NFL Player News

Bates (hamstring) is set to begin practicing Tuesday, Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site reports.

Bates suffered a hamstring injury in late July and has not practiced since the issue developed. The tight end is recovering well and is set to see at least a limited practice session Tuesday. While Bates has been absent, Ben Sinnott has been expanding his route tree in the hopes of obtaining the No. 2 tight end role. Bates will need to prove he can maintain his position behind Chig Okonkwo as he works his way back the remainder of the preseason.

Kraft said Sunday that he expects the Packers to limit his reps "probably until halfway through the season," Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Kraft has been trending toward returning Week 1 following a season-ending torn ACL suffered during Week 9 of the 2025 campaign, and he also returned to 11-on-11 drills for the first time Sunday. The fourth-year tight end added that he's hoping not to be on a rep count for the regular-season opener, per Demovsky, so it'll be worth monitoring his status leading into that game versus the Vikings on Sunday, Sept. 13. Kraft played at least 88 percent of the Packers' offensive snaps in each of their first seven games before going down last year. He finished with 32 catches for 489 yards and six touchdowns over eight contests in 2025. Kraft also was asked whether he expects a new contract by Week 1, saying "that's the goal," according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.

Royer (personal) did not play in Saturday's preseason opener against the Bears, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports.

There are no updates on the fifth-round rookie's issue and it is unclear when he might return to the team. Royer was set to be the No. 2 tight end behind Harold Fannin. In the 24-year-old's absence, Blake Whiteheart, Brenden Bates and fellow rookie Carsen Ryan have been competing for the No. 2 reps.

The Texans signed Hansen to a contract Sunday.

Hansen's signing is likely to add tight end depth after Brevin Jordan (knee) suffered an injury during last Friday's training camp session. Hansen likely will get a few reps in the remaining preseason games before cut-down day. The tight end's first chance to make an impact will be Thursday's contest against the Raiders.

Hockenson played five snaps on offense and didn't show up in the box score otherwise during the Vikings' 13-10 preseason win over the Giants on Saturday.

Hockenson saw the least amount of offensive snaps among Vikings tight ends Saturday, with Bryson Nesbit (25) leading the position group in that category. Hockenson is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he logged 51 catches (on 66 targets) for 438 yards and three touchdowns across 15 regular-season games. He hasn't been the same player since his career year in 2023, which ended in late December by a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee. The Vikings added wide receiver Jauan Jennings in the offseason to be the WR3 behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and while that may reduce Hockenson's target share, he's still the top tight end on the depth chart, with Josh Oliver and Ben Yurosek operating in complementary roles.

Head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters that Kraft (knee) will participate in 11-on-11 team drills during Sunday's training camp practice, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Kraft opened training camp on the active/PUP list but has slowly increased his workload over the course of the last couple of weeks. His clearance to work in team drills is another positive step in his recovery from a torn ACL that he sustained in Week 9 of the 2025 season. Kraft is unlikely to play in either of the Packers' last two preseason games but appears to be on track to suit up Week 1 against the Vikings on Sunday, Sept. 13.

Loveland did not play in the Bears' 34-10 preseason win over the Browns on Saturday.

Loveland and other key skill players -- including Luther Burden (groin), Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet -- sat out of Saturday's game, allowing more snaps at tight end to go to Sam Roush and Stephen Carlson. Loveland, a first-round selection of the Bears in the 2025 NFL Draft, saw his playing time and production increase over the course of his rookie season, highlighted by his performance in Chicago's NFC wild-card win over Green Bay, when he caught eight passes (on 15 targets) for 137 yards. With DJ Moore (lower body) now in Buffalo, Loveland is poised to be an even bigger contributor to the Bears offense in 2026, with Odunze, Burden and Kmet being his main competition for passes from quarterback Caleb Williams.

Kincaid played nine snaps on offense but didn't show up in the box score otherwise during the Bills' 29-14 preseason win over the Panthers on Saturday.

Kincaid and Dawson Knox (10 snaps) saw limited action during Saturday's exhibition contest, with Keleki Latu leading the tight end group with 31 snaps on offense. Kincaid was limited to 12 regular-season games in 2025 while playing through a torn PCL that he originally sustained in November 2024. The 2023 first-rounder entered training camp with a clean bill of health and should see more involvement in the passing attack as a reliable set of hands/target for QB Josh Allen.

Hibner brought in all five targets for 61 yards in the Ravens' 24-7 preseason win over the Eagles on Saturday.

The rookie fourth-round pick wasted no time making an impact, recording a 29-yard reception on the Ravens' second play from scrimmage. Hibner added gains of eight and 13 yards on his next two catches, and the SMU product ultimately played into the second half. Hibner finished second on the night in all of receptions, receiving yards and targets for Baltimore, and it may not be long before he makes a case to usurp journeyman Durham Smythe for the No. 2 tight end job.

Stowers brought in all three targets for 12 yards in the Eagles' 24-7 preseason loss to the Ravens on Saturday.

The rookie second-round pick took advantage of all three opportunities he saw, leading to a solid professional debut. Stowers is currently listed as the No. 2 tight end on the Eagles' first unofficial depth chart, and Saturday's performance seemingly did nothing to hurt that standing.