Who Should I Start? Tanner Hudson or Stone Smartt

Friday, August 8, 10:25 AM

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tanner Hudson played well in Thursday's preseason loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The 30-year-old caught six of eight targets for 62 yards. He also scored twice, finding the end zone off a 12-yard pass from Joe Burrow on the opening drive before capping off his night with another touchdown in the fourth quarter. After making stops in Tampa Bay and New York (Giants) to begin his career, he appeared in 23 regular-season contests for the Bengals in the last two years. While Hudson had a few productive showings during that span, he has never been a consistent fantasy contributor. That's not expected to change in 2025 even if he continues to produce in the team's final two preseason games, considering Cincinnati has Mike Gesicki, Drew Sample, and Noah Fant on the roster. With a loss in the books, the Bengals will look to get on track versus the Washington Commanders on August 18.

Thursday, March 13, 4:21 PM

The New York Jets signed former Los Angeles Chargers tight end Stone Smartt to an undisclosed one-year deal on Thursday, a source tells NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Smartt was a restricted free agent this offseason but was not tendered by the Bolts, making him available to all teams. The 26-year-old former undrafted free agent came on strong late last year for L.A. and finished with career-highs in catches (16) and receiving yards (208) on 19 targets in 15 regular-season games (two starts), although he didn't find the end zone at all. Smartt could have an opportunity to build on his 2024 season in his new home in New York in 2025, as Tyler Conklin and Kenny Yeboah are currently unrestricted free agents. The only other TE on the Jets' current roster is Jeremy Ruckert. The Jets could still add to the position in free agency and the draft, but Smartt will be one to watch heading into training camp this summer.