Tag: tight end

Broncos TE Lucas Krull fined $5,083 after Panthers game

Broncos TE Lucas Krull was fined $5,083 for a blindside block against the Panthers last week.

Denver Broncos tight end Lucas Krull was fined $5,083 for unnecessary roughness against the Carolina Panthers last week, the NFL announced Saturday.

Krull’s offense was blindside block in the second quarter of a 28-14 win over the Panthers in Week 8. This marks the tight end’s first fine of the season.

Krull finished the game with two catches for 18 yards. Krull has eight receptions for 75 yards in four appearances this season.

Carolina guard Damien Lewis was also fined $11,255 for a late hit against the Broncos last week.

Earlier this season, Denver defensive lineman Malcolm Roach ($25,324), safety P.J. Locke ($27,944), defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers ($14,069), safety Brandon Jones ($11,255), outside linebacker Nik Bonitto ($8,791), fullback Mike Burton ($7,653) and center Luke Wattenberg ($5,872) also received fines from the NFL.

The money the league receives from fines is “donated to the Professional Athletes Foundation to support Legends in need and the NFL Foundation to further support the health, safety and wellness of athletes across all levels,” per the NFL.

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Chiefs rookie tight end suffered a torn ACL during Friday’s practice

Kansas City #Chiefs rookie tight end Jared Wiley suffered a torn ACL during Friday’s practice | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid addressed the media on Saturday, revealing another potential season-ending injury to a player on the roster. The latest player to go down is rookie tight end Jared Wiley, which took place during Friday’s practice.

“(Jared) Wiley at practice tore his ACL, non-contact, and it’s one of those freak things,” said Reid. “So he’ll go through that whole process. (Peyton) Hendershot will be brought up, and he’ll work in there, and he’s been taking reps, and he’s played before, so he’ll be okay.”

Peyton Hendershot, acquired from the Dallas Cowboys before the start of the season, was announced as the immediate replacement, elevated from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. During his brief career in Dallas, Hendershot had 15 receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown.

Wiley began his college career at the University of Texas in 2019 and started 12 games in his three years there, recording 19 receptions for 248 yards and three touchdowns. In the 2023 season, he had 47 receptions for 520 yards and eight touchdowns for TCU.

The 24-year-old recorded one reception for seven yards this season, spending most of his time on special teams for Kansas City.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes reacts to Jody Fortson’s injury update: ‘It’s terrible news’

Kansas City #Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes reacts to Jody Fortson’s injury update: ‘It’s terrible news’ | @EdEastonJr

The injury news continues to affect the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs, who lost veteran tight end Jody Fortson to a knee injury in Week 8. Patrick Mahomes opened up about his teammates’ contributions to the team before the injury.

“It’s extremely tough just because you know how hard he’s (Jody Fortson) worked to get back from the injuries he’s had in the past, and he’s such a good dude.” Said Mahomes. “I mean, he’ll do whatever to be on that football field. He’s one of those guys where you’re like, ‘Go block the middle linebacker,’ and he’ll block the middle linebacker. He’ll do whatever it takes to help your team win.”

The Chiefs tight end recently posted on social media that he suffered a torn ACL and meniscus against the Raiders last Sunday. With his season likely over, Mahomes expressed his sadness for his situation.

“You feel terrible. In the locker room after somewhat getting the news, you don’t know for sure, but you kind of know.” Said Mahomes. “You know how much it means for him, and it means a lot for us for him to be out there. Obviously, it’s terrible news, but at the same time, I know the human, I know the person, and I know (that) he’ll continue to fight back and give himself another opportunity to get back out on that football field.”

Fortson returned to the Chiefs after being cut by the Miami Dolphins shortly before the start of the season. He was recently elevated to the main roster and is considered a reliable red-zone target.

As other TEs step up, Greg Dulcich remains a healthy scratch

Greg Dulcich, a former third-round draft pick, has been a healthy scratch for the Broncos’ last four games.

Denver Broncos tight ends had their best game of the season last week, and a former third-round draft pick was a healthy scratch.

After dressing for the first four games of the season, Dulcich has been inactive for each of the last four games since then. Broncos coach Sean Payton was asked about Dulcich’s status earlier this week.

“He’s working,” Payton said of Dulcich on Monday. “His attitude is fantastic. He’s working his tail off. He’s doing all the things we’re asking of him. We’re just getting a little bit more right now from the others.”

If you include hybrid player Nate Adkins in the tight end category, Denver’s tight ends combined to catch seven passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday.

“I thought obviously we got good production out of the group,” Payton said. “I had never heard of this holiday ‘National Tight End Day,’ but there was some irony there. Those guys played well [Sunday].”

