Who Should I Start? Stephen Carlson or Oronde Gadsden

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.

Saturday, December 6, 4:33 PM

Los Angeles Chargers rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden faces a tough Week 14 challenge after the passing offense stalled following Justin Herbert's hand injury, leading to just one catch for 27 yards on two targets last week. Crucially, Gadsden failed to see a red-zone target for the second consecutive game after seeing 10 in the previous five. The matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles is extremely challenging, as their defense ranks among the top three against tight ends, allowing only three touchdowns all season and just nine PPR points per game to the position. RotoBaller ranks Gadsden as TE14 this week, especially with Justin Herbert (hand) listed as questionable. While the rookie has shown promise, the combination of the restructured, short-area passing offense and one of the league's toughest tight end defenses means Gadsden should be considered a high-end TE2 this week.