NFL Player News

Johnson and Daniel Bellinger will compete to be the Giants' top tight end after Darren Waller decided to retire, Darryl Slater of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

Johnson ran a 4.57 40 at the combine while checking in at 6-foot-6, 259 pounds, vaulting him to the early fourth round of the 2024 Draft (107th overall) even though he never topped 341 receiving yards in any of his four seasons at Penn State. He did score 11 TDs over his final two years, and there's a nice opportunity for immediate playing time in New York following Waller's retirement. Bellinger is a 2022 fourth-round pick who entered the NFL with a similar profile, having run a 4.63 40 at 6-foot-5, 253 pounds, after never topping 357 yards or three TDs in a season during his four years at San Diego State. Bellinger has played 1,262 snaps on offense through two years in the NFL while catching 55 of 63 career targets (87.3 percent), but his low rate of targets per route (12.3 percent) and lack of big performances (single-game high of 43 yards) suggests he may fit better as a No. 2 tight end long term. Johnson thus seems like the more intriguing prospect for fantasy, although he comes with some of the same concerns and is only five months younger than Bellinger.

Bellinger and rookie Theo Johnson will compete to be the Giants' top tight end after Darren Waller decided to retire, Darryl Slater of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

Bellinger and Johnson both are fourth-round picks with impressive physical specs and less impressive college production. Bellinger has a huge advantage in terms of NFL experience, having played 1,262 snaps on offense through two seasons, including 12 instances taking more than 80 percent of snaps in a game (mostly games that Waller missed). The problem is that Bellinger hasn't been much of a receiving threat even with 4.63 speed, catching 55 passes for 523 yards and two touchdowns while drawing just 63 targets on 512 routes (12.3 percent target rate). The sky-high catch rate (87.3 percent) shows that Bellinger has held his own as a dump-off target, but he hasn't done much else, with 43 being his single-game high for yardage and just 36.4 percent of his career receptions going for first downs. Both Bellinger and Johnson are taller, heavier and faster than the average NFL tight end, but it isn't clear either has the pass-catching skill to make a dent in fantasy.

Lewis is meeting with Chicago on Monday with the intention of re-signing for the 2024 season, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports.

Lewis appears set for a second campaign in Chicago after playing in all 17 regular-season contests last season. He's regarded as one of the league's top blocking tight ends and sprinkled in some contributions as a receiver in 2023, catching four of five targets for 29 yards and a score. His Week 16 touchdown was notable in that it made him the oldest tight end in NFL history to record a receiving score. Lewis turned 40 years old in May and will be embarking upon his 19th professional campaign in 2024. He's unlikely to make a significant impact on offense or in fantasy, but he'll boost the Bears offense with his blocking while serving as a positive locker room presence.

Waller informed the Giants on Sunday that he plans to retire, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Waller had been contemplating retirement since shortly after the Giants' season ended in January, and it became more apparent in recent weeks that he was leaning toward hanging up his cleats. The veteran tight end didn't attend OTAs, and the organization was well aware that he was potentially not returning for the 2024 campaign. Waller is walking away from the NFL at the age of 31 having played eight seasons in the league -- two with the Ravens, five with the Raiders and one with the Giants. He accumulated 350 career receptions for 4,124 yards and 20 touchdowns over 86 regular-season games. New York drafted Theo Johnson in the fourth round of this April's draft, and he'll presumably compete with 2022 fourth-round pick Daniel Bellinger for the team's lead role at tight end.

Latu (knee) has suffered no setbacks in his recovery and is expected to be ready for training camp, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Latu suffered a meniscus injury during a preseason game last year and missed the entirety of his rookie campaign. A third-round selection in the 2023 Draft, Latu will likely be competing with veteran Eric Saubert for the 49ers' No. 3 spot on the team's depth chart at tight end behind George Kittle (groin) and the newly acquired Logan Thomas.

Barner (hamstring) practiced with the team Monday, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.

The tight end sat out of rookie minicamp and missed OTAs at the end of May due to the injury. Now that he's back, the fourth-round pick can try to earn a role on a depth chart that also includes veterans Noah Fant and Pharaoh Brown.

The 49ers are slated to sign Thomas to a contract, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

A quarterback in college, Thomas has come into his own as a tight end the past four seasons with Washington, hauling in 72 passes in 2020 and 55 last year. Overall, he averaged 9.2 YPC and 6.1 YPT and scored 14 touchdowns on 274 targets in 52 games during that span. With San Francisco, Thomas will provide a veteran presence in its TE room behind starter George Kittle.

The Giants expect Waller to announce his retirement within the next week or so, ESPN.com's Jordan Raanan reports.

The team anticipates an announcement before mandatory minicamp June 11-13, with sources close to Waller suggesting he's leaning toward retirement. He said Friday that a decision is coming soon, and he's been busy off the field working on his music career and finalizing a divorce. Waller missed five or more games each of the past three seasons and thus finished with no more than 665 yards or three TDs in any of them. He had back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons in 2019-20 with the Raiders, peaking at 107-1,196-9 in 2020. If Waller has a late change of heart and decides to play another season, he'll be part of a New York offense that signed three guards in free agency and drafted WR Malik Nabers sixth overall, though the QB situation remains as shaky as ever with Daniel Jones recovering from an ACL tear and Drew Lock taking first-team reps this spring. Daniel Bellinger, Jack Stoll and Chris Manhertz give the Giants capable blockers at tight end, while incoming fourth-round pick Theo Johnson has the speed (4.57 40) and size (6-foot-6, 259) to develop into a receiving threat. Waller will turn 32 in September, five days after the Giants' season opener against Minnesota.

Uzomah (knee) was seen participating at the Eagles' organized training activities Friday, Dave Zangaro of nbcsportsphiladelphia.com reports.

Uzomah's 2023 campaign came to an early end after suffering a knee injury in December and subsequently being placed on the Jets' injured reserve. He was ultimately released by New York before later landing in Philadelphia. His participation at OTAs indicates his health is back up to par. The veteran is expected to compete for the Eagles' No. 2 tight end role behind Dallas Goedert.

Hendershot has been easing back into action following offseason ankle surgery, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Hendershot underwent ankle surgery following the close of the 2023 season and isn't yet back up to full speed. He's expected to fill a depth role at tight end for Dallas in the coming campaign.