NFL Player News

Fant is still learning the playbook and won't play in Thursday's preseason game against the Eagles, SI.com's James Rapien reports.

Mike Gesicki's hamstring injury may help Fant get more first-team reps in practice, but that apparently won't carry over to the first preseason game just one week after Fant signed with Cincinnati. The Bengals will instead rely on Drew Sample, Tanner Hudson, Tanner McLachlan and Cam Grandy at tight end Thursday night.

Gesicki (undisclosed) won't play in Thursday's preseason game against the Eagles, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor is playing his starters Thursday, but he mentioned Gesicki as an exception due to injury. James Rapien of SI.com reported Saturday that Gesicki appeared to injure his hamstring or upper leg on a long reception during an intrasquad scrimmage. The tight end came out of the scrimmage after the big play and seems to have been absent from team drills ever since, potentially giving recent signee Noah Fant a chance to get up to speed more quickly with the first-team offense. Taylor said Tuesday that Gesicki would be listed as questionable if Thursday's exhibition were a regular-season game.

Otton (hamstring) is not practicing Tuesday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

Otton has been sidelined for just over one week due to what head coach Todd Bowles indicated is a mild hamstring strain, so it's likely the Buccaneers are simply being cautious with the the fourth-year pro. The starting tight end could continue to sit out practices leading up to Tampa Bay's preseason opener against Tennessee on Aug. 9, but at this stage there still appear to be no concerns about his availability for Week 1. In the meantime, Payne Durham, Ko Kieft and Year 2 breakout candidate Devin Culp will benefit from increased chances for first-team reps.

Vannett signed with the Vikings on Monday.

The 10-year veteran landed with a team that is suddenly needy at his position, with Gavin Bartholomew still down with an ankle injury and T.J. Hockenson missing practice Saturday with an undisclosed issue, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. Vannett played on 374 offensive snaps in 17 regular-season games with the Titans last year, catching 17 passes for 135 yards and three scores.

Hockenson (leg/hip/back) won't take part in Monday's practice, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.

Hockenson sustained a lower-body injury at Saturday's session that left him with a noticeable limp. He's being listed with leg, hip and back issues as of Monday and will sit out drills. While second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy is expected to play in Saturday's preseason game against the Texans, it's unclear if Hockenson would be out there even if he was healthy enough to suit up.

The Dolphins signed Myarick to a contract Monday.

The addition of Myarick gives the Dolphins depth at fullback while Alec Ingold works his way through the league's concussion protocol. Myarick last saw regular-season action in 2022 with the Giants, when he played 16 regular-season games and caught seven passes (on eight targets) for 65 yards and one touchdown. He spent the first six weeks of the 2024 regular season on the Texans' practice squad before being cut mid-October.

The Dolphins placed Conyers on injured reserve Monday due to a leg injury.

Conyers was a candidate to take one of the last spots on the Dolphins' 53-man roster, but his placement on injured reserve means he will not be eligible to play in 2025 barring an injury settlement. He signed with the Dolphins in late April as an undrafted free agent following his final collegiate season at Texas Tech.

The Browns signed Van Vooren to a contract Monday.

The undrafted free agent out of St. Norbert was let go by the Seahawks in mid-June, but Van Vooren will get another shot at making an NFL roster with the Browns. He's a longshot to make the Browns' 53-man roster in late August, but a strong training camp could give Van Vooren the opportunity to stick around on the team's practice squad.

Taylor (ankle) didn't practice Monday, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports.

Head coach Aaron Glenn will likely provide an update on Taylor's injury when Glenn speaks to reporters after Tuesday's practice if Taylor hasn't returned by then. Taylor has looked like the Jets' best tight end in training camp and is listed as the backup to Jeremy Ruckert on the unofficial depth chart the team released Sunday, though that may just be a matter of making the rookie second-round pick earn his starting spot in the preseason, which begins for the Jets with a road game in Green Bay on Saturday.

Pline was waived by the 49ers on Monday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Pline had been part of the organization since May of 2024. He will be free to sign with any team as a free agent if Pline passes through waivers unclaimed. San Francisco still has Luke Farrell, Ross Dwelley, Brayden Willis and Jake Tonges competing for depth roles behind George Kittle.