Who Should I Start? Jonnu Smith or Cade Otton

Friday, July 25, 5:50 PM

Brooke Pryor of ESPN reports that Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith (undisclosed) was working in individual periods at training camp on Friday but did not work with the position group for the second wave of individual periods, which is basically the same participation level that he had on Thursday. Head coach Mike Tomlin said that Smith is day-to-day with an unspecified injury that doesn't sound very serious. The 29-year-old had a career year in 2024 with the Miami Dolphins, catching 88 passes on 111 targets for 884 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games (six starts), and now he'll reunite with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who he's played for in Tennessee and Atlanta. Fantasy managers are going to need to downgrade Jonnu in fantasy this year, though, as he will probably struggle to find weekly value while sharing targets with Pat Freiermuth.

Tuesday, July 29, 9:20 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton (hamstring) remained sidelined for his team's Tuesday practice, according to Greg Auman of Fox Sports. Otton has now missed three straight days of practice with what Bucs head coach Todd Bowles has described as a mild hamstring strain. The fourth-year tight end played 14 games in 2024, hauling in 59 catches for 600 yards and four touchdowns. However, Otton did much of his work when Tampa Bay's receiving corps got hit with a rash of injuries mid-season, so he could see his numbers come down a bit in 2025. That being said, he's clearly the team's top receiving threat at the tight end position, as backups Payne Durham and Ko Kieft profile more as blockers. It doesn't sound as though the team expects any significant missed time for Otton, but his situation is worth monitoring until he returns to the practice field.