NFL Player News

Fortson (quadriceps) didn't practice Monday, but coach Andy Reid believes the tight end will be available to practice within the next few days, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Once healthy, Fortson will compete for a depth role at tight end behind Travis Kelce. Per Reid, Fortson's injury "isn't too bad."

Likely is turning in a strong start to training camp and is vying for a role in the Ravens offense, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

Mark Andrews is the clear No.1 option at tight end, but fellow rookie Charlie Kolar's injury means there's one less hurdle for Likely to clear in order to have a role. Likely, a rookie from Coastal Carolina, has carried over his positive momentum from minicamp to begin training camp as he is showing reliable hands and a better-than-expected ability to separate from defenders. Per Zrebiec, Likely appears "close to certain" to have a role Week 1 provided he continues to impress in practice and remains healthy.

Hurst has drawn praise from multiple teammates for his performance early in training camp, Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official site reports.

Safety Michael Thomas said Hurst's skill set is "as advertised," while slot cornerback Mike Hilton elaborated that "he can really move for his size," which will allow Hurst to be a "mismatch" for defenders. Signed to replace C.J. Uzomah as the team's starting tight end, Hurst could be more involved as a pass catcher than Uzomah was, but he hasn't been able to create a rapport with quarterback Joe Burrow yet, as the quarterback is recovering from an appendectomy.

Coach Nathaniel Hackett isn't concerned about Dulcich's (hamstring) absence from training camp, Zac Stevens of DNVR Sports reports.

The Broncos are taking it easy with their rookie third-round pick, and Hackett pointed out that there's still plenty of time for Dulcich to get up to speed before the regular season. Once healthy, Dulcich is expected to compete with Albert Okwuegbunam for playing time at tight end.

Waller (undisclosed) wasn't spotted at Monday's practice, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports.

The tight end also was absent from Sunday's session, so until added information regarding the nature of his absence is provided, we'll consider Waller day-to-day ahead of Thursday's Hall of Fame Game versus the Jaguars.

Calcaterra suffered a leg injury in practice Saturday, Martin Frank of the Delaware News Journal reports.

The severity of Calcaterra's injury is unclear, but it will keep him out of practice Monday at minimum. Once cleared to return, the rookie sixth-round pick will attempt to carve out a depth role on Philadelphia's tight end depth chart.

Hudson (leg) passed his physical Monday and was removed from the active/PUP list, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Hudson suffered the injury during minicamp, but he has recovered and will participate in training camp moving forward. He's expected to fill a depth role at tight end for the Titans in 2022.

Kittle, who dealt with a lower-body issue during OTAs, is participating in training camp practices, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

Kittle, who remains the 49ers' clear-cut top tight end, continues to profile as a quality fantasy option at his position, coming off a 2021 campaign in which he caught 71 of his 94 targets for 910 yards and six TDs in 14 games. The 28-year-old has missed 11 regular-season games over the last two campaigns, but as long as he's available, Kittle should maintain steady target volume in 2022 while working in a 49ers passing attack that is in line to be helmed by second-year QB Trey Lance.

Higbee, who missed the Rams' Super Bowl LVI win over the Bengals due to an MCL injury, has been participating in training camp, Stu Jackson of the team's official site reports.

Now that he's moved past his knee issue, Higbee -- who recorded 61 catches (on 85 targets) for 560 yards and five TDs in 15 regular-season games in 2021 -- is set to reprise his role as the Rams' clear-cut No. 1 pass-catching tight end. As long as he can stay healthy, Higbee should see steady enough targets from QB Matthew Stafford in a Rams' passing attack that also includes top wideouts Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson to maintain a degree of fantasy relevance in most scoring formats.

FitzPatrick (undisclosed) took part in training camp Friday, Matt Urben of Falcons Wire reports.

FitzPatrick was limited during minicamp, but he appears to be fully active for training camp. Selected in the sixth round out of Georgia in the 2021 Draft, Fitzpatrick is an Atlanta native whose blocking skills caught the Falcons' eye last year.