NFL Player News

The Commanders signed Firkser on Tuesday.

Firkser is now joining his fourth different team in three years with offseason workouts underway in Washington. It seems likely at this point that free-agent acquisition Chig Okonkwo, in-line specialist John Bates and 2024 second-rounder Ben Sinnott will make the Commanders' 53-man roster for 2026, so Firkser's path to a roster spot is relatively narrow.

The Patriots placed Hill (knee) on IR on Monday, Evan Lazar of the team's official site reports.

Hill joined the Patriots back in March on a three-year deal, but an unspecified injury now will sideline the tight end for the season. For now, Eli Raridon, CJ Dippre and Tanner Arkin are in the mix behind top TE Hunter Henry, but there's a solid chance the team will bring in added depth at the position in the wake of Hill's injury.

Jordan is progressing in his rehab from the torn patellar tendon he suffered during training camp last year, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Mandatory practices still haven't started up yet for the new year, so there's no reason for Houston to rush Jordan back into action. The Texans signed Foster Moreau in free agency and added second-rounder Marlin Klein in the 2026 NFL Draft, so Jordan's place on their 53-man roster is far from guaranteed at this point.

Stover (knee) is participating in the Texans' OTAs, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Stover sustained a knee injury during Houston's playoff loss at New England in the divisional round back in January, but he's had time to move past the issue, allowing him to participate in the team's offseason workouts. After the Texans drafted tight end Marlin Klein in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Stover's path to a spot on the final 53-man roster for the upcoming season looks narrow.

Bowers (knee) is participating in OTAs this week, Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com reports.

Bowers -- who noted Thursday that he's "practicing full speed" -- originally injured his knee in Week 1 against the Patriots last season and dealt with the issue all year, missing Weeks 5-7 before being shut down for Weeks 17 and 18 in a lost campaign for Las Vegas. Bowers -- who remains a top tier fantasy option at the TE position -- appeared in 12 games in his second NFL season and finished with 64 catches for 680 yards and seven touchdowns on 86 targets. He'll now be catching passes from Kirk Cousins and No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza this summer, as the two quarterbacks are in a competition for the Week 1 job.

Washington (forearm) is participating in OTAs this week, Mark Kaboly of 93.7 The Fan Pittsburgh reports.

Washington broke his arm in Week 17 last season and missed the remainder of the regular season and the team's wild-card playoff loss to the Texans. Now healthy, Washington is expected to handle an expanded role alongside Pat Freiermuth in 2026 after the Steelers released Jonnu Smith earlier in the offseason.

Coach Aaron Glenn said Sadiq (abdomen) underwent a "minor procedure" and will miss OTAs this week, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports.

Glenn said the first-round rookie will be ready for training camp later this summer after undergoing surgery for a sports hernia. While listed as a tight end, Sadiq is expected to mainly line up detached from the line as more of a receiver with the Jets, allowing Mason Taylor and Jeremy Ruckert to handle more of the traditional tight end duties.

Sanders (fibula) is participating in practice at OTAs on Wednesday, Alex Zietlow of The Charlette Observer reports.

Sanders is running and cutting laterally without issue at OTAs, and it appears he's officially back to full health after having undergone surgery to address a broken right fibula suffered last December. He and Tommy Tremble remain positioned as the Panthers' top options at the tight end position, with Sanders potentially being the favorite for more pass-catching utilization. Across 13 regular-season appearances in 2025, Sanders secured 29 of 34 targets for 190 yards and one score.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said Wednesday that Kraft (ACL) could be back on the field by the start of, or during, training camp, Weston Hodkiewicz of the team's official site reports.

GM Brian Gutekunst said in early May that Kraft is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a right ACL tear and is expected to be back in the starting lineup early during the 2026 regular season, but LaFleur's current prognostication is arguably even more optimistic. The 25-year-old tight end is working his way back from surgery undergone last November after suffering a season-ending injury in Week 9 of the 2025 campaign. Before going down, Kraft had firmly established himself as one of the focal points of Green Bay's passing attack. With Romeo Doubs now in New England and Dontayvion Wicks in Philadelphia, Kraft stands alongside Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden as one of Jordan Love's top pass-catching options heading into 2026. In contrast to Kraft, LaFleur said he expects Micah Parsons (ACL) to begin training camp on the PUP list, per Ryan Wood of USA Today.

Barner (undisclosed) is not participating in OTAs on Wednesday while recovering from what Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald alluded to as offseason procedures, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports.

Barner played through shoulder and ankle injuries last season, but he nonetheless suited up for all 17 regular-season games while totaling a 52-519-6 line on 68 targets. The 2024 fourth-rounder also operated as the TE1 for all three of the Seahawks' postseason games. Macdonald said Barner will "probably" be available for training camp and is "itching to get out there." With Barner sidelined for OTAs, however, 2025 second-round pick Elijah Arroyo has reportedly impressed and begun taking a step forward in his development. While Barner remains No. 1 tight end for Seattle's offense entering the 2026 campaign, it's possible Arroyo will earn an increased target share in Year 2.