With Trautman and Lucas Krull producing and Adkins continuing to make an impact, Dulcich will likely remain on the bench going forward.

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Brother of Broncos’ Nate Adkins had a prophetic dream about FB/TE

“[My brother] said he had a dream that I was going to catch a touchdown today,” Broncos TE/FB Nate Adkins said after his first NFL score.

Denver Broncos fullback/tight end Nate Adkins usually has an unsung role as a blocker on offense and special teams utility player.

Adkins made a big play on Sunday, though, catching the first touchdown of his career in a 28-14 win over the Carolina Panthers. The score did not surprise Adkins’ brother, Nick.

“It was awesome,” Adkins said of his first score in the pros. “It’s actually a funny story: I was talking to my brother last night, and he said he had a dream that I was going to catch a touchdown today. So it’s pretty cool.”

Adkins finished the day with one catch for a three-yard touchdown.

Fittingly, Broncos tight ends had a big day on National Tight Ends Day. Adam Trautman led the way with four receptions for 85 yards and a score.

“I think we all had a pretty good day today,” Adkins said of the tight end room. “I think whenever the ball was in the air, everybody was just trying to go out there and make a play and it ended up being a good day for us.”

Adkins, 25, now has nine career receptions for 44 yards and one touchdown. He often flies under the radar, but Adkins was rewarded for his tireless role with a touchdown in Week 8.

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Freiermuth could breakout on MNF’s belated National Tight Ends Day

Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth will be celebrating National Tightends Day one day late, as Pittsburgh headlines Monday Night Football.

Tight ends around the league were truly celebrating their day on October 27th.  National Tight Ends Day, falling on the fourth Sunday in October, went off with a bang in Week 8.  Several elite tight end performances were showcased across the NFL, such as Tampa Bay’s Cade Otton, Kansas City’s Travis Kelce, San Francisco’s George Kittle, Arizona’s Trey McBride, and Atlanta’s Kyle Pitts, just to name a few.

Pittsburgh Steelers’ tight end Pat Freiermuth missed out on the celebration, as Pittsburgh didn’t have the opportunity to play on Sunday, and  instead host the New York Giants on Monday Night Football.

Freiermuth hasn’t had the breakout season fans were hoping for the young TE, and has only gone over 50-yards receiving twice in 2024 thus far.

Steelers QB Russell Wilson provides elite-level signal calling and could provide Friermuth an opportunity to dominate on his belated celebration of National Tight Ends day.

Will Freiermuth finally have his breakout game in 2024?  While the Giants may present a potential trap game for the Steel City, the Pittsburgh tight end could see additional targets and splash play opportunities heading into his positional unit’s belated celebration on MNF.

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Chiefs scouting report: Iowa Hawkeyes TE Luke Lachey

Could Iowa #Hawkeyes TE Luke Lachey be the heir to Travis Kelce’s throne with the Kansas City #Chiefs?

The Kansas City Chiefs could be in the market for a blocking tight end as Noah Gray steps into a larger role as a pass catcher. Adding more depth and talent to the tight end room is a reasonable next step for the Chiefs as Travis Kelce enters the twilight of his career.

Iowa Hawkeyes tight end Luke Lachey is the son of a former All-Pro left tackle. He’s put together a quality college career despite suffering a season-ending leg injury in 2023 and playing in Iowa’s archaic passing offense. Lachey’s frame is thick and has room to add more mass and round into a full-time in-line option.

Lachey releases off the line with enough speed to pull linebackers up the seam. His understanding of route concepts and leverage mimics past Hawkeye tight ends. Lachey knows how to stem his routes to manipulate defenders and create openings to break into. He finds and sits in the soft holes versus zone coverage.

Lachey lacks the speed and elusiveness to create much after the catch but moves the chains at a high rate. He’s a natural hands catcher who makes adjustments for poor throws that require him to elevate or get low. Lachey is comfortable making catches with defenders in his face because of his impressive concentration at the catch point.

Lachey blocks with a stout base and good contact balance to hold his ground against power rushes. He displaces outside linebackers with his leg drive and opens run lanes through the C-gap. Linebackers struggle to anchor against his power. Lachey projects as a mid-Day 3 prospect.

The Hawkeyes welcome Northwestern to Kinnick Stadium on October 26 at 2:30 p.m. Lachey matches up well against the Wildcats and could author his most productive game of the season.

Broncos could tight ends more involved vs. Panthers

Lucas Krull breakout game incoming? The Panthers’ defense has struggled to defend tight ends this season.

Lucas Krull has been the Denver Broncos‘ most productive tight end this season, yet his stat line is underwhelming: 6 catches for 57 yards.

