NFL Player News

Freiermuth caught both of his targets for 35 yards in Saturday's preseason win over the Jaguars.

Freiermuth saw his first action of the preseason and played the entire first half with both Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett under center. The second-year tight end only caught passes from Pickett, highlighted by a 24-yard gain just before halftime that set up a touchdown. Freiermuth will look to build off a solid rookie season, though he'll be catching passes from a new quarterback while also facing increased competition for targets due to the addition of rookie wide receiver George Pickens.

Ferguson brought in both targets for 29 yards in the Cowboys' 32-18 preseason win over the Chargers on Saturday night. He also caught a two-point conversion pass.

The rookie turned in another solid performance after having produced a 3-29-0 line in the exhibition opener against the Broncos. Ferguson's impressive body of work over the first two preseason games seemingly sends him into Friday night's preseason finale against the Seahawks with a fairly secure grasp on a depth tight end role behind starter Dalton Schultz.

Gesicki brought in three of six targets for 27 yards in the Dolphins' 15-13 preseason loss to the Raiders on Saturday night while playing the entire first half.

Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports that Gesicki, who was on the receiving end of Tua Tagovailoa's third pass attempt, embraced the unusually robust preseason workload for a proven player like himself, noting he needed plenty of reps playing a true tight end role after essentially serving as a de facto wide receiver over the last two seasons. Head coach Mike McDaniel added that the opportunity gave Gesicki a chance to stay diligent and commit further to the dual responsibilities of pass catching and blocking, the latter of which he appears destined to do more of this coming season than in past years.

Smith (thumb) is closing in on a return to practice, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Coach Kevin O'Connell commented on Smith's recovery from thumb surgery after Saturday's preseason loss to the 49ers, saying the tight end "will be back on the grass" in the near future. Whether that means merely working with the Vikings' training staff on the side or actually mixing into individual drills remains to be seen, but when he does get on the field, it'll be a sign of progress as he aims to be available Week 1 against the Packers.

Kittle and most other starters will be held out of Saturday's preseason game against Minnesota, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

In addition to Kittle and QB Trey Lance, the 49ers figure to keep Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk off the field Saturday. Those four will form the core of the team's passing game this season, with both volume and efficiency being major question marks as the Niners transition from pocket passer Jimmy Garoppolo to a far more versatile and mobile QB in Lance.

Okwuegbunam played the entirety of Denver's preseason game against Buffalo on Saturday, logging four catches for 32 yards on five targets.

Coach Nathaniel Hackett said afterward that Okwuegbunam "needs reps," indicating some sort of dissatisfaction. By all accounts Okwuegbunam has made big plays consistently in Broncos training camp, so it's not clear why Hackett is playing mind games or what end he thinks he's working toward, but just as any other time he's ever played Okwuegbunam drew usage and played well against the Bills. It would be odd for Hackett to antagonize what might be his best big-play threat on offense, but for now that appears to be the situation.

Granson caught two of three targets for 18 yards in Saturday's 27-26 preseason loss to the Lions.

Granson was involved from the onset, catching the first pass thrown by Nick Foles while the Colts rested starters such as Matt Ryan and Mo Alie-Cox. While Alie-Cox's superior blocking ability and experience have him poised to lead Colts tight ends in playing time, Granson's expected to take on a more significant role in his second NFL season after seeing minimal involvement in 2021 as a rookie fourth-round pick out of SMU.

Hodges (undisclosed) will not play in Saturday's exhibition contest versus the Chiefs, Sam Fortier of The Washington Post reports.

Hodges sigend with the Commanders as an undrafted free agent in May. He is competing for a spot on the team's final roster, so a return from his undisclosed injury sooner than later will be advantageous for his chances.

Turner (hamstring) will not play in Saturday's preseason matchup with the Chiefs, Sam Fortier of The Washington Post reports.

Turner, a rookie fifth-round pick by the Commanders, has been nursing a hamstring injury. He is competing with the likes of Sammis Reyes, Curtis Hodges and Armani Rogers for the No. 3 position on the depth chart at tight end and for a spot on the team's final 53-man roster.

Rogers will start at tight end in Saturday's preseason game against the Chiefs, JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington reports.

The undrafted rookie was a college quarterback at UNLV and Ohio. Now, he's essentially the last man standing in an injury-riddled TE room in Washington, with the other healthy body being recently signed Eli Wolf. There's an opportunity for Rogers to see a bunch of targets.