NFL Player News

Hockenson (thumb) had the fifth-year option on his contract for 2023 picked up by the Lions on Tuesday, Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com reports.

General manager Brad Holmes indicated in late March the Lions would be picking up the option, and the team made that transaction official Tuesday. A long-term deal could still come to fruition, but Hockenson is now under contract for the next two years. The 24-year-old caught 61 of 84 targets for 583 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games in 2021 before undergoing season-ending thumb surgery. There hasn't been any concern regarding his availability for offseason workouts during the spring and summer.

Fortson (Achilles) shared images Thursday of him doing individual football drills with personal trainer Bobby Stroupe in Texas, Juan Cisneros of FOX 4 Kansas City reports.

Fortson caught five passes for 47 yards and two touchdowns across six games during the 2021 campaign before suffering a season-ending Achilles injury during the Chiefs' Week 6 win over Washington. The 26-year-old, who's an exclusive rights free agent, was tendered by Kansas City in mid-March and, barring his health, could have a larger role in 2022 after the departure of Tyreek Hill. It's an encouraging sign to see the second-year tight end training with Stroupe, who's also Patrick Mahomes' trainer, but it remains unclear if he'll be 100 percent by the start of training camp.

Thomas (knee) is progressing well in his recovery from a left ACL tear and has already resumed jogging, Ivan Lambert of USA Today reports.

Thomas said "rehab is going very well" from his Dec. 17 surgery, and noted that his recovery is already "at the jogging stage." While it's positive that the starting tight end is currently "a little" ahead of schedule in his recovery, Thomas also revealed that his surgery was more extensive than previously disclosed. "I did ACL, MCL and both of my meniscus," Thomas said of the procedure. The severity and timing of Thomas' injury makes his status for Week 1 uncertain, so second-year pro John Bates is a candidate to handle increased work during the early stretch of the 2022 campaign.

Akins is signing with the Giants, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

A 2018 third-round pick, Akins never topped 418 yards or two TDs in his four years with the Texans, though he did play at least 13 games each season. He and Ricky Seals-Jones will compete to replace Evan Engram (Jaguars) as the Giants' top pass catcher at tight end, though the upcoming NFL Draft could bring a third competitor for the job.

Smith (knee) didn't run routes at Tuesday's offseason practice, but he expects to be a full participant in training camp this summer, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Smith was limited in his on-field work, three weeks after Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said the team would "be smart" about the tight end's spring workload. Smith missed the entire 2021 campaign with a meniscus injury, but it sounds like he'll be a big part of the plan for 2022 under a new coaching staff, especially after fellow tight end Tyler Conklin signed with the Jets earlier this offseason. O'Connell remained optimistic Tuesday, noting that Smith was "right on schedule" in the rehab process, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com.

Dafney signed a one-year contract with the Packers on Monday, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Dafney played in 10 games for Green Bay last season, recording two catches on four targets for 34 yards. The two-year pro also chipped in on 104 special-teams snaps. Dafney currently is No. 5 on the Packers' tight end positional depth chart, so he's got work to do if he hopes to earn an expanded role next season.

Wright signed a one-year contract with the Lions on Monday, Howard Balzer of SI.com reports.

Wright joined the Lions as an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame in 2021. The rookie appeared in 10 games for the Lions last season, all after Week 7, recording 12 catches on 17 targets for 117 yards and two touchdowns. Currently No. 2 on the Lions' positional depth chart at tight end, Wright will work to build on his rookie campaign this upcoming season.

Parham has officially signed his exclusive rights free agent tender with the Chargers, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

The tight end -- who saw his receptions double from 10 in 2020 to 20 in 2021 -- will jostle for snaps behind former Seahawk Gerald Everett, who Los Angeles signed in April. Also currently in the mix at the position with Parham are Tre' McKitty and Hunter Kampmoyer.

The Seahawks picked up the fifth-year option on Fant's rookie contract Tuesday, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

The 2019 first-round pick was part of the March trade that sent Russell Wilson to the Broncos. While Fant's prospects for 2022 partially hinge on Drew Lock, another part of the package received by the Seahawks, improving or the team finding a better quarterback, there's a good chance the 24-year-old tight end will have more than one year to figure things out in Seattle. The fifth-year option is for a fully guaranteed $6.85 million, a reasonable figure from the team's point of view even if Fant hasn't quite lived up to the standards of a 20th overall draft pick. The upcoming season will be his fourth in the NFL, with the option then applying to 2023.

Firkser is signing with the Falcons, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.

Firkser spent the first four years of his career in Tennessee, where he started three of 58 regular-season games and caught 106 passes for 1,107 yards and five touchdowns. The tight end showed some ability as a receiver but never earned consistent snaps or targets in a run-first offense. The 27-year-old Firkser now serves as depth behind Kyle Pitts, the clear favorite to lead Atlanta in targets this season.