NFL Player News

Carlson (knee) left the Browns' preseason game against the Jaguars on Saturday and is officially out for the remainder of the game, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Carlson hurt his knee on a bobbled catch he made in the first half of the game. The third-year tight end played in all 16 games for the Browns last season, primarily on special teams, and as long as his injury isn't serious his contributions to special teams should give him a good chance at making the roster.

Kittle is not expected to play in Saturday's preseason opener against the Chiefs, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.

It is not believed that Kittle is dealing with any sort of injury, so it seems likely he is simply getting a chance to rest. A foot injury cost Kittle half the 2020 campaign, so expect the 49ers to be cautious with him leading up to Week 1.

Hill is working with the first-team offense in pregame warmups Saturday night in Baltimore, Luke Johnson of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Hill thus seems likely to get the start, with Jameis Winston replacing him at some point thereafter. The two QBs are competing for the Week 1 starting job.

McKeon left Friday's game against the Cardinals with a high-ankle sprain, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

When McKeon left the game Friday in a cart it was a sight that had many fearing the worst. With it now being diagnosed as an high-ankle sprain, a recovery time of four to six weeks should be expected. The second-year tight end was putting together a good training camp and might still have a chance to make the 53-man roster despite the injury.

Schultz (ankle) didn't attend Friday's preseason game against the Cardinals but is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

This could affect his competition with Blake Jarwin, who finished with no catches on one target Friday in his first game appearance since suffering an ACL tear last September. Schultz filled in capably with 63 receptions, playing 84.8 percent of snaps in an offense that attempted 639 passes. A similar workload is unlikely if Jarwin stays healthy, but that doesn't automatically mean Schultz will hand over the starting job. It sounds like he'll be back for Week 1 even if he misses the rest of training camp and the preseason. Schultz injured his ankle Wednesday at practice.

Firkser didn't draw any targets in Friday's 23-3 preseason win over the Falcons.

Firkser appeared to log only a few snaps, with Geoff Swaim getting more playing time early in the game (but also finishing without a target). The Titans didn't play Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry, A.J. Brown or Julio Jones in Friday's game, so a quiet night from Firkser isn't concerning. He's still the team's top pass catcher at tight end, albeit with potential blocking limitations that could impact his snap count and thus his target total.

Long (lower body) will not play Saturday against the Bears, David Furones of the Sun Sentinel reports.

The rookie was carted off the field last Sunday and was reportedly unable to put any weight on his left leg, but he evidently avoided a significant injury and has been without a brace for most of this week. The Dolphins will obviously play it safe with their third-round pick, which means Long will wait to make his professional debut until later in the preseason.

Parkinson (foot) could return to action in a matter of weeks, as his injury isn't expected to require surgery, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

The 2020 fourth-round pick suffered a broken fifth metatarsal in his foot last summer and spent the first half of his rookie season on the non-football injury list. He was activated at the end of October and barely played, but reports out of Seattle training camp this summer suggest Parkinson has looked much better heading into Year 2. That doesn't necessarily mean he'll have a role in the offense once he's healthy, but it does at least put him on track for a back-end roster spot. The latest issue with Parkinson's foot reportedly isn't too serious, despite initial concerns that it would require another surgery.

McKeon exited Friday's preseason game against the Cardinals due to an ankle injury, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

McKeon was impressing early in training camp and was putting together a strong case for a spot on the 53-man roster. The 23-year-old hauled in two of his four targets for 26 yards in last week's Hall of Fame Game against the Steelers before he secured his lone target for eight yards early in Friday's matchup. McKeon required a cart to get to the locker room after he left the game in the second quarter, and it's not yet clear how much time he'll miss due to the injury.

Pitts dressed for the team's preseason opener against the Titans on Friday but did not play, Tori McElhaney of The Athletic reports.

Coach Arthur Smith said after the game, "Kyle is right on schedule, and if we felt like he was behind we probably would have put him out there." Though it's disappointing to miss the chance to see Pitts on the field, everything seems to be in order for him to be a big contributor to the Falcons' offense as soon as the regular season begins. After the team selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft, Pitts should have the chance to establish himself as the team's second-most targeted receiver behind only Calvin Ridley.