Aug 13, 2026, 10:23 PM ET

The Washington Commanders signed tight end Chig Okonkwo to a three-year, $27 million deal this offseason, and up until the signing of receiver Stefon Diggs on Aug. 7, Okonkwo was gaining some serious steam on draft boards as he was geared up to be the Commanders' No. 2 pass-catching option. With Diggs now in the picture, Okonkwo's value takes a hit; however, he does still present some late-round fantasy appeal at the tight end position, as quarterback Jayden Daniels enters the 2026 season fully healthy and has supported other pass-catching tight ends like Zach Ertz in the past. In 2024, Ertz was the TE8 on the season with 91 targets, 654 yards, and seven touchdowns. While Okonkwo's production wasn't elite with the Titans, he played in all 17 games in his first four seasons with them and saw 70-plus targets in his final three years with them. RotoBaller ranks Okonkwo as the TE18, and he has some fantasy appeal if you miss out on some of the top-tier guys like Brock Bowers or Trey McBride.--Nicho Roessler
Source: RotoBaller

Aug 5, 2026, 9:25 AM ET

The Washington Commanders signed Chig Okonkwo to a three-year, $27 million deal this offseason, and while his roster position is still listed as tight end, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler is ready to classify him as the team's de facto No. 2 receiver. Fowler recently spent a day at Commanders training camp, where veteran receiver Terry McLaurin told him, "He's a tight end who really runs routes like a receiver." With the team lacking significant star power behind McLaurin, Okonkwo has established a quick chemistry with quarterback Jayden Daniels, who has regularly looked for his newest weapon in the red zone. Okonkwo also has the versatility to move across the formation, and of his fit in first-year coordinator David Blough's offense, Okonkwo said, "Having an expanded playbook, it's allowing me to use my speed down the field a lot more." The fourth-year tight end has caught at least 50 passes in each of the past three seasons, and with a potential career-high target share coming his way, he could prove to be one of the best values at the position at RotoBaller's TE19.--Patrick McGrath
Source: Jeremy Fowler

Aug 2, 2026, 3:54 PM ET

Washington Commanders tight end John Bates (hamstring) will miss a couple of weeks after straining his hamstring during Thursday's practice, according to Ben Standig. Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed the timetable Saturday. Bates caught 11 passes for 103 yards and one touchdown in 15 games last season, but his bigger role comes as Washington's primary blocking tight end. That makes his absence more important to the offense than his receiving numbers suggest, especially with new coordinator David Blough expected to use multiple-tight-end sets. Chig Okonkwo and Ben Sinnott should handle more work while Bates is sidelined, while Colson Yankoff and Lawrence Cager could also see additional practice reps. Bates does not carry much standalone fantasy value, and this injury is unlikely to create a clear waiver target. It does give Washington's other tight ends more time to earn roles before he returns. The initial timetable leaves room for Bates to get back during the preseason.--Bruno Mulé
Source: Ben Standig

Jul 31, 2026, 6:14 PM ET

Washington Commanders tight end Ben Sinnott has been "far more active," as well as Chig Okonkwo, in terms of running routes and versatility under new offensive coordinator David Blough than they had been the previous two seasons, according to John Keim of ESPN. Sinnott and the other tight ends "have run a wider variety of routes" so far in training camp. "It's not even close," Sinnott said. "So many different variations. Today we're lining up at number one [receiver on the outside], we're running five-step ins, we're running corners, we're running options, we're running flat [routes]. We're just doing everything. It's so much fun. It's a breath of fresh air for this offense and how it uses tight ends." The 24-year-old Sinnott, who was a second-rounder in 2024 from Kansas State, has only caught 16 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns in his first two NFL seasons in D.C., so this is pretty new to him. While he could be used as more of a pass-catcher in Blough's offense, Sinnott would likely need an injury to Okonkwo to become relevant as a streaming TE in fantasy football leagues in 2026.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com - John Keim

Jul 30, 2026, 10:03 AM ET

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters spoke to reporters on Tuesday to kick off training camp, and one of the takeaways was the praise lavished on new tight end Chig Okonkwo, who signed a three-year, $27 million deal after four seasons with the Titans. "He's an outstanding receiver," Peters told the gathered media. "He's outstanding in the pass game. He's great after the catch, and he's also a really good blocker." Outside of veteran wide receiver Terry McLaurin, the Commanders lack proven pass-catchers, allowing Okonkwo to step into an important role and earn early targets, with Peters emphasizing some of the unique abilities he brings to the offense. "He provides a lot of versatility in where he can line up and what he can do for us and when he gets the ball in his hands. And then he's pretty magical." Okonkwo has caught at least 50 passes in each of the past three seasons, and with a chance to see the highest target total of his young career, he could prove to be one of the best values at the position as RotoBaller's TE19.--Patrick McGrath
Source: Zach Selby

