NFL Player News

Kittle caught his only target for 14 yards in Sunday's 34-10 preseason win over the Raiders.

Kittle made his exhibition debut and secured a first down on San Francisco's second play of the day, looking every bit ready for the regular season. The tight end now will turn his attention toward Week 1's matchup against the Lions and aim to reclaim his All-Pro status with a healthy 2021 campaign.

Engram won't return to Sunday's preseason game versus the Patriots due to a calf injury, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Engram was evaluated by the Giants' training staff on the sideline before favoring his left leg as he was escorted to the locker room. Prior to his exit Sunday, he gathered in all three of his targets for 22 yards. Engram will have exactly two weeks to heal up in advance of the team's season opener Sunday, Sept. 9 against the Broncos.

Conklin, who hasn't played during the preseason as he deals with a hamstring injury, has a chance to see an expanded role, health permitting, with Irv Smith (knee) expected to miss time early on this season, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

With Kyle Rudolph no longer in the mix, Smith had been viewed as a possible fantasy breakout candidate in 2021. With that potential outcome on hold, Conklin could emerge as an option in deeper formats early on this season. Meanwhile, Brandon Dillon, Zach Davidson and Shane Zylstra are also currently in the Vikings' tight end mix.

Henry (shoulder) didn't suit up for Sunday's preseason finale versus the Giants, Jeff Howe of The Athletic reports.

Henry has been managing a shoulder injury that has limited him in practice, so this comes as no surprise. The tight end now will shift his focus to readying for Week 1 action, when he'll look to combine with fellow free-agent acquisition Jonnu Smith to form a potent one-two punch at a position that wasn't very productive for the Patriots in 2020.

Smith is expected to need a procedure to address a meniscus injury, which is expected to sideline the tight end for the start of the regular season, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

A firm timetable for Smith's return has yet to be outlined, but his anticipated absence would free up added snaps/touches for Tyler Conklin (hamstring), when healthy, as well as Brandon Dillon and Zach Davidson.

Dissly played 10 snaps in Saturday's 27-0 preseason win over the Chargers.

Dissly has a locked-in role as the team's best blocking tight end, and the only reason he played Saturday was because the Seahawks only have a few healthy tight ends. Gerald Everett also played and caught his lone target for two yards. New OC Shane Waldron often rolled out two tight-end sets, which is a positive sign for Dissly, though Everett likely will end up catching more passes this year.

Coach Pete Carroll said Sunday that Parkinson (foot) will run this week and that there's still hope he can be ready by Week 1, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.

Parkinson was slated to be the third tight end behind Will Dissly and Gerald Everett this season, and still will be if he is able to return for the regular season. However, the Seahawks are likely to be extra cautious, as the 22-year-old broke the same foot last year.

Everett brought in his only target for two yards in the Seahawks' 27-0 preseason win over the Chargers on Saturday night.

The offseason acquisition saw minimal action come his way after not playing in the loss to the Raiders last Saturday. Despite not having shown much yet in a Seahawks uniform, Everett is expected to serve as the top tight end on a depth chart that also includes Will Dissly, who's shown flashes in his first three seasons, and 2020 fourth-round pick Colby Parkinson (foot).

Okwuegbunam recorded three receptions on four targets for 23 yards in Saturday's preseason game against the Rams.

Okwuegbunam got the chance to work with the first-team offense as Noah Fant (leg) remained sidelined. The former remained on the field throughout the first half, with his longest reception of the day going for 12 yards in a connection with Drew Lock. Okwuegbunam is set to enter the team's Week 1 matchup against the Giants as Denver's second-string tight end, though he isn't likely to be heavily involved as a receiver with the likes of Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler (illness) and Fant getting the majority of the opportunities.

Firkser failed to catch his only target in Saturday's preseason loss to the Bears.

The Titans rested most of their starters and key personnel in the preseason finale, and while Firkser wasn't in that group, all his snaps came early in the game before he gave way to other tight ends. With Jonnu Smith now in New England, Firkser is expected to emerge as the Titans' primary receiving option at TE heading into his fourth NFL campaign, but it's not clear if his snap count will see a significant increase if the team doesn't view him as a reliable blocking option.