TYLER KROFT NEWS

Tyler Kroft, Trent Murphy headline inactives list for Bills vs. Chargers The following four players are inactive for Bills vs. Chargers.

NOVEMBER 29, 2020 • BUFFALOBILLS.COM

Cleared to return from COVID list The Bills activated Kroft from the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday.

Impact Kroft ended up sitting out last week's loss to the Cardinals after being placed on the list Saturday due to being a close contact of cornerback Josh Norman, who tested positive for COVID-19. The tight end has since cleared all health-related protocols, so he'll be good to go when the Bills come out of their Week 11 bye. Expect Kroft to resume splitting work at his position with starter Dawson Knox.

NOVEMBER 19, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Bills' Norman ruled out after testing positive for COVID-19

Buffalo Bills cornerback Josh Norman has tested positive for COVID-19 and will be one of four players and one assistant coach not traveling with the team for its game at the Arizon...

NOVEMBER 14, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Placed on reserve/COVID list Kroft will not play in Sunday's contest against the Cardinals due to close contact with teammate Josh Norman, who has tested positive for COVID-19, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

Impact Kroft was expected to take on his usual role backing up Dawson Knox at tight end. As a result of this move, Lee Smith or Reggie Gilliam will likely replace him in that role. The Bills have a Week 11 bye, so Kroft's next chance to suit up will come Week 12 versus the Chargers.

NOVEMBER 14, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Josh Allen works through progressions for TD laser to Kroft Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen works through his progressions for a TD laser to Bills tight end Tyler Kroft.

NOVEMBER 8, 2020 • NFL.COM

One target in Week 8 Kroft caught his lone target for 11 yards in Sunday's 24-21 win over the Patriots.

Impact Kroft didn't see much volume as Buffalo went run-heavy on a windy day -- quarterback Josh Allen threw only 18 passes, and half of those went to Stefon Diggs. With fellow tight end Dawson Knox (illness/calf) still on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Kroft should continue to see the majority of playing time at tight end against the porous Seahawks secondary in Week 9.

NOVEMBER 4, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Best game of 2020 Kroft caught all four of his targets for 64 yards in Sunday's win at the Jets.

Impact Kroft was thrust into a bigger-than-usual role when a COVID-19 issue swept through the Bills tight end room late last week -- the only reason he wasn't caught up in the virus scare was because he took a personal day to be with his newborn child. The new papa saw a season-high snap share of 78 percent and tied his season high in catches. While that's all a nice story, Kroft will revert back to his No. 2 role once starter Dawson Knox (calf) gets back at it.

OCTOBER 27, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Bills tight end Dawson Knox tests positive; out for Jets

Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox has tested positive for the coronavirus and will miss Sunday’s game at the New York Jets

OCTOBER 24, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Abruptly forced into major role Kroft is the only true tight end currently allowed to suit up for Sunday's game against the Jets after multiple Bills tight ends were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Saturday,...

Impact It's a unique situation as Kroft might be forced to play the entirety of Sunday's game with Dawson Knox, Tommy Sweeney, Lee Smith and practice squad tight end Nate Becker all placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. (Knox and Sweeney were not going to play anyway due to injury.) Kroft, who was attending the birth of his first child earlier in the week, was not in close proximity to Knox and therefore joins TE/FB Reggie Gilliam as the only Bills tight ends eligible to play Sunday.

OCTOBER 24, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Second straight start on tap Kroft is expected to serve as the Bills' top tight end Sunday against the Jets with Dawson Knox (calf) ruled out for the contest.

Impact While Knox was sidelined for Weeks 3 and 6, Kroft played 74 of a possible 108 offensive snaps (68.5 percent), producing five receptions for 31 yards and two touchdowns across seven targets. Kroft's 6-foot-6, 252-pound frame makes him an ideal target in the red zone, but even when guaranteed ample snaps, his fantasy floor remains fairly low if he's unable to find the end zone in a given week.

OCTOBER 23, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Low influence in offense Kroft caught one of two targets for seven yards in Monday's 26-17 loss to the Chiefs.

Impact Kroft played 57 percent of the offensive snaps -- his second-highest share of the season -- with top tight end Dawson Knox out with a calf injury. The increased reps didn't translate into production, however, as Kroft was held to one or zero receptions for the fifth time in six games this season. Knox seems like a decent bet to sit out one more game, so perhaps Kroft can turn the temporary starting role into a touchdown; he previously had two scores in Week 3.

OCTOBER 22, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Thurman Thomas sees Bills' Allen developing into true leader

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is attracting league-wide praise for his dynamic start, with Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas the latest to chime in

SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Finds pay dirt twice Kroft caught four of five targets for 24 yards and two scores during Sunday's win over the Rams.

