TE · FA · 35 yrs · exp 13 · Stanford
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Latest: Jul 24, 2026 · 1,029
Stories linked to this player — newest first.
The author identifies Ben Sinnott and Johnny Newton as potential breakout players for the 2026 Commanders. Sinnott, a tight end, is expected to see increased usage and production in the new David Blough offense, leveraging his abilities after the catch. Newton, a defensive player, is highlighted for his disruptive potential based on his college performance
Drops: Zach Ertz
Zach Ertz said in April that he does not want last season’s torn ACL to be the final act of his NFL career and said he has “eyes wide open” to the need to show he’s healthy in order to find a place to play in 2026. Ertz gave an update on his health during an appearance on the New Heights podcast this week. Ertz was injured in Week 14 and said the process of getting back to full strength is ongoing. “We’re in a good spot. We’re like five, almost six months now from surgery ,” Ertz said. “Just training every day, doing everything I can to get back to where I was. It’s a long process. There’s some long days, there’s some long weeks, some long months . . . it’s tough, but we’re just trying to stack these days right now.” Ertz had 50 catches for 504 yards and four touchdowns for the Commanders last season and teams will likely start looking into how close he is to that form a bit later this summer
For years, Jim Harbaugh’s preferred brand of football felt almost old-fashioned. While much of the NFL chased lighter personnel groupings, spread formations and smaller, faster defenses, Harbaugh continued to build offenses around physicality, versatility and tight ends. Now, the rest of the league appears to be catching up. One of the more intriguing observations from Albert Breer’s latest offseason notebook centered on the Chargers’ revamped tight end room. Breer suggested Los Angeles ’ overhaul at the position could end up being one of the most important developments of the offseason — and it speaks to something much larger than a player or position group. The Chargers finally are becoming a complete reflection of Harbaugh’s football identity. You can see it throughout the roster. There’s first-round running back Omarion Hampton , a physical downhill runner capable of carrying a heavy workload. There are massive offensive tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater . The defense is built around rugged edge players including Khalil Mack , Tuli Tuipulotu and Akheem Mesidor . And then there are the tight ends. Breer highlighted the additions of Charlie Kolar and David Njoku alongside second-year hybrid weapon Oronde Gadsden II. Kolar arrives from the Ravens as one of the league’s better blocking tight ends and gives the Chargers a true in-line presence. Njoku can align all over the formation, creating matchup problems while allowing offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel greater flexibility in how he deploys personnel. That flexibility has always been central to Harbaugh’s offenses. At Stanford, tight ends were featured weapons. Future NFL players Coby Fleener , Zach Ertz , Levine Toilolo and Jim Dray all flourished under Harbaugh. At Michigan, Jake Butt became a Mackey Award winner, while Colston Loveland developed into one of the nation’s premier tight ends. Harbaugh’s offenses consistently treated the position as more than an extra blocker. Tight ends were foundational pieces capable of influencing the run game and passing attack. What’s changed is that the NFL is beginning to value those players similarly. League-wide usage of 12 personnel — one running back and two tight ends — has climbed from 17.3% of offensive plays in 2022 to more than 22% in 2025. Even more dramatically, 13 personnel packages featuring three tight ends exploded last season, increasing nearly 50% from the previous year. The catalyst may have been right up the 405. Sean McVay’s Rams shocked the league by leaning heavily into 13 personnel during the second half of the 2025 season. The results were devastating. Matthew Stafford threw 22 touchdowns and zero interceptions from those looks, forcing defenses to choose between matching size against the run or risking favorable passing matchups. This created a catch-22 for most teams. The Rams also generated positive expected points added (EPA) on more than 50% of their rushing attempts in 2025, becoming just the second team since Pro Football Focus began tracking the metric in 2006 to reach that mark. The copycat effect was immediate. Twenty-two tight ends were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, the most since 2002. That’s where McDaniel’s arrival becomes particularly fascinating. McDaniel’s offenses in Miami weren’t rigidly built around tight ends, but they were remarkably adaptable. When the personnel justified it, the Dolphins became one of the NFL’s most efficient teams targeting the position, consistently ranking in the top 10 of the league in EPA per play. That marriage between Harbaugh and McDaniel could be exactly what makes the Chargers dangerous. Harbaugh provides the blueprint. McDaniel supplies the creativity. Together, they have assembled a roster capable of playing multiple styles without substituting personnel. They can line up in traditional formations and run power football. They can spread out defenses. They can force opponents into uncomfortable personnel decisions before the ball is [... truncated ...]
