Check out all of Stephania's injury outlooks by position: QB | RB | WR | TE
The tight end position is led by a pair of dynamic athletes who can outscore most wide receivers when healthy ... but that "when healthy" exception tends to become relevant more often than not for Jordan Reed and Rob Gronkowski. With fantasy football players looking for an edge over their opponents, the tight end spot can offer lots of upside and advantages, but at what risk?
Before you draft your 2017 teams, here's a list of notable tight ends coming off of injuries in 2016 and my assessment of their health and outlook for the year ahead.
Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots
Coming off his third back surgery, Gronkowski's major injury resume also includes a lung contusion, an ACL reconstruction and a forearm fracture. There's no need to document Gronk's talent in this space. He's proved again and again that he is a difference-maker on the field; the key is that he needs to be on the field.
After playing all 16 games in each of his first two seasons, Gronkowski has not been able to do so in the five campaigns since. The various injuries he has dealt with have been significant in terms of time lost, so much so that he has missed 24 games -- essentially one and a half seasons -- during those past five years.
One of the most impressive things about Gronk is how he returns from injury. No matter what part of his body has been in recovery, he bounces back to being a top-tier player. The question entering 2017 is whether he can do the same following a third back surgery. It's reasonable to suspect the answer is yes.
His progress after this surgery has been excellent and is not restricted (formally, as in no PUP list) as camp opens. His practice is likely to be controlled with a ramping-up to coincide with the start of the season, but Gronk has already shown in early practices that he is willing and able to absorb -- if not seek out -- contact. The 28-year-old Gronk's motor has not slowed and it's not as if he's going to stop being a target for Tom Brady. But history would suggest that the odds of him enduring a 16-game season are not in his favor.
Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins
Talent plus opportunity equals a fantasy gold mine. This season, Reed has both, but something is still missing. With the departure of wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, the offense "runs through" Reed, according to head coach Jay Gruden. There are other receiving options, to be sure, but Reed's size, skill and experience with quarterback Kirk Cousins all line up in his favor.
The talent has always been there with Reed, but the one thing compromising his value is his injury history ... and it's significant. For starters, in four years in the league, Reed has never posted a 16-game season.
In his rookie year, Reed missed almost half the season with concussion issues and ended the year on injured reserve. In 2014, it was a hamstring injury that sidelined him for five games early on, but it remained intermittently problematic during the season. In 2015, Reed suffered an MCL sprain and another concussion. Last season he suffered a Grade 3 AC separation (complete tear of the ligaments at the tip of the shoulder) in the Thanksgiving Day game against the Dallas Cowboys. He went on to miss the following week, struggle in the subsequent two weeks, then missed another game in Week 16. (He did return for the final game of the season and looked much improved with five catches for 40 yards and a score.)
There's no other way to frame it: Reed's injury history is worrisome. Multiple concussions present their own set of concerns beyond week-to-week availability, including potentially increased susceptibility to another concussive injury. And, while his left shoulder has undoubtedly recovered to the point where he can play effectively, landing on the point of that shoulder again could be a source of aggravation.
Then there's the inauspicious start to this year's training camp. Reed is opening camp on the physically unable to perform list due to a big toe ailment. Pain or stiffness in the big toe can significantly compromise any skill position player if pushing off, planting and pivoting become problematic. Given that the team's plan is to treat Reed conservatively in hopes of avoiding a long-term issue suggests the injury is not serious ... at least not yet. In Reed's case, it's not just the nature or the poor timing of this injury -- it's the cumulative history that raises concern.
Talent plus opportunity minus the history of multiple injuries and no 16-game seasons means there is a legitimate risk-reward calculation when it comes to Reed.
Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals
Eifert has not yet played a full season in the NFL as a result of various injuries. In fact, in four years in the league he has missed the equivalent of one and three-quarter seasons. It's admirable that he has worked so diligently to come back from his assorted injuries, some more severe than others, to perform at such a high level when he is on the field. The question now is whether he can produce in similar fashion this season coming off back surgery to address a herniated disc.
The disc wasn't Eifert's only issue last year. He had a delayed start to the season after undergoing ankle surgery, the result of an injury suffered in the 2016 Pro Bowl. But his delayed start was, well, further delayed when the back problem cropped up. Ultimately he returned in Week 7, only to be placed on injured reserve in Week 16 when the back issues resurfaced. He underwent surgery in late December and has been on the road to recovery since. It's unclear to what extent he will participate as camp gets underway, but the expectation is that his exposure to football activity and contact will be gradual with the hope he will be ready for Week 1.
Beyond his current injury, Eifert's history gives some cause for concern. A dislocated elbow in Week 1 of his 2014 season cost him the remainder of that year. He then underwent shoulder surgery in the offseason. In 2015, a stinger and concussion caused him to miss three games. And then there was the saga of 2016. There is no doubt about Eifert's ability as a playmaker, particularly in the red zone, but those plays can be made only if he is healthy enough to compete.