NFL Player News

Vannett (illness) passed his physical Wednesday, Katherine Terrell of The Athletic reports.

Vannett's medical clearance is an encouraging sign after he started Saints' training camp on the active/non-football illness list. The 29-year-old is thus eligible to practice once again and will look to cement a role in a tight end corps that also includes Adam Trautman, Taysom Hill and Juwan Johnson.

Jackson (knee) was placed on the active/PUP list Wednesday.

Jackson tore his ACL in the Eagles' Week 18 loss to the Cowboys and underwent successful surgery in January to repair it. His current inability to return to practice shouldn't be a surprise, and his status for Week 1 is up in the air.

The Giants activated Bellinger (quadriceps) from the PUP list Wednesday, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

Bellinger was placed on the list just under a week ago with a quadriceps issue, but he appears to be ready to return to practice as training camp gets underway. The 21-year-old is in line to get consideration for the starting role at tight end after he was selected in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He'll compete with Ricky Seals-Jones and Jordan Akins for work at the position.

Kelce and the Chiefs agreed to terms on an adjusted contract Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Kelce's new deal increases his salary for the 2022 campaign, and while the move which should keep the star tight end happy for this season, it doesn't address a potential contract dispute down the road. The 32-year-old is under contract with Kansas City through 2025, on a deal which looks like a relative bargain for the team considering that Kelce is coming off six consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns. His role on offense will be especially key in 2022 in the wake of the Chiefs' decision to trade Tyreek Hill, but as early as the 2023 offseason, Kelce's contract could once again surface as an issue that needs to be addressed.

Vannett (illness) was placed on the active/non-football illness list Tuesday, Katherine Terrell of The Athletic reports.

Vannett will have to wait to hit the field for training camp. The veteran tight end is expected to file in behind Adam Trautman and Taysom Hill on the Saints' positional depth chart.

Hill (foot) is "ready to go" for training camp, according to Saints GM Mickey Loomis.

With Hill evidently having moved past a Lisfranc injury to his left foot, the versatile 31-year-old will now look to secure a role in the Saints offense, presumably as a tight end. Jameis Winston (knee), Andy Dalton and Ian Book will handle the team's QB duties in 2022.

Uzomah (undisclosed) was removed from the PUP list Tuesday, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports.

This suggests Uzomah has been cleared for the Jets' first training camp practice Wednesday. He and fellow offseason signing Tyler Conklin are in line to compete for the starting job at tight end, with some form of timeshare the most likely outcome after both had similar production last season and signed similar contracts this offseason. The Jets also have rookie third-round pick Jeremy Ruckert, who will open camp on the non-football injury list with a foot injury.

The Commanders placed Thomas (knee) on the active/PUP list Tuesday.

Thomas had knee surgery Dec. 17 to address an ACL tear accompanied by MCL and meniscus damage. He resumed jogging in April, but it remains to be seen when he'll be able to practice fully and as a result it won't be any surprise if John Bates is the Week 1 starting tight end for Washington.

Thomas (knee) is expected to land on the PUP list for the start of training camp, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

Thomas had major knee surgery Dec. 17 and resumed jogging at some point in April. He didn't participate in offseason practices and won't be ready for the start of camp, with Week 1 also a major question mark given the tight end's revelation in April that he'd damaged his MCL and meniscus in addition to an ACL tear. John Bates is the favorite to start at tight end in the event Thomas isn't ready for the opener, and they could form a timeshare if/when they're both healthy.

Coach Kevin O'Connell confirmed Smith will be a full participant in training camp after missing last season with a torn meniscus, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Smith took live reps at June minicamp and now gets a second shot at a breakout in the fourth and final year of his rookie contract. With Tyler Conklin leaving for New York in the offseason, Smith doesn't have much competition for snaps at tight end. The 2019 second-round pick was one of the league's better No. 2 TEs in 2019 and 2020 behind Kyle Rudolph, and he now has a shot at a three-down role in his age-24 season.