NFL Player News

Stowers failed to bring in either of his two targets in the Eagles' 24-21 preseason loss to the Patriots on Saturday.

Stowers was on the field with the starting offense and saw his first target from Andy Dalton on third down during the Eagles' opening possession. The rookie second-round pick was blanked on the night Saturday, but he made three receptions in the exhibition opener against the Ravens and remains second on the unofficial tight-end depth chart behind Dallas Goedert heading into the preseason finale at home against the Bengals on Friday night.

Cuevas caught three passes on four targets for 46 yards during the Ravens' 13-3 preseason win over the Vikings on Saturday.

Cuevas and fellow rookie Matthew Hibner were listed as the Ravens' starting tight ends while both Mark Andrews and Durham Smythe observed the game from the sidelines. Cuevas played a key role in the Ravens' first offensive series of the second quarter, hauling in passes of 23 and 17 yards from Tyler Huntley, with the drive ending with a 49-yard field goal from Tyler Loop. Cuevas is up to four catches on five targets for 57 yards across two preseason games as he competes against Hibner and Smythe for a consistent role in the Ravens' offense for the regular season. Baltimore will wrap up the preseason Friday against the Commanders.

Mallory did not play in the Colts' 34-6 preseason loss to the Falcons on Saturday due to a thumb injury, Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star reports.

It's unclear when Mallory picked up the injury, as he was a full participant in Thursday's training camp practice. How his thumb responds to treatment over the coming days will determine whether he'll be available for the Colts' preseason finale against the Lions next Saturday. In the Colts' preseason opener against the Patriots, Mallory caught six passes on seven targets for 80 yards.

Hibner failed to haul in his two targets during the Ravens' 13-3 preseason win over the Vikings on Saturday.

Both Hibner and Josh Cuevas were listed as the Ravens' starting tight ends Saturday while Mark Andrews and Durham Smythe did not play. Hibner couldn't haul in either target from Joe Fagnano in the second half, though the Ravens offense as a whole struggled to just 193 passing yards. Hibner, a fourth-round rookie out of SMU, is competing against Smythe for the TE2 role behind Andrews, though Hibner will likely start the regular season as the third-string tight end. The Ravens' preseason finale takes place Friday against the Commanders.

Loveland brought in one of three targets for 10 yards in the Bears' 27-9 preseason loss to the Bengals on Saturday.

The second-year tight end was the subject of plenty of Caleb Williams' attention on the Bears' opening possession, but Loveland was able to corral only one of the three passes that went his way. Nevertheless, the target volume relative to playing time was an encouraging sign for Loveland's outlook heading into the regular season, when he'll look to build on the 58-713-6 line on 82 targets he compiled across 16 regular-season games during his 2025 rookie campaign.

Engram played 16 snaps on offense but didn't show up in the box score otherwise during the Broncos' 33-13 preseason loss to the Packers on Friday.

Engram was more involved offensively in the Broncos' preseason opener against the Falcons, when he caught one pass on three targets for 24 yards. He didn't see a target in Friday's exhibition game, and it remains to be seen whether Engram and the other Denver starters will play in the preseason finale against Minnesota this Friday. Engram is coming off a 2025 regular season in which he caught 50 passes on 76 targets for 461 yards and one touchdown across 16 games. He figures to lead the Broncos' tight end group that also includes Adam Trautman, Justin Joly and Nate Adkins.

The 49ers signed Dinkins to a three-year contract Saturday.

Dinkins is back with the 49ers, nearly one month after being waived by the team in late July with a non-football injury designation. The Penn State product gives the Niners additional depth at tight end in the absences of George Kittle (Achilles) and Tanner McLachlan (undisclosed).

Matavao was diagnosed with a knee injury following the Saints' 34-0 preseason loss to the Rams on Saturday, Matthew Paras of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

It's unclear when Matavao tweaked his knee, but he'll undergo more tests over the coming days to determine the severity of the injury and whether he'll be available for the Saints' preseason finale against the Cowboys on Friday. The 2025 seventh-rounder finished Saturday's game with three catches on as many targets for 34 yards.

Johnson caught his only target for 12 yards in Saturday's 26-3 preseason win over the Dolphins.

Johnson is expected to work as the Giants' No. 2 TE in 2026 behind offseason addition Isaiah Likely, who previously played under new Giants head coach John Harbaugh in Baltimore. As the team's top option at the position in 2025, Johnson caught 45 of 74 targets for 528 yards and five TDs. Likely's career high in any regular season is only 477 receiving yards, though he was stuck behind Mark Andrews during his stint with the Ravens.

Wright caught the first target of Thursday's preseason game against the Commanders, taking his sole reception for three yards.

Wright got the Lions' offense started, receiving the first target from quarterback Joshua Dobbs on the team's second drive of the game. With primary tight end Sam LaPorta's (hip) availability for Week 1 against the Saints in question, Wright could be the Lions' starting tight end to begin the regular season. The veteran player is entering his sixth year with the Lions and has both strong blocking and receiving upside.