Tag: tight end

Broncos coach Vic Fangio thinks TE Noah Fant will be OK

Broncos rookie tight end Noah Fant has a foot and hip injury but should be okay, coach Vic Fangio said.

Denver Broncos rookie tight end Noah Fant suffered a foot and hip injury during Sunday’s 38-24 win over the Houston Texans but should be fine, coach Vic Fangio during his Monday press conference.

“I think he’s OK,” Fangio said. “He got stepped on and his foot got a little bruised there, which it is OK, and a little hip irritation injury. They’re still doing more tests on him but hopefully optimistic.”

Fant (6-4, 249 pounds) was selected by Denver in the first round of April’s draft out of Iowa. Before leaving Sunday’s game with his foot injury, Fant caught four passes for 113 yards and a touchdown.

With Fant sidelined, the Broncos are down to just Jeff Heuerman and Troy Fumagalli at tight end. Fullback Andrew Beck can also play tight end as needed. Heuerman and Fumagallo have both caught one touchdown pass this year. Beck has just four total catches all season.

Fant has now caught 35 passes for 492 yards and three touchdowns this year. In terms of receiving yards, Fant has been the best rookie tight end in the NFL this season. He’s averaging 14.1 yards per reception.

Denver will have off Monday and Tuesday before returning to practice Wednesday. The Broncos will release a mid-week injury report on Wednesday that will provide more clarity on Fant’s status.

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Seahawks tight end Jacob Hollister valued for his football instincts

Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer praised tight end Jacob Hollister and his play after Will Dissly’s injury.

Seattle Seahawks tight end Jacob Hollister has been a surprising revelation for the team and a key offensive weapon for Russell Wilson this season, recording 25 receptions for 203 receiving yards and three touchdowns since being thrust into action in Week 7.

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said he did not expect Hollister to make such significant contributions to the team so quickly.

“I really liked Jake as a player when I first saw him and he had a great spring,” Schottenheimer said after practice on Thursday. “But, when you’re running around in t-shirts and shorts, it’s a little different than when you’re out there with pads on and you’re playing real football.”

When star tight end Will Dissly suffered a season-ending Achilles tear in Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns, the Seahawks’ unit at the position was thoroughly depleted. Ed Dickson being placed on injured reserve only reinforced that narrative. However, Hollister eventually embraced his role as the next man up and began to develop chemistry with Wilson. This led to a notable game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in which he recorded four catches for 37 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime.

“I think Tampa’s kind of where things swung for him – a couple big plays, big touchdowns, you get noticed a little bit more,” Schottenheimer said. “What you guys see on the little glimpses in practice, we see it all the time. Just very reliable, always in the right spot, great football instincts. Not good, great football instincts.”

Hollister will continue to be counted on as a major cog in the Seahawks offense throughout the final four games of the 2019 season. Seattle will undoubtedly need more production from him with the injuries at the tight end position.

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Texans-Broncos Thursday injury report: Jordan Akins limited with a knee injury

The Houston Texans released their Thursday injury report ahead of their Week 14 matchup with the Denver Broncos, and TE Jordan Akins was limited.

The Houston Texans announced their Thursday injury report ahead of their Week 14 matchup with the Denver Broncos Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT at NRG Stadium.

There was one change from the injury report from Wednesday, and that was second-year tight end Jordan Akins ending up in the limited participation portion of the report. Apparently, the third-round pick from Central Florida is dealing with a knee injury.

Did not participate

RB Taiwan Jones (hamstring)

Limited participation
TE Jordan Akins Knee
CB Gareon Conley Hip
WR Will Fuller Hamstring
CB Bradley Roby Hamstring/Toe
OLB Brennan Scarlett Shoulder
DE Carlos Watkins Hamstring
Full participation

DE Angelo Blackson (shoulder)

For more information the Broncos’ injury report, check out the Broncos Wire.

Is TE Darren Fells making Texans QB Deshaun Watson’s job easier?