Jul 27, 2026, 10:27 AM ET

Days before the start of training camp, the Washington Commanders have announced they are parting ways with tight ends coach Ben Steele after he was hired this offseason following three years in the same position with the Cardinals. Steele was reportedly arrested in June on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and faces additional charges for refusing a breathalyzer test and refusing or resisting an officer without force. The Commanders do not have an assistant tight ends coach on staff, and as of now it is unknown who will fill the role under first-time offensive coordinator David Blough. Tight end Chig Okonkwo was one of the team's most notable offensive additions this offseason, and despite the murky situation, he remains a late-round sleeper candidate as RotoBaller's TE19.--Patrick McGrath
Source: Adam Schefter

Jul 24, 2026, 11:36 AM ET

After spending the first four years of his career with the Tennessee Titans, tight end Chig Okonkwo is entering his first season with the Washington Commanders in 2026. Okonkwo has established himself as a durable and reliable contributor, recording three consecutive seasons with at least 17 games played, 70 targets, 50 catches, and 500 receiving yards. However, he's scored just eight touchdowns across 68 career NFL games while playing in Tennessee. In Washington, Okonkwo will now have a chance to play with quarterback Jayden Daniels, who has thrown nine touchdown passes to tight ends across 24 career NFL games. The Commanders are also desperately searching for pass-catching talent to emerge behind star wide receiver Terry McLaurin, which could leave Okonkwo as the team's number two option in the passing game. Okonkwo has significant breakout upside entering 2026 and profiles as an excellent value selection at his current redraft ADP of TE20.--Will Brady
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 11, 2026, 12:11 PM ET

Washington Commanders tight end Chig Okonkwo, who signed a three-year deal with the Commanders in free agency in March, thinks he has found the right landing spot to take his game to the next level, according to Zach Selby of the team's official website. "I feel like this is the place where I can finally just unleash," Okonkwo said. The 26-year-old has already "developed a strong connection" with quarterback Jayden Daniels, and Okonkwo has been impressed with his new QB. "He's a dog," Okonkwo said. "He gets the ball out super accurate." The former fourth-round pick by the Tennessee Titans in 2022 caught at least 50 passes in each of his last three seasons and had five total touchdowns. He should be more comfortable playing in D.C., which is only a few miles away from where he went to college at the University of Maryland. Daniels has connected in the past with TEs involved in the passing game, as he targeted Zach Ertz 91 times back in 2024. Okonkwo is a candidate to see an uptick in production in his first year in Washington for a team that lacks depth at receiver behind Terry McLaurin. He'll be a TE2 sleeper to target in upcoming fantasy football drafts.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Commanders.com - Zach Selby

Jul 3, 2026, 2:25 PM ET

Washington Commanders tight end Chig Okonkwo has long displayed the occasional flash of game-breaking athleticism, but since coming into the league as a fourth-round pick out of Maryland, he's rarely been part of an offense equipped to make use of those abilities. That may no longer be the case in 2026. After leading the Titans in receptions and yards in his final season in Tennessee, Okonkwo signed a three-year, $27 million deal with the Commanders, and under first-time offensive coordinator David Blough, he could become a featured piece of a Washington offense looking to put last season's injury-riddled struggles behind them. Blough is expected to adopt elements of the Ben Johnson offense he was part of as backup quarterback in Detroit; the same offense that led to a TE1 finish from rookie Sam LaPorta in 2023 and now has the Bears' Colston Loveland knocking on the door of the position's top tier. With the wide receiver depth chart notably thin behind two-time Pro Bowler Terry McLaurin, Okonkwo could easily step in as the number two option in the passing game, inheriting a role that saw veteran Zach Ertz earn a 19% target share across his 30 games with the team. Currently being drafted as the TE17, Okonkwo is a late-round sleeper with both the ability and opportunity to produce legitimate TE1 upside in 2026.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Jun 28, 2026, 9:50 AM ET

