NFL Player News

Turner (hamstring) was listed as inactive by the Commanders for their preseason opener against the Panthers on Saturday, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

Turner is jockeying for a spot on the final 53-man roster with fellow tight ends Sammis Reyes, Armani Rogers and Curtis Hodges behind starter Logan Thomas (knee) and backup John Bates, but the hamstring injury that has kept the 2022 fifth-round pick out of practice since last Friday will also rob him of his first chance at in-game action with the team.

Bell (hip) was carted off during Saturday's preseason contest against the Bears and is questionable to return, Herbie Teope of The Kansas City Star reports.

The backup tight end was pushing to be involved more in the offense after consecutive seasons under 400 offensive snaps. Noah Gray and Jody Fortson should see more playing time in Bell's absence.

Davis was targeted twice but did not catch a pass in Friday's preseason game against the 49ers.

Davis started Friday's contest and saw a red-zone look from quarterback Jordan Love in the first quarter, but the ball went through his hands and resulted in an interception for the opponent. Davis came on late last season and has made some noise since the offseason began, but in addition to the drop he also had some issues in the blocking department, so that was not the start to the exhibition season he was looking for.

Njoku caught his lone target for seven yards in Friday's 24-13 preseason win over the Jaguars.

Njoku had the distinction of catching Deshaun Watson's first completion in an NFL game since 2020. The tight end and the rest of the starting offense were limited to a few series before taking the rest of the night off.

Pitts played but was not targeted in Friday's 27-23 preseason win over the Lions.

Pitts suited up as Atlanta opened their exhibition slate. In making a brief appearance, though, he didn't get any passes thrown his way. Pitts will hope to get more work in the Falcons' next preseason game versus the Jets.

Wilcox was ruled out for the remainder of Friday's preseason matchup against Arizona after suffering a left ankle injury.

Wilcox figured to see heavy usage before having his left ankle rolled up on in Friday's game as fellow backup Drew Sample was already sidelined due to a knee injury. With Wilcox now out as well, Thaddeus Moss and Scotty Washington should see increased snaps against the Cardinals.

Kittle isn't expected to play in Friday's preseason game against the Packers, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Kittle will be among a number of 49ers regulars sitting out their exhibition opener, including running back Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) and wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. Tyler Kroft, Ross Dwelley, Tanner Hudson and Troy Fumagalli represent the team's healthy and available tight ends Friday.

Hopkins is listed as the third-string tight end on the Rams' first unofficial depth chart, Cameron DaSilva of USA Today reports.

Hopkins had a breakout performance in Super Bowl LVI, notching 47 yards on four receptions after garnering just a single catch through the first twelve games of his career. Despite ending his year on a positive note, the return of Tyler Higbee combined with Kendall Blanton's presence relegates Hopkins back to a tertiary role going into his third year with the Rams, albeit with evidence that he can produce if thrust into a key role.

Mitchell is not expected to suit up for Friday night's preseason game against Atlanta, Justin Rogers of The Detroit News reports.

Mitchell just recently began working his way back into team activities after suffering a torn ACL during his final collegiate season with Virginia Tech. With the rookie tight end out, Brock Wright, Devin Funchess and Garrett Griffin should see increased usage.

Coach Kliff Kingsbury recently said Ertz (calf) is making progress, Tyler Drake of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM reports.

Ertz left practice last Thursday (Aug. 4) and hasn't returned since. He won't play in Friday's preseason game against Cincinnati, but there hasn't been any indication the Cardinals are worried about Week 1. Rookie tight end Trey McBride (back) is also banged up, while Maxx Williams (knee) came off the PUP list last week after suffering an ACL tear in Week 5 last season.