Tight end Chig Okonkwo signed with the Commanders after posting 162 catches for the Titans the last three seasons and he believes the move is going to be a fruitful one for him. While Okonkwo was productive in Tennessee, he’s already found “so many more opportunities I’ve had to just run different things” since joining the Commanders and thinks that the offense being put together by offensive coordinator David Blough will allow him to showcase “my true talents and abilities.” “I feel like this is the place where I can finally just unleash ,” Okonkwo said, via the team’s website. Jayden Daniels made frequent use of Zach Ertz as a target during the 2024 season, so he’s no stranger to throwing to tight ends and it sounds like the expectation in Washington will be for more of the same despite the change in play callers since the end of the 2025 campaign
Eagles 2026 most important list: Eli Stowers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia Over the next few weeks leading up to training camp, we’ll be counting down the top 25 most important Eagles for the 2026 season. 25. Eli Stowers When Howie Roseman made the phone call the night the Eagles drafted Eli Stowers, he gave the young tight end a bit of a history lesson. He mentioned the Eagles’ track record of drafting tight ends in the second round. The last two tight ends the Eagles drafted in the second round? Dallas Goedert in 2018 and Zach Ertz in 2013. Both ended up being great. The Eagles are hoping Stowers continues that trend. Stowers, 23, began his college career as a quarterback at Texas A&M but suffered a torn labrum in College Station and his arm was never the same after surgery. He lost a quarterback battle in 2023 and began his transition to becoming a tight end. He became a full-time tight end for the first time in 2024. So there’s a bit of a learning curve in a couple of ways for Stowers. Not only is he still relatively new at the position, but now he’s making the jump from Vanderbilt to the NFL. “I think for any player, regardless of position, there’s always an adjustment anytime you’re moving from the collegiate level up to the NFL,” Eagles tight ends coach Ryan Mahaffey said this spring. “What I’ve really enjoyed about Eli is he’s really smart. He has a willingness to go out there and accept any challenge that you give him. He’s done a really good job of just applying himself daily, getting to know his teammates, going out there and really digging into the details of the offense. And the thing that just stood out to me about Eli is very intelligent and that he’s got a thirst to be better. He’s attacking that daily.” While Stowers is new to the position, his background at quarterback has helped him understand the tight end position through an unusual lens. That has helped. And it’s not like Stowers didn’t have a great 2025 season. Last year, he caught 62 passes for 769 yards and 4 touchdowns for Vanderbilt and ended up being the second tight end selected in the draft at No. 54 overall after just Kenyon Sadiq , who was drafted in the first round (No. 16 overall). “He has this ability to change direction and to accelerate and to catch the ball consistently,” head coach Nick Sirianni said this spring. “That’s unusual for that position. He has an unusual skillset at the tight end position with the matchups that he is going to be getting on safeties, linebackers. He’s fast, he’s quick, he can catch the ball well, and he’s still growing and learning in the position because there’s still some newness to him playing that position. I think that he shows power as far as his abilities to being able to block. Obviously, we don’t have pads on yet, so there’s some unknown, but you can feel some of the power when he’s hitting the bags and hitting the guy across from him in an individual setting. I think that you can see that he has that power and it’s very noticeable with his jumps, like his broad jump, his vertical jump. “He has explosive power in his body and it’s just about being able to go through those reps of getting better blocking, but we think he has that in his body with that, but he hasn’t had to do it much and he’s relatively new to the position. So, really excited about him and I think he’s [an] extremely, extremely intelligent football player. You can see his quarterback background. You feel his quarterback background with some of the instincts that he has on the field and also how he is in the meeting room and how he picks things up. Extremely excited about him.” So what will Stowers’ role be in 2026 as a rookie? Well, the Eagles did bring back Dallas Goedert on a one-year, $7 million deal and he’s going to be there TE1 this season. They also added blocking tight end Johnny Mundt and have a few other players competing for roster spots. Stowers could contribute right away but likely only as a p [... truncated ...]
