Who Should I Start? Stephen Carlson or Mitchell Evans

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.

Sunday, August 31, 12:49 PM

Carolina Panthers tight end Mitchell Evans was listed on the team's initial 53-man roster released earlier this week. While second-year pro Ja'Tavion Sanders is expected to operate as the starter and primary pass-catcher at the position, Evans could still carve out a role for himself on offense. The fifth-round NFL Draft selection currently sits third on the depth chart behind Sanders and Tommy Tremble (back), but the latter was recently activated from the PUP list and hasn't made much of an impact through his first four campaigns. Evans is unlikely to provide fantasy value as a rookie, but he is worth a flyer as a deep-league dynasty stash.