NFL Player News

The Lions waived Thedford (undisclosed) on Thursday.

Detroit didn't list an injury designation in the transaction, so it appears that Thedford has recovered from the undisclosed issue that forced him to miss some time in late July. The former defensive end, now turned tight end, will look for a chance elsewhere in the league.

Long (lower body) is participating in practice Thursday, Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald reports.

The rookie tight end was carted off the practice field due to what seemed like a worrying lower body injury roughly two weeks ago, but he's managed to quickly return to health. Long is still visibly playing through leg pain, per Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post, but it doesn't appear that the Dolphins are concerned about him aggravating any injuries. Now that he's back on the field, Long will resume competing to push Adam Shaheen and Durham Smythe for rotational reps behind top tight end Mike Gesicki.

Saubert secured both of his targets for 36 yards in Saturday's 33-6 win over Minnesota.

Saubert gained most of his yardage on a 22-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter of the contest, with his involvement in the passing game a promising sign in his battle for a roster spot. According to Nick Kosmider of The Athletic, "Saubert appears to have the No. 3 tight end position locked down." If this becomes reality, the veteran will find himself behind incumbent starter Noah Fant and Albert Okwuegbunam on the depth chart. With that said, Okwuegbunam did not play Saturday as he continues rehab from an ACL surgery last November. It remains unclear if Okwuegbunam will be ready for the season opener. If not, Saubert could find himself taking on a larger role in the offense. The 6-foot-5, 253-pounder will look to build upon this performance and his solid training camp when the Broncos visit the Seahawks in Week 2 of the preseason.

Fumagalli (undisclosed) cleared waivers and reverted to New England's injured reserve Wednesday, NFL reporter Aaron Wilson reports.

Fumagalli went unclaimed on waivers after being waived with an injury designation by the Patriots on Tuesday. The 26-year-old appeared in six games for Denver last season and caught eight passes for 80 yards and one touchdown.

Kmet missed Wednesday's practice due to a hamstring injury, Adam Hoge of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Kmet scattered nine starts about a 16-game rookie campaign in which he turned it on down the stretch, compiling most of his 28-243-2 line on 44 targets across his last six appearances. The Bears opened the preseason slate Saturday against the Dolphins in 12 personnel with Kmet and veteran Jimmy Graham at tight end and David Montgomery in the backfield, forecasting his expected role for the upcoming campaign. Now with an injury in tow, though, Kmet may not see game action again until Week 1 with his health in mind.

Jackson was diagnosed Wednesday with a fractured bone in his back and is facing a recovery timeline of 8-to-10 weeks, Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com reports.

The quarterback-turned-tight end reportedly had a strong training camp, with Kempski noting that Jackson could still make the team in spite of his injury. He'll be ruled out for the year if the Eagles place him on injured reserve this preseason, but not if they wait until after the final round of cuts to do so.

Fumagalli (undisclosed) was waived with an injury designation by the Patriots on Tuesday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Fumagalli signed with the Patriots back in May, joining a crowded tight end's room in New England. Now, he'll be on the search for a new home prior to the start of the regular season, provided he can prove he is in full health. At this time his injury remains undisclosed.

Parkinson won't require foot surgery and could return in a few weeks, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

The 6-foot-7, 251-pound tight end made little impact last season, but he was impressing in training camp before re-injuring the foot that he broke last summer. Foot injuries are always tricky, but it's encouraging that Parkinson won't need surgery and could possibly be ready for Week 1. Even if he's in the lineup for the season opener, he'll be stuck behind Gerald Everett and Will Dissly, so fantasy managers can safely leave him off their radar. Nevertheless, it's worth keeping tabs on his performance, as he could become useful in 2022 if Everett leaves in free agency.

Carlson will undergo surgery on his knee and miss the entire 2021 season, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Carlson suffered the injury during Saturday's preseason opener versus the Jaguars, and there will be no chance of him retaking the field this season. He appeared in 16 games for Cleveland last year and caught one of two targets for 11 yards while primarily playing special teams.

Long (lower body) is participating in some team drills Tuesday, Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post reports.

Long appears to be limited at Tuesday's practice, but it's certainly encouraging to see him handle blocking drills just over a week after he had to be carted off the field due to a lower-body injury. The Dolphins have a number of reliable tight ends atop the depth chart, namely Mike Gesicki, Adam Shaheen and Durham Smythe, so the team can take a cautious approach to Long's recovery. Still, it looks like the rookie third-round pick could have a chance at suiting up for action at some point during the preseason.