It’s been over a week since New England Patriots tight end Julian Hill was placed on season-ending injured reserve just months after signing a three-year deal with the Patriots to pair up with veteran Hunter Henry . Now, New England may need to address the tight end room as the offseason continues, adding another body to the mix. “I think just from a numbers standpoint in camp, I think that’s somewhere we’ll probably have to evaluate the numbers,” head coach Mike Vrabel said before Wednesday’s mandatory minicamp practice . “There’s 90 guys, 91 guys on every team. So, we’ll just have to take a look at that, but I would say that’s probably somewhere where we would have to address.” However, a thin group of free agents remains at the position, including former Patriots tight end Jonnu Smith and recovering veterans Taysom Hill and Zach Ertz . Otherwise, New England would be picking from an already poached undrafted free agent class. Currently, the Patriots have just five rostered tight ends : Henry, hybrid tight end and fullback Jack Westover, who primarily played in the backfield last season, rookie Eli Raridon, 2025 undrafted free agent CJ Dippre and undrafted free agent Tanner Arkin, from Illinois. New England spent a third-round pick in the NFL Draft this offseason to select Raridon. At Notre Dame, the 22-year-old has 48 career receptions for the Fighting Irish, with 32 coming his senior season. Raridon could take on a larger role quickly this offseason to help replace Hill’s role in 2026. “Willing, conscientious, wants to learn,” Vrabel said of Raridon’s progress. “I think there’s a lot of new things that come in from college, and terminology is different, and there’s a lot of things that are new to him, but I would say that he picks things up quickly. When he’s able to play with the speed that he has available to him, that’s kind of shown up.” “With a lot of these young guys, just the terminology, the routes, the coverage, just try to eliminate [the thinking] and allow them to play as fast as possible. In the spring, it’s like, ‘Hey, let’s try to play out of control. Let’s play too fast.’ If you make a mistake, that’s fine, but we’ve got to start training that play speed.” Raridon largely spent his first two years at Notre Dame on the sidelines, nursing two right knee injuries, and had previously torn the same ACL twice. Still, he’s an intriguing prospect for the Patriots due to his ability to be a consistent pass-catcher for quarterback Drake Maye and be a vertical threat. “Eli’s doing a good job,” Hunter Henry said on Tuesday. “I know it’s a lot coming in the league, trying to blend in with older guys, younger guys. The pressure of it, obviously getting drafted. A lot of us have been through it, and I’ve been through it myself. He’s been a sponge, trying to soak up as much as he can in the room, asking questions. He’s getting better day by day, and I’m excited to continue to work with him.” Henry also mentioned Arkin as a young player who’s trying to learn and make the most of his opportunities. “Tanner’s been great,” Henry said. “When he gets his opportunities, he’s taking advantage of it. That’s all you can ask for as a young guy. He’s continued to get better. It’s the same thing: as a rookie, as a young guy, you kind of have to be a sponge, trying to soak up as much as you can, trying to ask questions when you can. But just try to watch and follow and learn as much as you can from just us in the room, [and] some of the other positions.”
