HaydenHurst

News: 6 days agoHurst did not catch his lone reception in Saturday's 16-3 preseason loss against the Seahawks.

Spin: Backup quarterback Easton Stick threw a woefully errant first-half pass to Hurst, who valiantly tried to make a stupendous catch only to be decimated by an incoming defender, popping the ball up in the air for an interception. The veteran did linger on the ground for a bit after the play, but he was able to jog off on his own. Hurst is expected to work in tandem with fellow free-agent addition Will Dissly to operate as a multi-faceted platoon tight end group, with the 6-foot-8 Donald Parham also mixing in on occasion.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: A 2018 first-rounder who has one positional top-20 fantasy season in his career (2020, 10th) and has finished outside the top 30 in four of six years, Hurst struggled through a miserable 2023 with the Panthers. He committed as many drops (two) as he had in his previous five seasons combined, caught 56.3% of his passes, and continued to battle injuries, missing the final eight games with a concussion. Hurst reunited with offensive coordinator Greg Roman during the offseason, where he could serve as the Chargers' pass-catching tight end. But between Will Dissly providing competition and Hurst's injury history, he's a dicey pick in standard ESPN leagues.