NFL Player News

Njoku didn't practice Tuesday due to a shoulder injury, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Njoku has had a rough past two years in Cleveland, spending time on IR due to a broken wrist in 2019, residing in Freddie Kitchens' doghouse upon his return that season and playing behind both Austin Hooper and rookie Harrison Bryant in 2020. In total, Njoku has gathered in 24 of 39 targets for 254 yards and three touchdowns in 17 appearances during that stretch. Now dealing with another injury, Njoku is in danger of missing preseason action, with the Browns set to kick off their exhibition season Saturday at Jacksonville.

Long (lower body) is not believed to have suffered a season-ending injury, Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post reports.

Long had to be carted off the field Sunday after suffering what appeared to be a left knee injury, but which Schad now describes as a lower-body issue. It was reported that Long was unable to put any weight on his left leg, so it will be a relief for Miami if he's indeed avoided something season-ending. Durham Smythe and Adam Shaheen will handle reps behind top tight end Mike Gesicki in the meantime.

Waller (undisclosed) was spotted working out with a trainer on the side during Tuesday's practice, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.

The tight end isn't ready to practice just yet, but appears to be inching his way back into action. At this stage, consider Waller day-to-day as Saturday's preseason opener against Seattle approaches.

Gesicki was reinstated from the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday.

Gesicki was one of multiple Miami tight ends placed on the list Aug. 1, but he looks like he'll be able to resume practicing fully again after spending just over a week away from the team. Due to the missed time, Gesicki's reps could be limited in Saturday's preseason opener in Chicago, if he isn't held out of the contest entirely.

The MRI that Henry underwent Monday on his shoulder revealed no serious injury, but the Patriots expect him to be sidelined for "a couple of weeks," Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

New England remains optimistic that Henry will gain full clearance in advance of its Week 1 matchup Sept. 12 versus the Dolphins, but the shoulder injury Hunter suffered Sunday looks like it will cost him some opportunities to build chemistry with quarterbacks Cam Newton and Mac Jones in practices and during the preseason. For what it's worth, head coach Bill Belichick labeled Henry as "day-to-day" when he met with the media Tuesday, but expect the Patriots to proceed cautiously nonetheless with the veteran tight end, who signed a three-year, $37.5 million deal with New England in March.

Firkser was listed as the second-string tight end on the team's first official depth chart of the season, Gentry Estes of the Tennesseean reports.

It has been assumed that Firkser would step into the role vacated by Jonnu Smith as the team's primary pass-catching tight end. Thus, the fact that Geoff Swaim was listed atop the depth chart was a fairly significant surprise. That said, it's worth keeping in mind that this is the team's first depth chart, and there have been no indications that Firkser's performance has warranted demotion. More importantly, the team has had two tight ends on the field at a very high rate relative to the rest of the league in the last few seasons. In other words, it's too early to panic.

Parham is expected to see a bigger role in the offense entering the new season, Gilbert Manzano of The Orange County Register reports.

Parham thus far has been one of the early standouts through training camp, flashing his athleticism after the catch while also improving as a blocker. The latter will be the key to additional reps for Parham considering the Chargers figure to use veteran tight end Jared Cook almost exclusively as a receiving threat. The 6-foot-8 former XFL tight end already was considered a favorite red-zone threat of quarterback Justin Herbert's, so any sort of additional playing time should only benefit Parham given the obvious rapport with his star QB.

Brown is still feeling the effects of coronavirus and subsequent side effects from the vaccine after contracting the virus last month, Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Brown, who entered camp on the reserve/COVID-19 list, was activated last Tuesday and is working his way back to full health. The 6-foot-6, 258-pounder is the biggest tight end on the roster, and he could be a force near the goal line and as a blocker. Although he's still not in optimal shape, Brown did make a nice play in Saturday night's practice session, catching a red-zone pass from Tyrod Taylor for a touchdown.

Dafney (knee) has been activated from the PUP list and is practicing Monday, Wes Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site reports.

Dafney began training camp on the PUP list, but he's now passed his physical. The 24-year-old tight end is likely competing for a roster spot, so he could have some ground to make up at practice.

The Panthers activated Sullivan (undisclosed) from the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

Sullivan can attend team activities now that he's fully cleared the league's COVID protocols. The 2020 seventh-round pick, who appeared in one game with the Seahawks as a rookie, is vying for a depth role with the Panthers.