NFL Player News

The Chargers signed Castles to a reserve/future contract Monday.

Castles was waived from injured reserve by the Eagles on Sept. 23 due to an undisclosed injury. He was signed to the Chargers' practice squad Oct. 15 but was not elevated to the active roster during the 2024 season. The 25-year-old tight end will have a chance to develop under the Chargers' coaching staff during the offseason and will look to earn a spot on the 53-man roster for the 2025 campaign.

Swinson signed a reserve/future contract with the Packers on Monday.

Swinson spent most of September on the Panthers' active roster after being signed off the Packers' practice squad Sept. 3. He was a healthy scratch for Carolina's first two regular-season games before being waived Sept. 24, and after clearing waivers, he opted to rejoin Green Bay on the practice squad two days later. Swinson will stay with the Packers during the offseason, where he will have the opportunity to participate in OTAs and minicamp ahead of training camp in July.

The Broncos signed Yassmin to a reserve/future contract Monday, Aric DiLalla of the team's official site reports.

Yassmin signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent May 11, and he did not count against Denver's 90-man roster due to being designated as an international player exemption. He spent the entire 2024 season on the Broncos' practice squad, and while he wasn't elevated to the active roster, he'll have the whole offseason to hone his skills and compete for a spot on the 53-man roster for the 2025 campaign.

Spann-Ford caught nine of 14 targets for 88 yards over 17 regular-season games in 2024.

The undrafted rookie out of Minnesota did well to suit up for every game, but he was mainly limited to blocking assignments while Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker were healthy. Six of Spann-Ford's nine receptions came over two games in Weeks 11-12 while Ferguson worked through a concussion however, hinting as some upside as a pass catcher. Spann-Ford will head into 2025 in the No. 3 spot on the depth chart once again, barring a high-profile offseason addition by Dallas.

Schoonmaker caught 27 of 36 targets for 241 yards and a touchdown over 17 regular-season games in 2024.

The second-year tight end took a step forward with his production, and over a three-game stretch in Weeks 11-13 during which Jake Ferguson was dealing with a concussion, Schoonmaker delivered a solid 14-144-1 line on 20 targets. The Michigan product will head into 2025 in the No. 2 spot on the Dallas depth chart, but if Ferguson deals with injuries once again, Schoonmaker has shown he's capable of handling the starting job.

Bell finished the 2024 regular season with two catches (on three targets) for 20 yards in 15 games.

The 2024 seventh-rounder out of Florida State saw limited snaps on offense as a rookie while working behind veteran tight ends Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper. While Henry remains under contract with the Patriots in 2025, Hooper is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent, and if he's not re-signed, the 6-foot-2, 241-pound Bell could have an opportunity to see an increased complementary role in his second campaign as a pro.

Kincaid played 29 of the Bills' 76 offensive snaps and finished with three catches for 47 yards on three targets in Sunday's 31-7 wild-card win over the Broncos.

After being active but not playing in the Bills' Week 18 loss to the Patriots while Buffalo was locked into the AFC's No. 2 seed, Kincaid was back in action for the playoff opener, but he once again played second fiddle at tight end to Dawson Knox. For the fourth consecutive game in which both tight ends saw action, Knox outpaced Kincaid in playing time, taking the field for 46 snaps. While Kincaid brings more speed at the position and offers a more diverse route tree, Knox is the more trusted blocker and isn't a total zero as a receiver, as he caught two passes for 38 yards against Denver and finished the regular season with a 22-311-1 line on 33 targets over 16 games. As such, the more experienced Knox looks as though he could continue to play ahead of Kincaid when the Bills host the Ravens in the divisional round next Sunday.

Smith went untargeted in Saturday's 32-12 win over the Chargers in the wild-card round.

Smith was on the active roster and worked as the third tight end as Teagan Quitoriano (calf) was held out of the opening round of the playoffs. The latter was designated to return last week and could replace Smith for this weekend's divisional-round matchup against Kansas City. After being released from the Chiefs' practice squad in September, Smith was scooped up by Houston and eventually elevated to its 53-man roster. He wasn't targeted over five regular-season appearances, and the 26-year-old will enter the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.

Holker appeared in 12 regular-season games for New Orleans in 2024, nabbing three of four targets for 21 yards.

Holker did not play in the first four games of the season before appearing in 12 of the final 13 contests. The undrafted rookie out of Colorado State was buried on the depth chart behind veteran tight ends Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau (knee) for much of the season, but he got some more opportunities after Taysom Hill suffered a season-ending ACL tear Week 13. Holker recorded three catches over the final five games of the season, including two receptions during the 27-19 loss to Tampa Bay in Week 18. Johnson is currently set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and the 34-year-old Hill has just one season remaining on his contract with the Saints. Holker could have a path to a more significant role if the Saints don't bring back Johnson and/or Hill for the 2025 campaign.

Vannett recorded 17 receptions on 20 targets for 135 yards and three touchdowns across 17 games in 2024.

Vannett has been a depth option for most of his career and that didn't change in 2024. However, he posted his most receptions, yards and touchdowns since 2018 while playing 374 offensive snaps. Vannett will be a free agent this offseason and is likely to land another short-term deal.