NFL Player News
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Shane Zylstra TE | DET
Lions' Shane Zylstra: Practice window opens
Zylstra (ankle) was designated to return from the injured reserve list Monday, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.
The Minnesota State product has missed the Lions' last 10 games after sustaining an ankle injury in the Week 2 win over the Bears. Detroit now has 21 days to add Zylstra to its active roster before he reverts to IR. Once fully healthy, Zylstra is expected to play a depth role in the Lions' tight-end corps.
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Pat Freiermuth TE | PIT
Steelers' Pat Freiermuth: Not targeted against Buffalo
Freiermuth wasn't targeted during Sunday's 26-7 loss to Buffalo.
Freiermuth played just 40 percent of the team's offensive snaps Sunday, which ranked third among the team's tight ends. Although he had recorded double-digit receiving yards in each of his last seven appearances, he was held without a target for just the second time this season in Sunday's Week 13 loss. Across 12 games this season, Freiermuth has secured 26 of 32 targets for 298 yards and four touchdowns.
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John Bates TE | WAS
Commanders' John Bates: Two catches vs. Denver
Bates caught both of his targets for nine yards in Sunday night's 27-26 overtime loss to the Broncos.
Even with Zach Ertz's monster performance (10-106-0), Bates was still involved in the Commanders' passing attack during Sunday night's loss. The Boise State product has appeared in 10 games this season, catching eight of 12 targets for 71 yards. He's likely to remain a minimal component of Washington's offensive game plan in the Week 14 matchup against the Vikings.
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Jonnu Smith TE | PIT
Steelers' Jonnu Smith: Logs six receiving yards in loss
Smith secured one of two targets for six yards during Sunday's 23-7 loss to the Bills.
Smith was on the field for 53 percent of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps Sunday, which ranked second among the team's tight ends, as Darnell Washington played 79 percent, while Pat Freiermuth played 40 percent. However, Smith's work in the passing game remained limited, and he's now secured five of nine targets for just 31 yards while rushing twice for seven yards across his last four appearances.
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Elijah Higgins TE | ARI
Cardinals' Elijah Higgins: Logs 17 yards in loss
Higgins caught both of his targets for 17 yards in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Buccaneers.
Higgins recorded the sixth-most receiving yards on the Cardinals during Sunday's loss after going without a target in the Week 12 loss to the Jaguars. The third-year pro from Stanford has now caught 18 of 22 targets for 179 yards through Arizona's first 12 games this season, and he's likely to remain a minimal portion of the team's passing attack in the Week 14 matchup against the Rams.
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Cade Stover TE | HOU
Texans' Cade Stover: Adds new wrinkle in win
Stover caught both of his targets for 16 yards and had four carries for three yards in Sunday's 20-16 win over the Colts in Week 13.
In addition to Stover's day job as the backup tight end to Dalton Schultz, the Texans gave him a side hustle as a short-yardage specialist in the running attack. All four of his carries were on 3rd- or 4th-and-one situations, including three inside the red zone. The first two worked, but Indianapolis stopped Stover on successive tries in the fourth quarter. It was a curious decision by the coaching staff to run Stover on 4th-and-one at the Colts' 17-yard line after it didn't work on third down. At the time, Houston was leading, 20-16, and the turnover on downs left the Texans vulnerable to a loss had Indianapolis been able to drive for a touchdown. That Houston added this package for Stover and used it in the red zone slightly enhances the backup tight end's value heading into a Week 14 trip to Kansas City.
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Darnell Washington TE | PIT
Steelers' Darnell Washington: Records 45 yards
Washington recorded two receptions on four targets for 45 yards in Sunday's 26-7 loss to the Bills.
Washington's modest performance was good enough to lead the Steelers in receiving yards, and he finished tied for second on the team in targets. Those thresholds were more indicative of the poor offensive showing for the Steelers, though Washington continues to gain more of a role as a receiver. He has at least four targets in three of his last five games -- logging at least 40 receiving yards in all three -- after hitting that mark only twice in his first eight contests.
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Evan Engram TE | DEN
Broncos' Evan Engram: Leading receiver on SNF
Engram brought in six of nine targets for 79 yards in Sunday's 27-26 overtime win over the Commanders.
Engram made his mark in the extra period when he ripped off a 41-yard gain that helped set up the game-winning score from teammate RJ Harvey. The 79 yards represented a new single-game high from the veteran tight end through 11 appearances with Denver in 2025. Had this game ended in regulation, Engram would have finished with a stat line closer to the 3.2 receptions and 26.0 yards he averaged heading into Sunday Night Football. Fantasy managers should not overreact to this standout performance and continue to treat Engram as a deep-league option for next Sunday's tilt against Las Vegas.
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Zach Ertz TE | WAS
Commanders' Zach Ertz: Turns in vintage performance
Ertz recorded 10 receptions on 13 targets for 106 yards in Sunday's 27-26 overtime loss to the Broncos.
Ertz has enjoyed increased production with Marcus Mariota under center, and he led the Commanders in both receptions and yards. In contrast to past weeks, he was used both deep down the field and in short areas, logging long receptions of 21 and 18 yards to help him top 100 receiving yards for the first time since Week 9 of the 2019 campaign. Ertz now has at least four receptions in five consecutive games. While he could be in for a downturn in opportunity moving forward due to the return of Terry McLaurin, Ertz was prioritized ahead of Deebo Samuel for targets in Sunday's loss.
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Chigoziem Okonkwo TE | TEN
Titans' Chig Okonkwo: Leads team in yardage
Okonkwo recorded four receptions on five targets for 29 yards in Sunday's 25-3 loss to the Jaguars.
Okonkwo has been out-targeted by rookie tight end Gunnar Helm for the last two weeks, but he's still maintained a key role in the Tennessee offense. Okonkwo led the Titans in receiving yards -- albeit with a modest total -- thanks to a pair of catches on Tennessee's opening drive that went for a combined 22 yards. He now has at least three receptions in three straight games since the team's bye, topping 40 yards on two occasions in that span.