NFL Player News

LaPorta caught four of five targets for 45 yards in Sunday's 26-20 overtime win over the Rams.

LaPorta was quiet for the majority of Week 1, though he logged an 18-yard reception on Detroit's final possession of regulation, which ended with a game-tying field goal from Jake Bates. Quarterback Jared Goff didn't have the most effective night, limiting the tight end's overall upside against Los Angeles. LaPorta will look to get more involved in Week 2 when the Lions host the Buccaneers, a team against whom the tight end caught nine of 11 targets for 65 yards in the divisional round of the postseason in 2023.

Bowers recorded six receptions on eight targets for 58 yards in Sunday's 22-10 loss to the Chargers.

Despite recently overcoming a foot injury, Bowers led the Raiders in both targets and receptions in his pro debut. His longest catch of the day came in the middle of the second quarter as he worked over the middle of the field on a play-action pass. He was otherwise targeted primarily underneath by Gardner Minshew, but it's clear that Bowers will play a key role in the Raiders' offense in his rookie campaign.

Everett lost one yard on one reception in the Bears' 24-17 win over the Titans on Sunday.

Everett matched fellow tight end Cole Kmet with a single target while Caleb Williams attempted 29 passes. Until the tight end sees a consistent increase in opportunity, his fantasy value may be minimal.

Kmet caught his only target for four yards in the Bears' 24-17 win over the Titans on Sunday.

Caleb Williams threw 25 of 29 passes to his top-four wide receivers, so there were very few targets left for other Chicago players. Also, with Kmet sharing the field with fellow tight end Gerald Everett, who also had one target, it seems unlikely that Kmet will match the 84 targets he's averaged over the last three seasons.

Sims played all seven of his snaps on special teams in the Packers' 34-29 loss to the Eagles on Friday.

Outside of situations in which the Packers want to get an extra blocker on the field, Sims will likely struggle to find a role on offense while both of Green Bay's top two tight ends, Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave, are available. Sims appeared in all 17 regular-season games as a rookie in 2023 and finished with a 4-21-1 receiving line on six targets.

Ferguson (knee) is believed to have avoided an ACL tear based on initial tests, and X-rays on his knee came back negative Sunday, but he will have an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the injury he suffered in Sunday's 33-17 win over the Browns, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Ferguson isn't out of the woods, but at least he seems to have avoided a season-ending injury to his ACL. A recovery timeline will likely be established after additional testing clarifies the nature and extent of Ferguson's injury. His next chance to take the field will be Sept. 15 against the Saints.

Smythe failed to secure any of his three targets during Sunday's 20-17 win over Jacksonville.

Smythe interestingly drew one more target than offseason addition Jonnu Smith, though the latter TE was able to secure one of those looks for seven yards. Though Smythe is the better blocker and Smith the better pass catcher, Miami seems willing to deploy both tight ends relatively interchangeably. Smythe, though, notably lacks the YAC abilities that Smith has previously demonstrated, so he'll warrant fantasy consideration only in the deepest of formats Week 2 versus Buffalo on Thursday Night Football.

Smith secured one of two targets for seven yards in the Dolphins' 20-17 win over the Jaguars on Sunday.

Smith actually had less targets than fellow TE Durham Smythe, who drew three looks from Tua Tagovailoa but wasn't able to log a single catch. Considering his YAC abilities and the two-year, $10 million contract Smith signed this offseason, he seemed a better candidate for pass-catching work than Smythe, even if both always projected to split positional reps. More productive days could still materialize for Smith, but Miami's aerial attack will always filter through top WRs Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, who each cleared 100 yards versus Jacksonville. Smith will look to make more of an impact against Buffalo on Thursday Night Football in Week 2.

Njoku (ankle) exited the locker room in a walking boot after Sunday's 33-17 loss to the Cowboys, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com, coach Kevin Stefanski said after the game that Njoku will have more testing done Monday on the ankle injury that he suffered in the second half of Sunday's season opener. Njoku didn't return to the game after going to the locker room with trainers in the third quarter. An update on his availability for Week 2 against the Jaguars should surface after Monday's tests, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Njoku is feared to have suffered a high-ankle sprain, which would likely entail a multi-week absence.

Pitts recorded three receptions on three targets for 26 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 18-10 loss to the Steelers.

The distribution of targets in Atlanta was surprising, as Ray-Ray McCloud led the team with seven looks followed by Bijan Robinson. In that context, Pitts had a decent showing that was highlighted by a 12-yard touchdown late in the first half. Pitts has never found the end zone more than three times in a season and hadn't scored earlier than Week 5 entering 2024. Despite the disappointing volume Sunday, Kirk Cousins should elevate the Falcons' offense, in turn improving Pitts' production.