NFL Player News

Otton secured five of eight targets for 65 yards and a touchdown in the Buccaneers' 31-23 divisional-round loss to the Lions on Sunday.

On the heels of a career-best showing in the wild-card win over the Eagles, Otton put together a solid encore Sunday that included the Buccaneers' second-most receptions and receiving yards on the afternoon. The second-year tight end also tied for second in targets and hauled in a two-yard scoring grab just before halftime for his first career postseason touchdown. Otton, who'll head into the third year of his rookie contract in 2024, put together a relatively ordinary 47-455-4 line across 17 regular-season games; however, his combined 13-154-1 tally in two playoff games serves as proof he's capable of functioning as more than just a short-area, complementary option in the team's passing game.

LaPorta caught nine of 11 targets for 65 yards in Sunday's 31-23 divisional-round win over the Buccaneers.

He led the Lions in catches and finished second to Amon-Ra St. Brown in targets and receiving yards -- another remarkable performance for LaPorta as he plays through a bone bruise in his left knee that he picked up in Week 18. The nine catches tied his personal best, continuing an incredible campaign that saw LaPorta set an NFL record for a rookie tight end with 86 catches during the regular season. Detroit will likely take it very easy on him again in practice this week as the team gears up for an NFC Championship Game clash with the 49ers.

Wright has a forearm injury and is questionable to return to Sunday's divisional-round playoff game against the Buccaneers.

The second-string tight end caught one pass for 29 yards before exiting. Wright had 13 catches for 91 yards and a touchdown in the regular season. Anthony Firkser should take his place behind starter Sam LaPorta.

Henry (knee) finished the 2023 regular-season with 42 catches on 61 targets for 419 yards and six TDs in 14 games.

A knee issue sidelined Henry for the Patriots' final three contests, with the tight end ultimately having been placed on IR ahead of Week 18 action. With the three-year, $37.5 million contract that the 29-year-old signed with the team back in March of 2021 now having been completed, Henry is eligible to become a an unrestricted free agent this offseason. While there figures to be plenty of roster turnover in New England during the coming months following a 4-13 campaign, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site suggests that Henry could end up being a priority re-signing, especially if the franchise turns over the reins to a new young signal-caller, a context in which rostering a player (like Henry) who can be a reliable security blanket between the numbers and in the red zone would be valuable.

LaPorta (knee) is listed as active for Sunday's divisional-round playoff game against the Buccaneers.

After being listed as a full participant in Wednesday's walk-through, LaPorta was deemed limited Thursday and Friday before heading into the weekend listed as questionable, as he was ahead of last Sunday's 24-23 wild-card win over the Rams. In that contest, LaPorta was able to play through a hyperextension and bone bruise in his left knee, en route to logging an 80 percent snap share and catching all three of his targets for 14 yards and a touchdown. With his active status versus Tampa Bay confirmed, the 2023 second-rounder will continue to work through his knee issue, and barring any in-game setbacks, LaPorta will remain a key option in Detroit's passing game for QB Jared Goff.

Parkinson finished the 2023 season with 25 receptions for 247 yards and two touchdowns through 17 games.

Parkinson ended up playing more snaps than Will Dissly but fewer than Noah Fant (hand) as the team's No. 2 tight end, averaging 27.6 offensive snaps per game. Both Parkinson and Fant will be free agents in March, while Dissly is signed for the 2024 season, albeit with an unfavorable $10.1 million cap hit. This was Parkinson's second straight season with 25 receptions, so he'll likely be an affordable option if the Seahawks choose to keep him around.

Kraft recorded three receptions on six targets for nine yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 24-21 loss to the 49ers.

It was a perplexing stat line for Kraft, as he tied for the team lead with six targets and also caught a pivotal two-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter. However, he managed an abysmal 1.5 yards per target and his longest gain of the day went for only seven yards. Kraft emerged as a key piece of the Packers' offense in the second half of the season due to Luke Musgrave being sidelined by a kidney injury, and the former recorded multiple receptions in each of his last 10 contests. He and Musgrave will likely continue to split targets in 2024 and beyond, as both tight ends will be entering their second season in the NFL.

Kittle secured four of seven targets for 81 yards and a touchdown in the 49ers' 24-21 divisional-round win over the Packers on Saturday night.

Kittle gave the 49ers a jump-start by erasing an early 3-0 deficit with a 32-yard touchdown reception just before the midway point of the second quarter, a grab that featured some of the talented tight end's run-after-catch prowess. Kittle continued to make valuable contributions throughout the rest the night as San Francisco navigated the absence of Deebo Samuel (shoulder) after his first-half exit. Kittle, whose yardage total Saturday was a team-high figure, projects for another prominent role in an NFC Championship Game matchup against the Buccaneers or Lions on Sunday, Jan. 28.

Likely recorded two receptions on three targets for 34 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 34-10 win over the Texans.

The Ravens passed the ball only 22 times, limiting the volume for pass catchers in the offense. Despite having relatively few opportunities to impact the game, Likely accounted for the team's third-longest play from scrimmage with a 19-yard catch in the third quarter and subsequently caught a 15-yard touchdown in the final quarter of the contest. With the performance, he now has six touchdowns in his last six games. Even if Mark Andrews (ankle) returns, Likely shouldn't completely disappear from the offense in the AFC Championship Game against either the Bills or Chiefs.

Schultz recorded five receptions on seven targets for 43 yards in Saturday's 34-10 loss to the Ravens.

Schultz finished second on the team in targets and delivered a few big plays, most notably a 21-yard catch late in the first quarter to set up a field goal. Earlier in the same drive, he dropped a pass -- his second in as many games this postseason. Despite some inconsistency on a game-to-game basis, Schultz remains a steady contributor overall, as he has topped 55 receptions in four consecutive seasons while reaching 600 receiving yards in three of those four campaigns. He'll enter free agency this offseason after one year with the Texans, and he should have a significant role wherever he lands.