Houston Texans tight end Darren Fells makes life easier for quarterback Deshaun Watson. The stats are all the proof you need.

When the Houston Texans signed tight end Darren Fells in free agency, expectations high. A 33-year-old former overseas basketball player turned blocking specialist, the addition of Fells was regarded as one that solidified the backend of the depth chart.

Fells has blown those measly expectations out of the water. Though 13 weeks, he leads the NFL in receiving touchdowns at the position, while also tallying 28 receptions for 310 yards. His seven touchdowns are the most in a single-season in Texans franchise history.

He makes life as a quarterback for Deshaun Watson easier.

“It makes my job a lot easier. He’s a guy, basketball guy, big hands, and just a guy that’s been working his tail off ever since he got here,” Watson told reporters Wednesday. “He’s a great teammate, great person and he just loves to work, he loves to win, he loves to have fun and just hearing his story and where he comes from and the way he got here, it’s very special.”

Fells’ nine red zone receptions lead the NFL at the position, per Player Profiler. When targeted, he spawns a 134.6 passer rating, fifth in the NFL. Seemingly, he fits as an ideal target for a Texans offense that has favored finding tight ends on a power-RPO/play-action set of plays.

“You can tell that’s why he’s having a great year because he stuck through it, he kept working and he has that faith that he’s going to continue to improve and strive to get better,” said Watson.

On Sunday, Fells will face a Denver Broncos defense that sits at 19th in tight end yards allowed (600). He is two yards away from surpassing his career-high in receiving yards for a season; 311, set in 2015 with the Arizona Cardinals.

Considering the trust Watson has in Fells, the journeyman tight end is well on his way to accomplishing that feat.

Texans didn’t know what they had in TE Darren Fells until training camp

The Houston Texans weren’t sure what tight end Darren Fells would bring to the team until training camp.

Houston Texans tight end Darren Fells set a new single-season franchise record for touchdown catches with seven when he hauled in a 13-yard score in the club’s 28-22 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football.

According to coach Bill O’Brien on Monday, the team didn’t really know what they had with Fells during the offseason workouts. Given organized team activities in May and early June are nothing more than basketball on grass, the picture on what Fells could bring didn’t materialize until training camp.

“I think that once we got to training camp and we put the pads on, we really could see what he could do,” O’Brien said. “He was a good blocker, he was very smart and a really good guy.”

Fells has caught 28 passes for 310 yards and seven touchdowns. All but the receiving yards are new career highs for the 6-7, 270-pound target, who has also been as impactful in the locker room and the tight end group as he has been on the gridiron.

Said O’Brien: “Really mature guy, a guy that has been great in the room. Got a lot of younger players in that room and he’s meant a lot to our team.”

At 33 years old, there may not be many more banner years for Fells. However, he has made the most of his opportunities with his fifth team since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2013.

Irish in the NFL: Kyle Rudolph Finds the End Zone. Again.

After failing to find the end zone the first six weeks of the season, Rudolph has now done so six times in the six games since.

For the sixth time in the last six games, Minnesota Vikings tight end and Notre Dame product Kyle Rudolph found the end zone, cutting the Seahawks lead on Monday Night Football to just four.

Like we’ve seen from Rudolph time and time again, it was a one-handed snag that wound up a score.

It’s starting to feel like a weekend tradition here on Fighting Irish Wire, recapping Rudolph’s score.

After failing to find the end zone the first six weeks of the season, Rudolph has now done so six times in the six games since.

Rudolph’s catch and score wasn’t enough however as the Vikings fell to Seattle, 37-30 and to 8-4 on the season.

WATCH: TE Darren Fells extends Texans’ lead over the Patriots

Houston Texans TE Darren Fells caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from QB Deshaun Watson to extend their lead over the New England Patriots.

Tight end Darren Fells has been one of the best free agent additions for the Houston Texans, and he showed it again Sunday night against the New England Patriots in the second quarter.

Fells caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Deshaun Watson. After a Ka’imi Fairbairn extra point, the Texans took a 14-3 lead over the 10-1 Patriots, the cream of the AFC.

