NFL Player News

Granson appears to be a the top of an unsettled depth chart at tight end after the first week of training camp, Kevin Bowen of 93.5 The Fan Indianapolis reports.

He's competing with Drew Ogletree, Mo Alie-Cox, Jelani Woods and Will Mallory for playing time. Granson was the most productive member of a crowded Colts tight end room last season, posting 30 catches for 368 yards and one touchdown on 50 targets. However, the Colts split targets between three tight ends last year and that pattern could continue this season.

Quitoriano suffered a lower-body injury during Thursday's preseason Hall of Fame Game against the Bears, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Quitoriano performed well prior to getting hurt, catching two passes for 21 yards and a touchdown. The tight end was injured in the first half and had to be carted off the field, so there's a possibility he suffered a serious injury. Quitoriano has been competing for a roster spot during training camp among a tight-end room that also includes Dalton Schultz, Brevin Jordan and rookie fourth-round pick Cade Stover.

As the coming season approaches, LaPorta remains the top option in a Detroit tight end corps that also includes Brock Wright, James Mitchell, Shane Zylstra, Parker Hesse and Sean McKeon.

LaPorta burst onto the scene last season with the Lions after being selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The 23-year-old recorded 86 receptions for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns over the team's 17 regular-season contests. The touchdown mark tied him with Rob Gronkowski for the second-most scores all-time for a rookie tight end. With offensive coordinator Ben Johnson sticking around this offseason, Detroit's high-powered offense will likely lead to another productive season for LaPorta in 2024.

Atlanta signed Thomas to a contract Thursday, Terrin Waack of the Falcons' official site reports.

Thomas spent the 2023 season on the Browns' practice squad after failing to make the 53-man roster at the end of training camp, and he spent this past spring playing with the UFL's Birmingham Stallions. The 2018 sixth-round pick last played in the NFL in 2020 with the Cardinals and Patriots, when he appeared in six regular-season games between the two teams.

Sullivan (quadriceps) was placed on injured reserve Thursday, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

Sullivan will have his 2024 campaign come to an early end with his shift to IR sidelining him for the season. However, he could find another opportunity if he reaches an injury settlement with the team and can prove himself healthy. The LSU product appeared in 11 regular-season games for Carolina last season, recording 12 catches on 24 targets for 125 yards. In a corresponding move, the team signed fellow tight end Curtis Hodges.

Hodges (back) signed a contract with the Panthers on Thursday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.

Hodges closed out his 2023 campaign on injured reserve with the Commanders, but now that he is fully healthy, he'll get an opportunity with the Panthers. His addition comes as the team placed Stephen Sullivan on IR due to a quadriceps injury.

Allen appears to be ahead of Hunter Long in a competition for the No. 2 TE spot early in the season, according to Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire.

Longtime starter Tyler Higbee is expected to miss the early part of the season, at the very least, after suffering ACL and MCL tears in a playoff loss at Detroit. Free-agent signing Colby Parkinson is on track to take over as the starter, but it isn't clear if he'll play as many snaps as Higbee normally would, potentially opening the door for Allen to have a decent-sized role. The Rams typically don't use multi-TE formations often, so it's also possible Allen gets most of his snaps on special teams even with Higbee out. Either way, the 2023 fifth-round pick has a tricky path to fantasy relevance despite showing some nice flashes late last season when both Higbee and Long were briefly unavailable.

Dolphins TEs coach Jon Embree said Thursday that Smith and Durham Smythe have an every-other-day rotation at training camp, Omar Kelly of The Miami Herald reports.

The Dolphins signed Smith this offseason to add a receiving threat, after Smythe drew only 43 targets on 325 routes (13.2 percent) and 786 snaps last year. The two now figure to compete for playing time, and while Smith is of far more interest for fantasy purposes, it's possible the two tight ends end up in a rotation that makes it difficult for either to pile up volume. If nothing else, Smith is the obvious favorite to get playing time in passing situations.

Tonyan, who was carted off the field during Wednesday's practice session, was diagnosed with back spasms, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

Tonyan was down on the field for an extended period of time before being carted off, per Lewis. The tight end looks to have avoided a serious injury, though he may be held out of the next few practice sessions until medical staff get a better sense on the severity of the injury. With Tonyan and T.J. Hockenson (knee) both sidelined, Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt should see some reps with the first-team offense during drills.

Mallory didn't participate in Wednesday's practice session due to a hamstring injury, Joel Erickson of The Indianapolis Star reports.

Mallory suffered a hamstring injury in Indianapolis' 2023 finale, but it's unclear if his latest hamstring issue is to the same leg. A return to the practice field in short order is crucial for Mallory, as he's competing with Jelani Woods, Kylen Granson, Mo Alie-Cox and Drew Ogletree for playing time in a deep tight end room that lacks a clear No. 1 option.