NFL Player News

Njoku (shoulder) went through individual drills at Wednesday's practice, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Njoku has been forced to miss practice since picking up a shoulder injury Tuesday, so it's encouraging to see him back out on the field. Unless he's able to resume practicing in full expediently, though, Njoku could be in danger of missing the Browns' first preseason game Saturday versus the Jaguars.

Uzomah is listed ahead of Drew Sample at tight end on the Bengals' depth chart.

Uzomah hasn't had any setbacks in camp as he has been recovering from his torn Achilles' tendon. He's more of a pass catcher than Sample, though his target share still won't likely be all that high. Moreover, the Bengals run an "11" formation more often than most teams, meaning there won't be too many chances for both Uzomah and Sample to see the field at the same time.

Dolphins head coach Brian Flores said Wednesday that Long (lower body) is day-to-day, Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post reports.

Long was carted off the field Sunday with what's being described as a lower-body injury, and he was reportedly unable to put any weight on his left leg afterward. The tight end appears to have avoided a serious injury, as he was seen walking around on the sideline at Wednesday's practice without a brace or sleeve on his leg. The 2021 third-round pick will compete for a role in the Dolphins' offense behind Mike Gesicki once he's able to return to the field.

Akins will miss practice Wednesday with muscle tightness in his leg, NFL reporter Aaron Wilson reports.

Akins is Houston's top pass catcher at tight end, a position otherwise manned by blocking specialists or untested young players. His absence from practice frees up reps for Kahale Warring, Brevin Jordan and Pharaoh Brown.

Hockenson got banged up during Tuesday's practice and exited early with an undisclosed injury, Justin Rogers of The Detroit News reports.

Head coach Dan Campbell used the words "minor" and "precautionary" when discussing Hockenson, who subsequently missed practice Wednesday, per Chris Burke of The Athletic. Even if his injury isn't serious, the tight end isn't likely to play in Friday's preseason opener against the Bills. Hockenson's absence would leave Darren Fells as Detroit's top tight end, followed on the depth chart by a slew of young players with minimal pro experience.

Freiermuth (shoulder) participated in Tuesday's practice, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Freiermuth suffered a shoulder injury last week and was unable to appear in the Hall of Fame Game against Dallas. However, the 22-year-old's return to practice signals that he could make his NFL debut in Thursday's exhibition game against the Eagles. Freiermuth had performed well early in camp before he suffered his shoulder injury, and he's expected to compete for a role in Pittsburgh's offense ahead of his rookie season.

Angeline was waived by the Cardinals on Tuesday.

Angeline joined the Cardinals back in May but had a short-lived stint as the team decided to bring in tight end Demetrius Harris in a corresponding move. Angeline will now look to join on with a new squad ahead of the regular season.

Bryant is listed as the No. 3 tight end on Cleveland's unofficial depth chart.

Bryant played more than David Njoku (shoulder) in 2020, but the Browns are leaning toward Njoku as the top backup to starter Austin Hooper. At least that was case until Njoku missed Tuesday's practice with a shoulder injury, paving the way for Bryant to get more practice reps as the team prepares for its first preseason game Saturday against Jacksonville.

Njoku (shoulder) is listed as the No. 2 tight end on the Browns' unofficial depth chart.

Njoku has had a good camp thus far but sustained a shoulder injury that forced him to sit out Tuesday's practice. The Browns appear to value his ability in one-on-one situations, which puts him above second-year man Harrison Bryant for now. In 2020 however, Bryant played more snaps than Njoku.

Swaim is the No. 1 tight end on the Titans' first official depth chart of the season, Claire Kuwana of the Tennessean reports.

Anthony Firkser was presumed to be the player who would primarily fill in for the loss of Jonnu Smith. However, in a surprise move Swaim was listed ahead of Firkser in the first version of the depth chart. However, that doesn't necessarily mean Swaim will have a large role as a receiver, as that listing could reflect his usage as a blocker for Derrick Henry. Across 10 games and 353 offensive snaps with the Titans last season, Swaim saw only 12 targets.