NFL Player News

Asiasi (undisclosed) was limited during Tuesday's training camp practice, Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal reports.

Asiasi left Monday's practice early due to an undisclosed injury, but as expected, the issue was minor and he's already working his way back to 100 percent. Fellow backup tight end Dalton Keene was also limited due to an undisclosed injury.

Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said Wednesday that Thomas (ribs) will be sidelined for a week or two, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

Thomas had to be carted off the practice field Tuesday, but he appears to have avoided a major injury. The 2018 fourth-round pick will likely miss at least one preseason contest, but he's still expected to open the regular season as the primary backup to second-year pro Tommy Tremble.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh said Tuesday that Ruckert is playing catchup after missing all of New York's OTAs and half of training camp due to a foot injury, Ethan Sears of the New York Post reports. "He's swimming a little bit," Saleh said. "Obviously there's a lot of information coming in. He missed all of OTAs, half of training camp, and he's getting into the thick of it in the middle of it."

The Jets have veterans C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin at the top of the tight-end depth chart, so there's no need to rush the rookie third-round pick into the mix. However, Ruckert has immense upside and would give second-year quarterback Zach Wilson another legitimate receiving threat when he's finally up to speed with the playbook.

Okwuegbunam has been a popular target of quarterback Russell Wilson during training camp, with head coach Nathaniel Hackett noting Tuesday that the tight end has become more comfortable in Denver's new offense after a slow start at OTAs, Andrew Mason of 104.5 The Fan Denver reports.

Rookie third-round pick Greg Dulcich received plenty of hype during the offseason program, but he's been quieter at training camp after missing the first week with a hamstring injury. Hackett said Okwuegbunam has been "absolutely splendid" this summer, noting that the Broncos have "been putting him all over the place" and are pleased with his progress as a blocker. That last part doesn't profile as a strength for either Okwuegbunam or Dulcich, but the third-year pro at least has a size advantage at 6-foot-5 and 258 pounds, compared to the rookie's 6-foot-4, 245-pound measurements.

Seals-Jones (undisclosed) is unlikely to play Thursday in the Giants' first preseason game, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

Seals-Jones has been absent from the practice field for much of training camp, and he was also involved very little during minicamp. A specific injury has still yet to be reported. Seals-Jones was expected to compete with 2022 fourth-round pick Daniel Bellinger and offseason signee Jordan Akins for the leading spot on the Giants' tight end positional depth chart. However, the more time Seals-Jones misses, the harder it's going to be for him to nab the No. 1 spot.

Hill (ribs) is adjusting to more of a tight end role as he rehabs from the Lisfranc injury he suffered late last season, Michael Hull of NewOrleansSaints.com reports.

He was still wearing a non-contact jersey during Tuesday's practice as he also recovers from a less serious issue with his ribs that cropped up a little over a week ago. Hill was called on to make four starts at quarterback late last season after Jameis Winston tore his ACL in Week 8, with mixed results. Now that Winston is more than nine months removed from his injury and the team added veteran signal-caller Andy Dalton this offseason, it seems unlikely Hill will need to start under center again in 2022. He's working primarily as a tight end now, which means he'll compete with Adam Trautman to be on the receiving end of passes rather than on the delivering end. It still wouldn't be surprising to see Hill take some wildcat snaps around the goal-line though, making him an interesting bench stash in deeper leagues.

Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said Thomas suffered an injury to his ribs during Tuesday's practice, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Per Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site, Thomas had to be carted off the field after suffering the injury, which is always a concerning sign, but the extent of the issue remains unclear. If healthy, the 2018 fourth-round pick is expected to be the primary backup tight end to second-year pro Tommy Tremble, who has significantly higher fantasy value than Thomas.

Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy believes Kmet can be a rock star on offense, Alyssa Barbieri of USA Today reports.

Although he ranked eighth in tight-end targets last year with 93, the 23-year-old failed to score a touchdown. However, with favored red-zone target Jimmy Graham no longer on the team, it's likely that Kmet will see more looks at the goal line. Getsy pointed out that the 2020 second-round pick is starting to use the "really cool tools" he has. He's lining up out wide and working in line as well as blocking. The coach also believes Kmet is on the brink of taking his game to another level. It's possible that the tight end could emerge as the second-most reliable receiving option on the Bears after Darnell Mooney. Currently being drafted just outside the top-10 tight ends, if Kmet takes a big step forward in his third season, he could be a draft-day bargain.

Jordan can help the Texans fill their void at slot receiver, Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The Texans have a big-framed tight end in Pharaoh Brown, who can handle in-line blocking assignments, so they don't necessarily need Jordan in that role. Houston head coach Lovie Smith said the 2021 fifth-round pick can block "a little bit" -- the tight end acknowledges he has a "long way to go" as a blocker -- but the coach sees Jordan's potential in multi-tight end and fullback packages. One potential spot for the athletic 22-year-old is in the slot, where the Texans had planned on John Metchie (illness) being the starter before his unfortunate cancer diagnosis. Whatever the coaches decide, there will be a role for Jordan, who became a go-to target on third down and in red zone situations in 2021, when he had 20 catches, 178 yards and three touchdowns over nine games.

Asiasi left New England's practice early Monday with an undisclosed injury that is not expected to be serious, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports.

Asiasi has dealt with a hand issue this preseason, though it's unclear if this is what forced his early departure Monday. The 2020 third-round pick has registered just two catches on seven targets over ten total games during his first two seasons with the Patriots, and he may need to establish a special-teams presence to ensure a spot on the final 53-man roster for the 2022 campaign.