Editor’s note: We’ll count down the top 10 Commanders players on the 2026 roster regardless of position sporadically over the next few weeks. Before we get to it, here’s how we arrived at the ranking: Our Scott Bair, Scott Jennings and Mark Tyler compiled a top 13 – no ranking was identical — with points assigned to each ranking slot from all three lists. We used these point values to form a consensus top 10 ranking. We’ll write a story on each member of the top 10 and another on others receiving votes at the end. Plus, Mark will probably have a Tyler’s Take with his thoughts. You’ll surely object to some of these rankings, though debate is kind of the point with lists like this. Today we focus on No. 9: The Commanders invested heavily in their defense this offseason, but they also added a few weapons on offense for Jayden Daniels to work with. Former Titans TE Chig Okonkwo was one of Washington ’s free agent additions that is expected to play a big role on the team this season, and beyond. Chig has played at least 60% of the offensive snaps and started at least 11 games each of the last three seasons. General manager Adam Peters signed him to a three-year deal worth up to $30 million . This ranking was consistent, with everyone having Chig at the bottom of the Top 10. He joins a team that had Zach Ertz as the No. 1 tight end for the past two seasons, until he tore his ACL last year. Okonkwo is going to get a lot of targets in this offense, with John Bates , Ben Sinnott , and Colson Yankoff behind him on the depth chart. There are also question marks at wide receiver behind Terry McLaurin , and Okonkwo should benefit as a reliable target for Jayden Daniels. The Tennessee Titans took Chig Okonkwo in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft . He had at least 450 receiving yards in each of his four seasons in Tennessee, but he only averaged two touchdowns per season. Okonkwo has great after the catch ability, and despite his smaller size, can truck some defensive backs or make them miss in the open field. Chig moves the chains, with 90 of his 196 receptions resulting in a first down. Receiving Rushing Scrimmage 23 TEN NFL TE 17 8 46 32 450 14.1 3 22 50.0 48 1.9 26.5 69.6 9.8 3 2 0 0 0.0 6 0.7 0.1 0.2 35 12.9 452 3 0 4 24 TEN NFL TE 17 11 77 54 528 9.8 1 25 48.1 39 3.2 31.1 70.1 6.9 2 6 0 1 50.0 4 3.0 0.4 0.1 56 9.5 534 1 0 5 25 TEN NFL TE 17 11 70 52 479 9.2 2 19 55.7 70 3.1 28.2 74.3 6.8 1 17 0 1 100.0 17 17.0 1.0 0.1 53 9.4 496 2 2 4 26 TEN NFL TE 17 12 79 56 560 10.0 2 24 45.6 43 3.3 32.9 70.9 7.1 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 56 10.0 560 2 0 4 Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com : View Original Table Generated 6/7/2026. The Washington Commanders hit the reset button on offense and defense after last season, moving on from both of their coordinators, along with other changes to the coaching staff. Those changes move down to the players as the coaches start to tailor the roster to their new visions for the team. David Blough took over the offense for former OC Kliff Kingsbury, and Chig Okonkwo was the first offensive free agent the Commanders signed this year. He was a player a lot of fans had zeroed in on for Washington, and was a player seen as a solid fit. Chig has already talked about the amount of space Blough’s offense gives a player like him, and he’s excited for the opportunity to work with quarterback Jayden Daniels. The Commanders obviously have big plans for Okonkwo, as they install a new offense with a new coach that they think can get them to the next level. Okonkwo should play a big part in that, with real potential to have a career year in Washington
Washington Commanders tight end Ben Sinnott remains the No. 2 option on the depth chart, which hurts his fantasy outlook in dynasty leagues. Sinnott had patiently waited for an opportunity to handle more volume while he was behind Zach Ertz, catching just 16 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns over his first two NFL seasons. Just as it seemed like he was trending up with Ertz hitting free agency this offseason, the Commanders brought in new competition in the form of Chig Okonkwo. Given that Okonkwo is pretty safely penciled into the No. 1 tight end role, Sinnott will remain the backup option. That doesn't bode well for his fantasy value, especially since the Commanders ranked right near the league median in terms of 12 personnel usage last year. Sinnott has fallen to TE55 in RotoBaller's latest dynasty fantasy football rankings, which means he can be dropped in most leagues
