempts. Kittle and the 49ers' passing attack will look to get into the scoring action themselves in a Week 2 matchup against the Vikings.

Conklin caught one of two targets for six yards in Monday's 32-19 loss to the 49ers.

Conklin came up empty on his lone target from Aaron Rodgers, but he caught a pass from backup Tyrod Taylor on the Jets' final possession after Rodgers went to the bench with the game out of reach. No other Jets tight end drew a target, so at least Conklin's safely atop the depth chart, but his lack of targets from Rodgers was disappointing considering Conklin had at least three catches in all but four games last season. Conklin will look to bounce back Week 2 against the Titans.

Higgins gathered in both of his targets for 12 yards during Sunday's 34-28 loss in Buffalo.

Higgins took a clear back seat to starting tight end Trey McBride in terms of targets (9-2) and offensive snaps (52-25), while rookie third-round pick Tip Reiman (zero targets on 20 snaps) also got in the mix. Higgins seems secure in his role as the No. 2 TE, especially as a receiver, as Reiman likely will be almost exclusively a blocking specialist to begin his career. Higgins has a streak of five multi-catch games going, dating back to last season, and he should remain a small part of the Cardinals offense.

Whyle was not targeted in Sunday's 24-17 loss to the Bears.

Whyle got moderate hype during training camp as he attempted to unseat Chigoziem Okonkwo as the top tight end in Tennessee. His usage in Week 1 made clear that didn't occur, as he saw only 18 offensive snaps (28 percent) while Nick Vannett earned 16. Whyle remains primarily a special-teams contributor.