The touchdown catch is the seventh of the season for Fells, extending his new single-season high.

Don’t count Seahawks tight end Luke Willson out against the Vikings

Tight end Luke Willson hasn’t suited up for the Seattle Seahawks in several weeks, but he could be available against the Vikings Week 13.

A hamstring injury has sidelined tight end Luke Willson for a number of weeks, but that might be coming to an end shortly. The Seattle Seahawks and coach Pete Carroll will welcome the tight end depth.

The entire time Willson has been out of the competition, coach Carroll’s message has continued to be the same . . . always some form of “never count Willson out from returning.”

That is a testament to the toughness of Willson, which is something he showed during the Week 9 win against the Buccaneers when he played hurt.

Approaching Week 13 against the Vikings, Willson is going to do everything he can to get back on the field.

“He’s going to try to prove that he can play this week, so we’ll see how that goes,” Carroll said Wednesday. “Trainers are trying to hold him back from going too far too soon. That’s how Luke does it. Luke has been remarkable over the years. I wouldn’t count him out.”

There it is again. Don’t count Willson out.

Willson isn’t a big part of the offense in terms of targets, but what he does provide is a consistent blocking presence from the position. And, as coach Carroll makes apparent, toughness.

If it were up to him, Willson would’ve already returned from injury. Since it’s not, each week is a guessing game. As it seems, the return just might be coming on Monday against the Vikings.

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Jacob Hollister continues to be a great pickup for Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll is thrilled with the performance of young tight end Jacob Hollister so far this season.

The Seattle Seahawks have had a healthy 2019 season across the board, with one glaring exception: the tight end position.

Season ending injuries to both Will Dissly and Ed Dickson, the latter just days after he was designated to return from the injured reserve, as well as veteran Luke Willson’s recent hamstring injury have left the Seahawks with few options.

Jacob Hollister, who began the year on the practice squad, has been forced to step into the leading role at that spot over the last month or so.

Hollister has not only filled in the usual run-blocking duties of a Seattle tight end, he has also established himself as a reliable pass-catcher and playmaker for Russell Wilson and the rest of this Seattle offense.

“Jake’s been a stud,” coach Pete Carroll commented on Monday. “He’s taken a lot of hits, he’s delivered a lot of them, man he’s playing good ball. He’s just doing such a good job. I’m so fired up for Jake. Talk about a great pickup. There’s a great pickup for us you know. He’s coming through for us in a big way. Still contributing in a big way on special teams too. I’m really excited about that.”

Hollister had two catches for 22 yards on Sunday against the Eagles, but if it weren’t for a shockingly misplaced throw from Wilson, a wide open Hollister would have easily hauled in his fourth touchdown in the last three games.

The Seahawks are hoping to get Willson back shortly, but fans can bet that Hollister will remain a crucial part of this team’s offense over the last five games of the regular season.

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Jets sign TE Ryan Griffin to three-year contract extension

Ryan Griffin’s enjoyed a mini-breakout season with the Jets and will in the team’s future moving forward.

Ryan Griffin is officially part of the Jets’ plans for the future.

New York has inked the tight end a three-year extension that can earn him up to $10.8 million with “reachable incentives,” according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. The deal also reportedly includes $4 million in guaranteed money.

After the NFL suspended Chris Herndon for the first four games of the season, the Jets scooped up Griffin two months after the Texans released him. Not much of him was expected when New York signed him to a one-year, $1.2 million contract other than as a stop-gap until Herndon returns, but the veteran tight end has proven to be a solid contributor on the offense with Herndon now out for the season due to injury.

Griffin leads the Jets with four receiving touchdowns and has also caught 25 passes for 225 yards. He has been one of New York’s most reliable receivers with an 83.3 catch percentage, helping him earn the moniker “sticky hands” after recording five receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown against the Redskins in Week 11.

With Griffin, Herndon and rookie Trevon Wesco manning the position, the Jets have locked up their tight end group for the foreseeable future.