Washington Commanders tight end Ben Sinnott was a popular sleeper pick after being drafted in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but through two years in the league, he's caught only 16 passes for 142 yards. While the final four games of his second season saw the most sustained involvement of his young career, following the season-ending ACL injury to veteran Zach Ertz, that usage uptick still amounted to only 1.8 catches, 18.3 yards, and 2.7 fantasy points per game. With an opening at the top of the depth chart heading into the 2026 league year, calls for a Sinnott breakout briefly resurfaced but were quickly silenced when the team signed former Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo to a three-year, $27 million deal in the opening hours of free agency. Already an early adopter of the league's growing trend toward multi-tight end usage, the Commanders could lean even further in that direction with first time offensive coordinator David Blough expected to borrow elements from the Ben Johnson offense he ran as a backup quarterback in Detroit, but veteran John Bates remains with the team and could continue to see the field ahead of Sinnott due to what he provides as a blocker. Still only 24 years old, the athletic tight end out of Kansas State wouldn't be the first of his position to see slow development before a third-year breakout, but Sinnott has fallen to RotoBaller's dynasty TE54 ahead of what is likely a make-or-break 2026 season.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Jun 10, 2026, 1:34 PM ET

Washington Commanders new tight end Chig Okonkwo has been impressive so far this offseason after signing a three-year deal in March in free agency, according to The Athletic's Nicki Jhabvala. Okonkwo possesses rare speed and versatility, and he also has a knack for picking up yards after the catch. Zach Ertz is now gone, so the Commanders will move forward with Okonkwo and Ben Sinnott in offensive coordinator David Blough's scheme. Jhabvala writes that Blough's offense will be an "amalgamation of his own football influences," which means that the Commanders could use a "heavy dose of multiple tight end sets" in 2026. The 26-year-old Okonkwo had a career-high 56 receptions for 560 yards on 79 targets in 2025 with the Tennessee Titans, but he had only two touchdowns and averaged 10 yards per catch in 17 games (12 starts). In D.C., he'll have more upside, although fantasy managers can wait and take him late in drafts as a TE2 with upside in his new digs. RotoBaller currently has Okonkwo ranked as the No. 20 fantasy TE for the upcoming season.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Athletic - Nicki Jhabvala

Jun 4, 2026, 1:23 PM ET

Washington Commanders tight end Ben Sinnott remains the No. 2 option on the depth chart, which hurts his fantasy outlook in dynasty leagues. Sinnott had patiently waited for an opportunity to handle more volume while he was behind Zach Ertz, catching just 16 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns over his first two NFL seasons. Just as it seemed like he was trending up with Ertz hitting free agency this offseason, the Commanders brought in new competition in the form of Chig Okonkwo. Given that Okonkwo is pretty safely penciled into the No. 1 tight end role, Sinnott will remain the backup option. That doesn't bode well for his fantasy value, especially since the Commanders ranked right near the league median in terms of 12 personnel usage last year. Sinnott has fallen to TE55 in RotoBaller's latest dynasty fantasy football rankings, which means he can be dropped in most leagues.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

May 29, 2026, 12:08 PM ET

Washington Commanders tight end Chig Okonkwo is trending upward after his change of scenery this past offseason. The Commanders signed Okonkwo after he spent four seasons with the Tennessee Titans. With the Titans, he managed to rank as the TE25 or higher every year. That stretch included three consecutive finishes as the overall TE21 from 2023 through 2025. He's always been a decent option for targets, and his ability to stretch the field gives him explosive upside. However, he's been relatively uninvolved near the goal line for a tight end. He caught three touchdowns as a rookie in 2022, and he had just two each of the last two seasons. We like Okonkwo's chances to find the end zone more often in Washington. During his two years as a Commander, Ertz totaled 11 touchdowns, averaging 0.37 touchdowns per game. The Washington offense has some work to do as a whole, but Okonkwo is the clear No. 1 tight end here, and he could ultimately be Jayden Daniels' second-favorite target behind Terry McLaurin. Despite finishing lower than TE20 every year, the Maryland product has jumped to TE17 in RotoBaller's latest dynasty fantasy football rankings.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

May 15, 2026, 12:12 PM ET

Fantasy managers holding Washington Commanders tight end Ben Sinnott were hoping that he'd be next in line to replace veteran Zach Ertz (knee) as the team's top pass-catching tight end going into the 2026 season. However, the Commanders signed Chig Okonkwo in free agency (three years for $30 million), and he figures to get the first crack as Washington's TE1 in 2026. Sinnott, the 53rd overall pick in the second round in 2024 out of Kansas State, caught just five passes for 28 yards and a touchdown in 17 games in his first year in the NFL. The 23-year-old only slightly improved on those statistics in Year 2, catching 11 of 13 targets for 114 yards and another TD in 16 games (three starts) last year. With Okonkwo now in D.C., both Sinnott and John Bates will likely be limited to primarily blocking duties, dropping Sinnott's value in both dynasty and redraft formats in 2026. In dynasty formats, Sinnott is all the way down as the No. 55 TE, behind the aging Darren Waller.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Pro Football Reference