NFL Player News

Brown (hamstring) will not play in Thursday's preseason game against the 49ers, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

Brown has been dealing with a hamstring injury since mid-August and was spotted on the practice field earlier in the week. However, the team will opt to keep him out of game action in the hopes that he will be fully healthy in time for Houston's first regular-season game against the Colts. Brown figures to serve as the second tight end behind Brevin Jordan.

Kittle is in uniform and appears set to play in Thursday's preseason game in Houston, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Along with Kittle, quarterback Trey Lance and wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk are suiting up, meaning the 49ers are readying for a dress rehearsal ahead of Week 1. Kittle is unlikely to play more than a series or two before hitting the sidelines for the remainder of the contest.

Andrews and many other starters likely will held out for the preseason finale to stay healthy for a Week 1 matchup with the Jets, Childs Walker of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Coach John Harbaugh didn't get too far into details apart from confirming that QB Lamar Jackson won't play in Saturday's exhibition matchup with the Jets. It'll presumably be the same for Andrews, a fifth-year pro who erupted for 1,361 receiving yards in Week 4. While he'll have a hard time matching last year's 153 targets with the Ravens seemingly shifting back to run-first on offense, Andrews does figure to see a large share of the passes that are thrown, especially in the red zone. He'll open his season against a Jets defense that surrendered the fourth most receiving yards to tight ends last year and a league-worst 8.9 YPT.

Waller (undisclosed), who didn't participate in joint practices with the Patriots this week, won't play in Friday's preseason finale versus New England, Tashan Reed and Vic Tafur of The Athletic report.

After missing six practices due to a hamstring injury, the tight end returned to the field last Wednesday, but he since has missed the Raiders' past three sessions. While it's unclear if Waller had a setback with his hamstring or is dealing with another issue, coach Josh McDaniels indicated this Wednesday that he's "not concerned" about Waller's status. While that sounds somewhat encouraging, McDaniels fell short of declaring that Waller will be available Week 1. "He's doing everything he can to get out there as soon as he can be," McDaniels noted. "And I don't want to make a prediction on whether he will or won't be ready here in a few weeks. I see him every day. He's in every meeting. He's doing everything he can to get out there as fast as possible." As long as Waller is sidelined, Foster Moreau is next in line for Las Vegas' TE reps.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said trade reports about Gesicki were "misleading" because many names are brought up in trade conversations, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.

Gesicki, playing 2022 under a franchise tag for $10.9 million, has acknowledged the difficulty of taking more inline snaps in McDaniel's offense. The Dolphins clearly thought he could do it successfully after years of primarily working the slot, considering McDaniel was hired before Gesicki was tagged. The team may be having second thoughts with Gesicki struggling a bit this preseason, though McDaniel said Thursday that the 26-year-old had an excellent week of practice. If Gesicki were to be traded or demoted -- something that seems to have been discussed already -- Durham Smythe would be left as Miami's likely starter at tight end, backed up by Hunter Long and Cethan Carter.

Hudson was signed by the Giants following a workout Wednesday, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

Tanner was cut by the 49ers on Tuesday, and he quickly found a new home in New York. He spent his first two seasons with the Buccaneers and recorded 67 yards on five receptions across 20 games. In 2021 he suited up for just two games with the 49ers. He is now competing for a roster spot in New York.

The Giants released Akins on Wednesday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

Akins was competing for a spot on the Giants' 53-man roster among a plethora of options. The team is now down to four tight ends on the depth chart and figures to have one or two more cuts to make. The 30-year-old spent the last four seasons in Houston. It remains to be seen where his next opportunity to play will be.

Thomas (knee) took part in 7-on-7 drills Wednesday, with head coach Ron Rivera suggesting afterward that the tight end could play Week 1 at Jacksonville, Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site reports.

Rivera said Thomas' progression to 7-on-7s was "very important" and "another milestone," adding that "it gives him a chance" to be ready for the season opener. If so, Thomas presumably would be eased in with something less than his familiar every-down role, though an eventual return to that type of workload isn't out of the question given Washington's limited depth at tight end. Three of the team's backups, including John Bates (calf), missed the second week of the preseason with injuries.

Thomas (ribs) was present at practice Wednesday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

The fifth-year tight end is now two weeks removed from having been carted off the practice field with banged up ribs, and it appears he's nearing a full return. Thomas is Carolina's anticipated second-string tight end behind 2021 third-rounder Tommy Tremble for 2022, and will likely spend more time as a blocker than as a route-runner this season.

Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels said Wednesday that he isn't concerned about Waller's (undisclosed) continued absence from practice, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports. "He's doing everything he can to get back out there," McDaniels said. "I see him every day. He's in every meeting."

That said, Tashan Reed of The Athletic relays that McDaniels declined to make a prediction about Waller's status for the Raiders' Sept. 11 regular-season opener against the Chargers. McDaniels' unwillingness to commit to Waller being available for Week 1 makes it safe to conclude that the tight end is unlikely to play in Friday's preseason finale against the Patriots.