Greg Dulcich (5 catches for 28 yards), a former third-round pick, has been a healthy scratch in recent weeks. Nate Adkins (four catches for 19 yards) is used more as a blocker than as a receiver. Adam Trautman is listed as the starting tight end on the depth chart, but he only has two catches for 32 yards.

Things could turn around against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The Panthers defense has allowed the 12th-most yards (366) and the most touchdowns (four) to tight ends this season.

So, can the Broncos get their tight ends more involved this week?

“It’s a great question,” coach Sean Payton said Wednesday. “I think it’s one of the quarterback’s allies because generally, you get some of these coverages that they aren’t necessarily doubling the outside, but the individual matchups are in the triangle inside with the runner and the tight end.

“There was one play where he [Bo Nix] is climbing and we just missed Lucas. We’re one play away from not having to answer that question, but it’s a good question. We’ll keep working that.”

Krull seems to be the team’s best receiving tight end, so if any of them are going to have a breakout against Carolina, he’s the top candidate.

“[We’re] just playing what the defense gives you,” Nix said when asked about Krull’s role on offense. “If they give us those opportunities, we’ll continue to take it. I thought he had a great catch down the middle of the field. We’re doing a good job of spreading the ball out throughout the offense. A lot of guys are getting touches. Some guys at times get a lot, some guys don’t get many and then the next game, it feels like it flips.

“That part is good because the defense doesn’t necessarily know who we’re targeting. Anybody’s up for the ball on any given play. All the position groups, we are going to continue to get better and work. We could have some stuff happen for us in the future.”

That diplomatic answer from Nix didn’t reveal any of the game plan going into the Panthers game, but if one of Denver’s tight ends is going to have a big game, this week’s matchup could be the stage for it.

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5 high-profile tight ends Broncos should attempt to trade for

The Broncos could use a play-making tight end, so they should target these players ahead of the NFL trade deadline.

After seven weeks of action, the Denver Broncos‘ most productive tight end has been Lucas Krull. He has a whopping six receptions for 57 yards.

Nate Adkins (four receptions for 19 yards) is more of a blocker than a receiver, Greg Dulcich (five receptions for 28 yards) has been a healthy scratch in recent weeks and Adam Trautman (two receptions for 32 yards) hasn’t been very involved in the passing game.

The Broncos could use a playmaker at tight end, somebody who would give rookie quarterback Bo Nix a reliable option in the middle of the field. With the NFL trade deadline (Nov. 5) now two weeks away, we’ve put together a quick list of five high-profile tight ends who would make sense for Denver.

1. TE Mark Andrews, Ravens: Andrews hasn’t been as involved in Baltimore’s offense this fall as he was in previous years, perhaps in part because of the emergence of Isaiah Likely. The Ravens probably aren’t very interested in moving him, but the Broncos should make a call just in case.

2. TE David Njoku, Browns: Cleveland is 1-6 and they just lost Deshaun Watson to a torn Achilles. After the Browns shipped out receiver Amari Cooper, Denver should check in on the status of Njoku.

3. TE Evan Engram, Jaguars: Jacksonville is 2-5, but Engram remains one of Trevor Lawrence’s favorite targets. It never hurts to ask, though.

4. TE Dawson Knox, Bills: Dalton Kincaid has emerged as Buffalo’s primary tight end, so the Broncos should make an offer for Knox.

5. TE Hunter Henry, Patriots: New England also has a rookie QB in Drake Maye and Henry is one of his favorite targets, but the Patriots are 1-6, so Denver should reach out about Henry’s trade status.

The NFL trade deadline is 2 p.m. MT (4 p.m. ET) on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

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Chiefs TE Travis Kelce receives praise from coaches for his blocking: ‘He’s not selfish’

Kansas City #Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce receives praise from coaches for his blocking: ‘He’s not selfish’ | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid provided an update on the team during his weekly Zoom press conference with reporters on Monday. He spoke highly of tight end Travis Kelce’s contributions as a blocker aside from being an offensive target.

“He’s (Travis Kelce) so willing to do that (block). He just wants to win, which is what he wants to do, and make sure that we’re doing well offensively,” said Reid. “He’s not selfish (in) that way; he just wants to be in there, right? He wants to be in and playing, and as a result – if you take the offensive lineman out of the picture – he’s always one of the top play-per-game guys, and that’s him, and he prepares that way during the week. He busts his tail during the week, and part of that is the run game, and he makes sure that he stays on top of that.”

Kelce hauled in four passes for 17 yards as backup tight end Noah Gray led the team with four receptions for 66 yards. The multiple-time pro bowler makes a difference in the running game as the Chiefs continue to damage on the ground with running back Kareem Hunt.