Impact Kroft's second TD was one of the bigger ones in recent memory for the Buffalo franchise, as the 3-0 Bills prevented a huge meltdown against the Rams by coming back -- after blowing a 25-point lead -- to retake the lead via a nice three-yard touch pass from Josh Allen to Kroft with 15 seconds remaining. Kroft's value is truly tied to the status of starter Dawson Knox, who missed Sunday's game due to a concussion.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Slow-starting Rams fall just short in 35-32 loss to Bills

The Los Angeles Rams proved they’re difficult to contain once Jared Goff and Aaron Donald find their groove

SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Falcons blow another big lead, this time to Foles and Bears

SEPTEMBER 27, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Tyler Kroft hauls in Josh Allen's loft for game-winning TD Buffalo Bills tight end Tyler Kroft hauls in Bills quarterback Josh Allen's loft for a game-winning touchdown to beat the Los Angeles Rams.

SEPTEMBER 27, 2020 • NFL.COM

Bills rally to beat Rams 35-32 after blowing 25-point lead

Josh Allen completed a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight Tyler Kroft with 15 seconds remaining, and the Buffalo Bills survived to beat the Los Angeles Rams 35-32 after squandering a 2...

SEPTEMBER 27, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Latest: Wilson rallies Seahawks past Cowboys 38-31

Russell Wilson threw for 315 yards and five touchdowns without an interception as the Seattle Seahawks edged the Dallas Cowboys 38-31

SEPTEMBER 27, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Set for Week 3 start Kroft will serve as Buffalo's top tight end Sunday against the Rams with usual starter Dawson Knox (concussion) ruled out, Maddy Glab of the Bills' official site reports.

Impact Kroft peaked in 2017 with 42 catches for 404 yards and seven touchdowns as a member of the Bengals. He only has six catches in 13 games since joining the Bills at the start of the 2019 season, however, so Kroft's unlikely to be a major part of the game plan. Still, his history of success in the red zone gives the 27-year-old tight end some appeal as a touchdown-dependent flier in deeper formats.

SEPTEMBER 25, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Empty stat line Kroft did not receive a target for the second straight week during Sunday's win over Miami.

Impact Kroft has been a bust free-agent signing for the team since he came over from Cincinnati prior to the 2019 season, at least in terms of offensive production, as he's only caught more than one pass in a game a single time in 14 games as a Bill (including the postseason). If we're looking for good news, Kroft did see action on 31 offensive snaps, up from just four in Week 1. That's because starter Dawson Knox left the game with a concussion. If Knox can't get through the protocol in time for the Week 3 contest against the Rams, Kroft would be in line for more offensive snaps once again.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Returns from foot injury Kroft is back at practice Tuesday after missing Monday's session due to a foot injury, Sal Capaccio of WGR Sports Radio 550 Buffalo reports.

Impact Kroft had his foot stepped on Sunday, but fortunately for him and the Bills, it wasn't anything structural or related to his past foot problems. He'll resume his quest to try earning as much playing time as he can get in a tight end corps that will probably be led by second-year man Dawson Knox.

SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Another foot injury Kroft had his foot stepped on during Sunday's practice and is missing Monday's session, Thad Brown of WROC in Rochester reports.

Impact Normally this might not be a big deal, but Kroft has had major lower leg issues in the past. There's no word yet if this injury is to the same foot that caused Kroft to miss five games last season when he broke it in his first practice as a Bill. Kroft is battling second-year tight end Dawson Kroft for playing time.

AUGUST 31, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Heads to PUP Sweeney has been placed on the Active/PUP list due to a foot injury, Chris Brown of the Bills' official site reports.

Impact The second-year tight end has some work to do to gain some form of meaningful role in the Buffalo offense now that Tyler Kroft is healthy again and set to compete with Dawson Knox for the top TE spot. We'll see if Sweeney can get back at it in relatively short order so he can stake his claim to the No. 3 role.

JULY 28, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Primed for bounceback? Kroft is in good position to log a productive 2020 campaign with the Bills, Maddy Glab of the team's official site reports.

Impact Kroft is coming off an injury-plagued 2019 campaign, in which he had just six catches for 71 yards and a touchdown across 11 games. Now fully recovered from the broken foot that caused him to sit out the first seven weeks of 2019, and having agreed to restructure his contract in order to remain with Buffalo, the 27-year-old should have real opportunities to compete with Dawson Knox for starting snaps in training camp. Kroft showcased solid receiving capabilities with the Bengals back in 2017, when he accumulated 42 catches for 404 yards and seven scores while playing a full 16-game slate. While a bounce-back season almost seems likely, it's difficult to envision Kroft entering elite TE territory, given that he plays in a run-oriented offense, will compete for looks with Knox all season, and at best would be the fourth or fifth option in the passing game.

JULY 23, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

2019 Worst Bang for the Dollar Bills: TE Tyler Kroft The worst salary cap value on the Bills in 2020 was Tyler Kroft.

JULY 20, 2020 • BUFFALORUMBLINGS.COM