Drops: Zach Ertz
The New York Giants are in the off-season and each NFC East team is retooling their rosters in an effort to conquer the other three franchises. The Giants are the only team with a new coaching staff, as John Harbaugh looks to turn around the renowned, but struggling, franchise. The Philadelphia Eagles remain the dominant team in the division, and they’ve secured three of the last four division titles, including a 2024 Super Bowl victory. The Dallas Cowboys have underwhelmed, but have owned the New York Giants. Dallas made the playoffs three years in a row ( 2021-2023 ), but have failed to make the off-season the past two seasons. The departure of former defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn, as well as several questionable personnel decisions, have affected the team’s effectiveness. The aforementioned Dan Quinn is the head coach of the Washington Commanders – a team that went to the NFC Championship game in Jayden Daniels ’ epic 2024 rookie campaign. Unfortunately for Washington, the Commanders weren’t commanding much in 2025. Daniels struggled with injuries and the NFL seemed to have more answers for the young man than the Commanders had solutions. Nevertheless, though, Washington has retooled their roster and added younger defensive players, as well as some offensive weapons, that may help the Commanders get back to the playoffs. Let’s take a look at what Washington did since the end of their 5-12 season: Key subtractions LB Bobby Wagner, WR Deebo Samuel, EDGE Von Miller, C Tyler Biadasz, EDGE Preston Smith, RB Austin Ekeler, TE Zach Ertz, CB Marshon Lattimore, RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. Key additions: WR Dyami Brown , EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson, LB Leo Chenal, S Nick Cross, RB Jerome Ford, TE Chigoziem Okonkwo, EDGE Charles Omenihu, EDGE Odafe Oweh, CB Amik Robertson, DT Tim Settle Jr., RB Rachaad White, DT DJ Davidson, CB Ahkello Witherspoon Round 1, Pick 7 (7): Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State Round 3, Pick 71 (71): Antonio Williams , WR, Clemson Round 5, Pick 147 (147): Joshua Josephs, EDGE, Tennessee Round 6, Pick 187 (187): Kaytron Allen , RB, Penn State Round 6, Pick 209 (209): Matt Gulbin, C, Michigan State Round 7, Pick 223 (223): Athan Kaliakmanis, QB, Rutgers Jaden Bradley, WR, UNLV Tanoa Togiai, OG, Utah Jeffrey M’Ba, DT, SMU Malik Spencer, S, Michigan State Robert Henry Jr., RB, UTSA Quentin Moore, TE, Washington Chris Hilton Jr., WR, LSU Fred Davis II, CB, Northwestern Drew Stevens, K, Iowa Dan Quinn is losing plenty of veterans who brought valuable experience but were in the twilight of their careers; and, in the case of Ertz and Ekeler, were devastated by serious injuries. Wagner was the green-dot wearer for the last two years for Dan Quinn; he’s played over 1,100 snaps in both of his seasons with Washington, earning exceptional grades from Pro Football Focus. PFF had Wagner recording 215 tackles with 108 STOPs and 48 pressures over the last two seasons. He’s almost 36-years-old; is he getting long in the tooth? Yes, but his presence was still an invaluable one, and rookie Sonny Styles has gigantic shoes to fill, albeit the addition of former Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal will help the transition and provide Quinn with more defensive potential. Tim Settle was also signed to the defensive front, as well as former Giant DJ Davidson. The front looks better than it did in the 2025 season, with Daron Payne as the centerpiece and Frankie Luvu as the WILL; Chenal is an excellent addition for Quinn. Washington traded several draft assets for Marshon Lattimore , and the former Saints’ cornerback spent much of his time injured. He was released by the team, who will now rely on the young combination of Mike Sainristil and Trey Amos . Veteran Amik Robertson and Ahkello Witherspoon will also work into the rotation. Safety Nick Cross was added to the secondary on a two-year, $14-million contract. The Commanders put a focus on building a long and strong defensive line, especially on the trenches. Charles Omenihu an [... truncated ...]
