NFL Player News

The Patriots are slated to waive Asiasi (quad), Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

With the move, Matt Sokol and Jalen Wydermyer profile as the Patriots' tight end options behind Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith. Assuming Asiasi isn't waived with an injury designation, the 2020 third-rounder will have an opportunity to catch on elsewhere ahead of Week 1.

The Jets waived Yeboah on Tuesday, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports.

Yeboah spilt time between the Jets' active roster and practice squad last year, totaling nine appearances and 166 snaps (53 offensive). However, the Jets completely revamped their tight end corps this offseason by signing Tyler Conklin and C.J. Uzomah, and drafting Jeremy Ruckert, which made it extremely difficult for Yeboah to earn a spot on the initial 53-man roster. Regardless, if he clears waivers, Yeboah is certainly a candidate to rejoin New York's practice squad.

Mack (undisclosed) was waived/injured by the Packers on Tuesday, Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus reports.

Mack was signed to a reserve/future deal in February, but he ultimately failed to secure a spot on the Packers' roster for the 2022 campaign. The tight is dealing with an undisclosed injury, and assuming he passes through waivers unclaimed, he'll revert to injured reserve.

Okonkwo tallied three receptions on three targets for 22 yards in Saturday's 26-23 preseason win over the Cardinals.

Okonkwo showed some rapport with rookie Malik Willis, tallying catches of 10 and six yards. He'll almost certainly begin the season behind Austin Hooper on the depth chart, but he could ultimately surpass Geoff Swaim for an offensive role at some point during the campaign. Okonkwo was praised for his work on special teams by coach Mike Vrabel, which will also be a path for him to see significant time on the field.

Higbee didn't play in Saturday's preseason contest in Cincinnati.

Higbee's return from an MCL sprain suffered during the NFC Championship Game will come with no playing time during the trio of preseason games, during which Kendall Blanton was surprisingly waived. The Rams may go into the season with just two tight ends, as only Brycen Hopkins seems like a lock for a roster spot with cut day looming Tuesday, so Higbee's heavy volume of work from his previous few seasons should remain consistent. Higbee's first season with Matthew Stafford as his quarterback saw him record 61 catches (on 85 targets) for 560 yards and five touchdowns, and a similar level of production should be expected from the tight end, although his red-zone production could take a hit with the big-bodied Allen Robinson taking over as the team's No. 2 wide receiver.

Gentry wasn't targeted during Sunday's 19-9 preseason win over the Lions.

Gentry served as a starter Sunday and was on the field for 25 percent of the Steelers' offensive snaps, but he didn't have an impact in the passing game. The 2019 fifth-rounder was quiet during the preseason, securing his lone target for nine yards. He's in line to begin the year as the No. 2 tight end behind Pat Freiermuth since Eric Ebron is no longer with the team, but Gentry's fantasy value will likely be limited as long as Freiermuth is healthy.

The Steelers waived Sternberger on Monday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Sternberger joined the Steelers' practice squad in November of last year and spent the rest of the season on the team's practice squad before he signed a futures deal in January. The 2019 third-round pick hasn't appeared in an NFL regular-season game since 2020, when he caught 12 of 15 targets for 114 yards and one score across 12 appearances with Green Bay.

Coach Matt LaFleur said Monday "it's a little too early" to say whether Tonyan (knee) will suit up for the regular season-opener against Minnesota, Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette reports.

Tonyan resumed taking part in team drills Sunday, and the Packers activated him from the active/PUP list on Aug. 14, so it's clear he's making progress in his recovery from a torn left ACL. With the season opener just under two weeks away, Tonyan still has a bit of time to showcase his health before the team will need to make a decision on his Week 1 status.

Allen hauled in four of four targets for 40 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's exhibition loss to the Jets.

The Giants had 14 different players notch at least one reception in the contest, and Allen had the only touchdown on an 18-yard connection with Davis Webb in the fourth quarter. Allen signed with New York as an undrafted free agent in May after racking up 602 yards on 38 catches with Nebraska last year. He's not guaranteed a spot on the 53-man roster but certainly has a shot given the lack of depth at the tight-end position behind fellow rookie Daniel Bellinger.

Freiermuth hauled in three passes (on four targets) for 45 yards in Sunday's preseason win over the Lions.

Freiermuth has racked up 80 receiving yards on just five receptions through two abbreviated preseason tilts. These stats don't count yet, but those who were hoping for the second-year tight end to build off his solid rookie campaign (497 yards and seven touchdowns) have to be pleased with his performance. Freiermuth will be the primary tight end for whoever head coach Mike Tomlin decides to name starting quarterback prior to the season opener against the Bengals on Sunday, Sept. 11.