NFL Player News

Wright played 34 of the Lions' 60 snaps on offense and failed to reel in his lone target in Sunday's 20-16 win over the Packers.

After Shane Zylstra scored three times in a Week 16 loss to the Panthers, Wright came through with two touchdowns in a Week 17 win over the Bears, but both tight ends came up empty in the season finale. While combining to play 56 snaps Week 18, Wright and Zylstra went without a catch, as third-stringer James Mitchell's seven-yard reception amounted to the only production from the position group. Even though his opportunities picked up following the trade of T.J. Hockenson to Minnesota in November, Wright finished the 2022 campaign with an unremarkable 18-216-4 receiving line on 24 targets over his 16 appearances. Wright is an exclusive-rights free agent this offseason and will most likely be retained, but expect the Lions to at least explore outside options at tight end this offseason rather than promising the 24-year-old the starting gig heading into 2023.

Mitchell played 10 of the Lions' 60 snaps on offense and recorded a seven-yard reception in Sunday's 20-16 win over the Packers.

Though he ranked third in snap share among Detroit tight ends in each of the final five games of the 2022 campaign, Mitchell still drew at least one target in all but one of those contests. All told, Mitchell turned in 11 receptions for 113 yards and one touchdown on 11 targets across his 14 appearances with the Lions in 2022. The 23-year-old is likely to remain in a depth role for Detroit heading into his second NFL season in 2023.

Wilcox played 27 of the Bengals' 65 snaps on offense and went without a target in Sunday's 27-16 win over the Ravens.

Hayden Hurst settled back in as Cincinnati's top tight end in his return from a three-game absence, resulting in Wilcox settling for a downturn in playing time as the No. 2 option at the position. While Hurst was sidelined, Wilcox offered only marginal fantasy value, as he cobbled together a 10-79-1 receiving line on 11 targets during that three-game stretch.

Oliver played 32 of the Ravens' 75 snaps on offense in Sunday's 27-16 loss to the Bengals and failed to corral his lone target.

Though the Ravens played the regular-season finale without top tight end Mark Andrews -- who sat out for rest purposes -- Oliver wasn't a major beneficiary. Oliver's 43 percent snap share actually took a step back from his 60 percent mark against the Steelers one week earlier, as Isaiah Likely (88 percent, 8-103-0 receiving line on 13 targets) and Charlie Kolar (44 percent, 4-49-0 on six targets) instead took advantage of Andrews' absence. Because the Ravens value Oliver's blocking skills and ability to contribute on special teams, he's still likely to be active for Sunday's rematch with the Bengals in the wild-card round.

Kolar played 33 of the Ravens' 75 snaps on offense and finished with four catches for 49 yards on six targets in Sunday's 27-16 loss to the Bengals.

After playing just two snaps in his NFL debut in the Ravens' Week 17 loss to the Bengals, Kolar was thrust into a more prominent role in the regular-season finale while top tight end Mark Andrews sat out for rest purposes. Though Isaiah Likely started and stepped in as the Ravens' top option in the passing game (eight catches for 103 yards on 13 targets), Kolar out-produced every other Baltimore pass catcher aside from receiver Sammy Watkins (two catches for 79 yards). While the rookie fourth-round pick out of Iowa State was able to end the regular season on a high note, he'll likely see a steep decline in snaps and could even be a healthy inactive for Sunday's wild-card rematch with the Bengals with Andrews set to return to the lineup.

Hooper recorded four catches on four targets for 38 yards in Saturday's 20-16 loss to the Jaguars.

Hooper tied for the third-most targets on the team and was relatively efficient with his opportunities, finishing with his highest catch and yardage totals since Week 14. While his numbers rebounded compared to his 2021 campaign with the Browns, Hooper was still in a timeshare with other tight ends on the Tennessee roster, including Chigoziem Okonkwo and Geoff Swaim. Hooper will hit free agency this offseason, and even if he returns to Tennessee, Okonkwo will likely step into a more significant role in 2023 to Hooper's detriment.

Thomas caught 21 of 30 targets for 197 yards while playing all 17 games in the 2022 season.

Thomas filled his usual blocking role while sharing the tight-end targets alongside Tommy Tremble for a second straight year. While Thomas' production over the past four seasons hasn't changed much, he notably hasn't scored since 2020. Despite the possibility of a new coaching staff and starting quarterback in 2023, it's hard to envision Thomas' value shifting significantly.

Tremble caught 19 of 32 targets for 174 yards and three touchdowns while playing all 17 games in the 2022 season.

Tremble's receiving output closely resembled that of his 2021 rookie campaign, although he totaled one more touchdown this term. In an underwhelming offense alongside fellow tight end Ian Thomas, Tremble's upside was restricted. While a potential change in the coaching staff and starting quarterback this offseason could offer Tremble a new situation in 2023, it's also possible Carolina adds a more dynamic tight end to go with Thomas and him, leaving the former third-rounder's stock in question for the time being.

Fant (knee) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Fant has had practice limitations since Week 16 prep due to a knee issue, which kept him out of Tuesday's walk-through session entirely. His return to drills one day later bodes well for his chances of suiting up in Saturday's wild-card contest at San Francisco. Thursday's injury report may clear up Fant's status, and if it does, he'll be destined to team with Colby Parkinson as one of the Seahawks' top two tight ends this weekend.

Hesse caught nine of 11 targets for 89 yards across 17 appearances during the 2022 campaign.

Hesse operated as the Falcons' No. 1 tight end, even when Kyle Pitts (knee) was healthy, but the former was nearly exclusively utilized as a blocker. The undrafted product out of Iowa will be a free agent this offseason, but given how many offensive snaps (619) he played in 2022, Hesse figures to be a likely candidate to re-sign with Atlanta this offseason.