Drops: Zach Ertz
Drops: Zach Ertz
Fantasy managers holding Washington Commanders tight end Ben Sinnott were hoping that he'd be next in line to replace veteran Zach Ertz (knee) as the team's top pass-catching tight end going into the 2026 season. However, the Commanders signed Chig Okonkwo in free agency (three years for $30 million), and he figures to get the first crack as Washington's TE1 in 2026. Sinnott, the 53rd overall pick in the second round in 2024 out of Kansas State, caught just five passes for 28 yards and a touchdown in 17 games in his first year in the NFL. The 23-year-old only slightly improved on those statistics in Year 2, catching 11 of 13 targets for 114 yards and another TD in 16 games (three starts) last year. With Okonkwo now in D.C., both Sinnott and John Bates will likely be limited to primarily blocking duties, dropping Sinnott's value in both dynasty and redraft formats in 2026. In dynasty formats, Sinnott is all the way down as the No. 55 TE, behind the aging Darren Waller
Let’s face it. Once the NFL Draft is in the rear view mirror, the calendar of events kind of screeches to a halt. Free agency is mostly out of the way and draft picks are signing contracts and participating in OTAs. The only real news the Eagles are going to make over the next few weeks will come at the end of the month when they will presumably trade A.J. Brown to the Patriots . But summer is a great time of year for football debates. There is no shortage of issues to be pondered over and discussed regarding your Birds, so for next few weeks, I’m introducing “The Deadzone Debates.” Each week I will pose a topic for debate and try to provide solid arguments for each side. In the comments section, you can respond with what you think. This week, I’ll dive into a subject I was thinking about when I went into my clothes drawer last week, pulled on my Eagles Super Bowl LIX Champions T-shirt and then put on my Eagles Super Bowl LII sweatshirt over top of it. Which Eagles Super Bowl title is the best? Which is your favorite? Both provide compelling reasons. Making the Case: The first time is always the sweetest. After 51 Super Bowls and 57 years since their last title in 1960, the Eagles were finally champions of the NFL. Generations of fans finally got their long-waited-for wish. Many of us lived through some very, very dark times to get there, and many Birds fans passed before witnessing it. But it actually happened. It’s tough to beat that feeling. The game featured some of the most legendary plays in NFL history. The Philly Special, not only immortalized in Eagles history, is etched into the very lore of the sport. But you also have Zach Ertz ’ go-ahead touchdown and, of course, Brandon Graham ’s strip sack of Tom Brady . Three legendary moments in one game. Again, hard to beat. It was a true Philadelphia underdog story. Losing Carson Wentz , the presumptive NFL MVP, a month before the end of the season felt like a crippling and devastating blow that would torpedo their chances of winning it all. Nick Foles ? Were we really expected to believe he could pull off a Super Bowl run? To be the No. 1 seed in the NFC and yet be underdogs in every round of the playoffs was about as pure a storyline as a Philly sports fan could dream of. They beat Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, breaking the heart of a dynasty. Brady played perhaps his best overall game in the Super Bowl that night, right up until he fumbled the ball with just over two minutes left in the game. It is the loss he remembers most in his career, and isn’t it nice that the Philadelphia Eagles rent that room inside his head? Doug Pederson outcoached Belichick. It’s really that simple, and it remains a staggering accomplishment. Pederson set the trend that is now commonplace in the NFL, being ultra aggressive on fourth down situations. He was a unicorn at the time, though. It was an action-packed, back-and-forth contest that went down to the final play, a Hail Mary into the end zone that was closer to being completed than it should have been. Still, the adrenaline was pumping until that cathartic final second ticked off the clock. Making the case: Unlike Super Bowl 52, which was their first appearance in “the big game” in 13 years, Super Bowl 59 welcomed the Eagles back for the second time in three seasons. The Eagles knew they belonged in this spot, and it felt like, for once, we were the building dynasty. This was no underdog story. This was the story of a great team driven by revenge, driven by their crushing defeat two seasons earlier at the hands of the very same Chiefs. For the first time in our lives, your Eagles were the NFL’s elite team, the team everyone hates, and yeah, that feels pretty good. While Super Bowl 52 featured an unreal performance by the offense and Nick Foles, the defense played dreadfully against New England that night (right up until the Patriots’ final two possessions, anyway). In 59, the defense was the story. To so thoroughly dominate [... truncated ...]
Drops: Zach Ertz
Drops: Zach Ertz
Sleeper trending/drop: Zach Ertz (1339) count=11826 (Δ11826 vs prior poll)
Drops: Zach Ertz
Drops: Zach Ertz
Data comes from cached Sleeper and KTC snapshots. Values update when the sync jobs run.
