Who Should I Start? Stephen Carlson or Juwan Johnson

Saturday, September 28, 9:17 PM

The Chicago Bears placed tight end Stephen Carlson (collarbone) on injured reserve Saturday ahead of their Week 4 home matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Carlson, who was just signed from the team's practice squad this past Tuesday, suffered a serious collarbone injury during Thursday's practice and will now miss at least the next four contests. The earliest he is eligible to return will be Nov. 3 -- Chicago's Week 9 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. It's a crushing blow for the 27-year-old who was slated for his first NFL action since his time back in 2020 with the Cleveland Browns. The Bears will roll out their usual three-man tight-end rotation, with Cole Kmet set to take the majority of the snaps and Gerald Everett and Marcedes Lewis working in behind him.

Monday, January 6, 2:30 AM

New Orleans Saints tight end led the team in receptions and yards for the second week in a row in Sunday's 27-19 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He finished the day with six catches for 80 yards, beating the season-high he set just last week. With Chris Olave (concussion) sidelined for the season finale, rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler looked to his tight ends often. Of Rattler's 240 passing yards on the day, 122 went to the trio of Johnson, Foster Moreau (knee), and Dallin Holker. Despite the multiple injuries that drained the Saints of their biggest playmakers, little was asked of Johnson to pick up the slack until the last two games of the season. Still, he will finish 2024 with career highs in receptions (50) and receiving yards (548). The 28-year-old converted wide receiver is set to become a free agent in the coming offseason.