NFL Player News

Butler did not practice Monday, Matt Kawahara of The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

It is unknown why the tight end was sitting out of practice, but he did miss time earlier in training camp due to a hip injury. Look for more updates on his status to come before Thursday's preseason finale against the Seahawks.

Kittle (calf) returned to practice Monday, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Kittle sat two consecutive preseason tilts due to calf tightness but now appears back to full health. It's likely that the 49ers were simply taking a cautious approach to Kittle's recovery, given his status as the team's top receiving option. The third-year tight end is on track to suit up Week 1.

Fant (ankle) is participating in Monday's practice, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

It remains to be seen whether Fant is practicing in full or on a limited basis. In any case, it's a step in the right direction for the rookie tight end, who's working to get healthy after suffering an injury during last Monday's preseason tilt against the 49ers. All signs point to Fant suiting up for the regular-season opener, though he could see a limited snap count depending on his recovery progress.

Carter is currently nursing a knee injury, Maddy Glab of the Bills' official site reports.

Carter already had a steep hill to climb for a roster spot being the eighth tight end on the depth chart. The 26-year-old last saw action in the regular season in 2017 with the Vikings, where he appeared in three games but was unable to record an offensive statistic.

Njoku (knee) participated in team drills Monday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Additionally, Njoku was able to don his helmet Monday, a sign that the stitches on the back of his head are no longer an issue. Njoku, along with Cleveland's other key skill players, is presumably on track to sit out the team's preseason finale, but the tight end now has ample time to prepare for Week 1. The 2017 first-rounder is set to serve as the Browns' top tight end and will look to build off the 56-639-4 stat line he logged in 2018. With ascending QB Baker Mayfield throwing to him, Njoku could see an uptick in overall production in his third NFL campaign, but dependable volume could prove elusive, with wideouts Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry in line to gobble up plenty of targets.

Dickerson is dealing with a quadriceps issue, Ryan Dunleavy of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

It's unclear when Dickerson sustained the injury or how severe it is. The injury obviously makes the 23-year-old's quest for a backup role on New York's tight end depth chart more difficult.

Swaim, who has been tending to a foot injury, is slated to practice Monday in a limited fashion, Phillip Heilman of The Athletic reports.

Swaim has missed the Jaguars' past two preseason contests due to the injury and probably won't be fully cleared in time for Thursday's exhibition finale versus the Falcons. However, his return to the practice field increases his odds of being ready to go for the Week 1 matchup with the Chiefs on Sept. 8. Heading into training camp, Swaim was the clear frontrunner for the starting job at tight end, but the competition may have gotten tighter in light of the time he's missed. After notching 26 receptions for 242 yards and a touchdown in nine games with Dallas in 2018, Swaim probably won't be much more than a tertiary option in the Jacksonville passing game even if he ends up dominating the snaps at his position.

Firkser caught both of his targets for 15 total yards in the team's third preseason contest against the Steelers on Sunday.

Firkser caught both of his passes in the second quarter with Ryan Tannehill under center. He's gotten significant run this preseason with both Delanie Walker and Jonnu Smith (knee) working their way back from serious injury. He's made the most of his chances, hauling in six passes for 76 yards across three games. The second-year tight end should have a strong chance to make the team and is coming off a 19-catch rookie campaign.

Hollister caught three of a team-high five targets for 17 yards in Saturday's preseason win over the Chargers.

While the actual production was low -- his longest reception was eight yards -- it's a promising sign that Hollister is getting targets in a crowded tight end room. He's still a bubble candidate for the roster, but Ed Dickson's knee injury may open up a spot to begin the season.

Fumagalli brought in all five of his targets for 44 yards in the Broncos' 10-6 preseason loss to the Rams on Saturday.

With Jeff Heuerman (shoulder) and Noah Fant (ankle) both nursing injuries, Fumagalli saw extensive playing time Saturday and outperformed fellow reserve Jake Butt (2-17). The 2018 fifth-round pick is also logging time at fullback this summer as the Broncos look to find an in-house replacement for the sidelined Andy Janovich (pectoral), but Saturday's performance certainly helped him make a case as a fine pass-catching option at a tight end position that still has a fair amount of uncertainty attached to it as the regular season approaches.