NFL Player News

Waller reported to training camp and isn't holding out, though his contract may need to be addressed soon, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Waller has two years remaining on his contract, with base salaries of $6.25 million in both 2022 and 2023. That makes him one of the better bargains in the league apart from players on rookie contracts -- a result of signing an extension fairly early on in his 2019 breakout season. Waller then had an even better year in 2020 (1,196 yards, nine TDs), before injuries limited him to 11 games and 665 yards last season. He'll turn 30 in September, but it won't come as any surprise if the Raiders give him an extension or pay raise to increase his compensation for the upcoming season. Waller does have more target competition than in past years, following Hunter Renfrow's 2021 breakout and the Raiders' offseason trade for Davante Adams.

Otton (ankle) has received medical clearance Thursday, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Otton missed rookie minicamp while recovering from ankle surgery, but the 2022 third-round pick will be on the field when Tampa Bay's training camp kicks off July 27. The Buccaneers recently signed veteran tight end Kyle Rudolph in the wake of Rob Gronkowski's retirement, who in addition to Cameron Brate could provide Otton with strong competition for Year 1 snaps.

The Jets placed Ruckert (foot) on the non-football injury list Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

Ruckert continues to recover from the foot injury that held him out of June minicamp. C.J. Uzomah (foot) also missed June team activities, while Tyler Conklin has remained healthy since inking with the Jets earlier this offseason. As long as Ruckert is able to return to full health at some point during training camp, he should get a chance to compete for snaps as a rookie.

The Giants placed Bellinger (quadriceps) on the physically unable to perform list Thursday, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports.

Rookies reported for New York's training camp Tuesday, so Bellinger may have sustained his quad injury in the interval since. The 2022 fourth-round pick worked predominantly with the first team during spring practices, and he appears to have a legitimate shot at securing the No. 1 role in the Giants' tight end room. Of course, if Bellinger misses a substantial amount of practices time due to injury this offseason, his chances of starting could significantly dip.

The Chargers placed Smartt on the non-football injury list Tuesday due to an unspecified issue, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

Once he's activated from the list and able to participate in training camp, the undrafted rookie tight end out of Old Dominion will compete for a depth role.

Okwuegbunam shared Broncos' first-team reps with rookie Greg Dulcich (core) during OTAs and faces competition for the No. 1 spot on the depth chart at tight end, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

Okwuegbunam should have the inside track to remain atop the depth chart at tight end in Denver, but Dulcich's involvement with the starters this offseason could mean the veteran's job is less secure than once thought. Dulcich, chosen in the third round, has promise as a pass catcher, and the coaching staff seems interested in seeing what they have in the UCLA product. The duo had been splitting reps with the first-team offense in OTAs prior to Dulcich missing time with a minor core muscle pull. Third-year veteran Okwuegbunam is likely the favorite to start the year as the No. 1 tight end, but Dulcich's on-field performance could compel the coaching staff to make a switch at some point this season.

Dulcich missed the final week of the Broncos' OTAs as well as the team's two-practice mandatory minicamp due to a minor core muscle pull, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

The injury doesn't seem to be a major concern for Dulcich, who could be fully cleared for the start of training camp later this month. If ready to go for camp, the rookie out of UCLA should get the chance to compete for the top spot on the depth chart at tight end with holdover Albert Okwuegbunam. Even though Okwuegbunam was thought to have the No. 1 role locked down after Noah Fant was traded to the Seahawks earlier in the offseason, Dulcich and Okwuegbunam had been splitting reps with the first-team offense in OTAs prior to the rookie missing time with injury. Dulcich has promise as a pass catcher and the coaching staff seems interested in seeing what he can do early on in camp and the preseason.

Schultz is set to play the 2022 season on a one-year guaranteed franchise tag of $10.93 million, Nick Eatman of the Cowboys' official site reports.

The tight end and the team were unable to come to terms on a long-term deal by Friday's deadline and the next chance the two sides will have to re-enter such talks will be after the coming season. Schultz, who participated in the Cowboys' mandatory minicamp last month after missing a portion of the squad's voluntary OTAs, seems likely to report to training camp on July 25 without any issues, per Eatman. The 26-year-old is coming off the best campaign of his four-year NFL career, in which the 2018 fourth-rounder caught 78 of his 104 targets for 808 yards and eight TDs in 17 contests. Looking ahead, Schultz remains entrenched as the Cowboys' top tight end and will remain a vital part of the team's passing attack from the get-go in 2022, more so with wideout Amari Cooper having been traded and fellow WR Michael Gallup still recovering from an ACL injury.

Gesicki is in line to play the 2022 season on the Dolphins' franchise tag after the tight end and the team were unable to reach an agreement on a long-term deal ahead of Friday's deadline to do so, Mike Masala of USA Today reports.

Gesicki is thus slated to earn $10.93 million this coming season, while heading a Miami tight end corps that also includes Durham Smythe, Adam Shaheen and Hunter Long. The 26-year-old is coming off a 2021 campaign in which he caught 73 of his 112 targets for 780 yards and two TDs in 17 games. Looking ahead, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN suggests Gesicki will be, at worst, the third option in a Dolphins passing attack that also includes dynamic wideouts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. As long as he can stay healthy, Gesicki -- who has missed just one regular-season game in four NFL campaigns -- seems destined to earn a solid share of targets once again in 2022, with Masala noting that new coach Mike McDaniel is expected to implement a system that uses in-line tight ends frequently.

Gesicki and the Dolphins are unlikely to come to terms on a contract extension ahead of Friday's 4:00 p.m. ET deadline for franchise-tagged players, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Gesicki signed his one-year, $10.9-million contract tender in March after reports that may he file a grievance to be treated as a wide receiver in this contract calculation - a move that could have netted him an additional $8.5 million in guaranteed salary. Barring any last-minute negotiations, the 26-year-old now looks primed to play out the 2022 campaign on the franchise tag. Gesicki has been used as a prolific pass-catching threat over the past three seasons with Miami, recording career-highs in targets (112), catches (73) and receiving yards (780) over 17 games in 2021; however, his usage may take a step back in 2022 with talented wideouts Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill also on the team's roster and in line to log plenty of targets this coming season.