NFL Player News

The Saints placed Johnson (foot) on the active/PUP list Thursday, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.

Johnson remains sidelined while recovering from foot surgery relating to an issue he seemingly suffered during June minicamp. Terrell reports that updates on Johnson's recovery have been positive, but that he's expected to begin camp by working off to the side. Once cleared to practice Johnson will be eligible to come off the PUP list at any point during camp or the preseason, but it remains to be seen whether he'll be ready for Week 1. Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill figure to handle more first-team reps while Johnson is away from the practice field, while Jesper Horsted, Tommy Hudson, Michael Jacobson and Dallin Holker could also benefit from increased opportunities.

Quitoriano (groin) is fully healthy and doesn't carry an injury designation ahead of the start of training camp, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Quitoriano will be active and practicing for the start of training camp, per Wilson. After being limited to seven games in 2023 before undergoing groin surgery, Quitoriano will now have a chance to compete for a backup role at tight end during camp. He adds value to Houston's offense as a blocker.

The Packers placed Kraft (pectoral) on the active/PUP list Wednesday, Zach Jacobson of 247Sports.com reports.

Kraft continues to make progress in his recovery from a lingering pectoral injury, which head coach Matt LaFleur has said extend into the start of training camp. The second-year tight end could have a chance to compete for a notable role if he's able to return to practice without missing time in the summer, but if he's sidelined for a lengthier period of time than expected, fellow 2023 draft pick Luke Musgrave will be in prime position to run away with the starting role.

The Giants are hopeful that Johnson (hip), who was placed on the PUP list Tuesday, isn't dealing with a long-term injury, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Johnson will be eligible to come off the PUP list as soon as he's able to practice, so if his hip issue is indeed minor, he may not have to miss much of training camp. The rookie fourth-round pick has just over three weeks to recover prior to New York's preseason opener against the Lions on Aug. 8. When healthy, Johnson should compete with Daniel Bellinger (undisclosed) for the No. 1 tight end role.

The Giants placed Johnson (undisclosed) on the PUP list Tuesday with an undisclosed injury, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Johnson will be eligible to come off the PUP list any time during training camp or the preseason, but his expected recovery timetable remains unclear, as does the nature of his injury. The rookie fourth-round pick could have an opportunity to compete with Daniel Bellinger (undisclosed) for the starting tight end job, which is wide open in the wake of Darren Waller's retirement. It would be a notable blow to Johnson's outlook if he's forced to miss a substantial portion of camp.

Cager has primarily worked as a pass-catcher throughout spring activities, Jordan Raanan of ESPN reports.

Cager and rookie fourth-round pick Theo Johnson have split pass-catching duties this spring at the tight end position in the wake of Darren Waller's retirement and with Daniel Bellinger sidelined due to an undisclosed injury, and both have seen first-team reps. Coach Brian Daboll called Cager "one of the most improved players throughout the offseason," giving him some fantasy intrigue when training camp kicks off in late July.

Thomas caught a surprising number of passes during Carolina's offseason program, ESPN's David Newton reports.

The 2018 fourth-round pick got a lot of snaps and routes early in his career but never improved on a rookie season with 36 catches for 333 yards and two touchdowns. He then had four straight years between 136 and 197 yards, before sinking to five catches for 56 yards last season while playing a career-low 206 snaps. It sounds like Thomas may be a better fit in new coach Dave Canales' scheme, but fantasy value still seems a bit far-fetched for a player with 1,055 yards and four TDs on 2,975 career snaps. The Panthers also have Tommy Tremble and 2024 fourth-round pick Ja'Tavion Sanders competing for playing time at tight end, with the former better suited to blocking and the latter more of a receiving threat. Sanders is the only one of the bunch that seems to offer any real upside to become a fantasy-worthy pass catcher.

Likely was one of Baltimore's standouts during spring practices, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.

With Rashod Bateman positioned as their No. 2 WR and Nelson Agholor the No. 3, the Ravens may often prefer passing from two-TE formations using Likely and Mark Andrews together. Even if that's the case, Likely will have a hard time drawing enough targets to be a fantasy starter when Andrews is healthy, especially because Baltimore also has FB Patrick Ricard taking some skill-position snaps. Likely caught nine passes through his first 11 games last year before exploding for a 21-322-5 receiving line over the final six weeks of the regular season (28 targets) while Andrews was out with a leg/ankle injury. If nothing else, Likely should be a functional fantasy starter in the event Andrews misses games again.

Higbee (knee) remains without a timetable to return, Cameron DaSilva of USA Today reports.

Higbee suffered ACL and MCL tears during a wild-card loss to the Lions on Jan. 14, and the timing of the injury makes it likely that he'll start training camp on the PUP list. If he's unavailable at the start of the season, the Rams will rely onColby Parkinson, Davis Allen and Hunter Long at tight end.

Kittle (core muscle) recently told the Bussin' With The Boys podcast that he lost nearly 30 pounds at the beginning of the offseason while rehabbing injuries.

Kittle had core muscle surgery after the Super Bowl and was also recovering from shoulder and rib injuries at the time -- a combination that prevented him from doing both upper- and lower-body weightlifting for about a month. He said he's "almost back to 100 percent" and has regained most of the lost weight, but he still wants to add about 10 more pounds before the start of the regular season. It sounds like Kittle will be ready for the beginning of training camp in late July.