Who Should I Start? Jordan Akins or Jake Ferguson

Saturday, January 4, 9:50 PM

Cleveland Browns tight end Jordan Akins caught six of his eight targets for 60 yards and a touchdown in a 35-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 18. Akins caught Bailey Zappe's lone touchdown pass in the contest on a 16-yard reception in the fourth quarter. The veteran tight end turned in a strong showing starting in place of the injured David Njoku (knee) over Cleveland's final two games of the season, catching 12 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. Akins is an unrestricted free-agent heading into the offseason as he will hope to parlay his strong performance at the end of the season into a new contract somewhere in 2025.

Friday, June 20, 3:19 PM

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson recently divulged to Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the knee injury he sustained in Week 1 of 2024 was a season-long issue. However, he isn't using that as an excuse for his subpar campaign. "My knee hurt, for sure," said Ferguson. "The concussion was weird. But I've said this before: if I'm on the field, I should be able to give it my all." After a strong 2023 (71/761/5), the 26-year-old regressed last season -- failing to score a touchdown or top 500 yards in 14 appearances. He's an excellent bounce-back candidate ahead of 2025, with head coach Brian Schottenheimer noting, "the look in his eyes and the way his body looks...the way he's moving has been noticeably different in a good way." Ferguson will have the newly acquired George Pickens to contend with for targets this year, but the Cowboys' lack of appeal in their RB room could signal a third straight season with a top 12 passing rate in the league.