NFL Player News

LaPorta is dealing with a hamstring injury and will miss a second straight practice Tuesday, Justin Rogers of DetroitFootball.net reports.

The injury is considered minor, but it's safe to assume LaPorta will miss Thursday's preseason game against the Giants even if he feels much better by then. LaPorta didn't miss any games as a rookie last year, making 17 appearances in the regular season and three more in the playoffs.

Whyle is listed as a co-starter at tight end on the Titans' first unofficial depth chart, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.

Whyle is entering his second year as a pro and looking to carve out an expanded role after playing only 152 offensive snaps in 2023. His 6-foot-7 frame makes him an intriguing option near the goal line and potentially on third downs. Whyle has also apparently impressed enough on the field to push Chigoziem Okonkwo for his starting role, and this will be a position to monitor for the rest of the preseason.

Durham is being utilized in diversified fashion alongside position mate Cade Otton in offensive coordinator Liam Coen's scheme, Brianna Dix of the team's official site reports.

Durham is being split out wide within several of Coen's personnel groupings, a development that dovetails well with the new coordinator's guiding principle of utilizing a plethora of methods to keep defenses off balance. Durham is seemingly a strong candidate to threaten as either a decoy or the intended target, considering he averaged 11.6 yards per reception on his five regular-season catches as a rookie in 2023 and recorded 126 catches and 21 touchdowns during a 36-game college career at Purdue. Scott Smith of the team's official site reports Durham seems much more comfortable over the first two weeks of his second training camp, noting the talented tight end feels the offseason work he put in taking hold and the game slowing down for him as a whole despite the fact he's learning a new offense.

Kraft (pectoral) passed his physical Monday and has been removed from the active/PUP list, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

Kraft is ready to retake the practice field for the first time in training camp, and potentially even to be available for Saturday's road preseason game against the Browns. The second-year pro suffered a pectoral tear during the offseason, and now that he's healthy, Kraft will get a chance to compete for tight end reps with fellow 2023 draft pick Luke Musgrave, while Ben Sims and Tyler Davis figure to mix in as reserve options. Kraft impressed when tasked with a starting workload last season, so he and Musgrave could both realistically push for significant roles.

The Panthers agreed to terms with Horsted on Monday, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

Horsted is joining a Panthers tight end room that's currently depleted, as both Ian Thomas (calf) and Tommy Tremble (hamstring) are dealing with injuries. Horsted, a Princeton product, is likely an extra camp body to take some load off the recovering Thomas and Tremble, but if he impresses throughout the preseason, he could earn a depth spot on Carolina's 53-man roster.

Coach Dan Campbell said Monday that LaPorta (undisclosed), who did not practice, will "be fine long term, don't sweat," Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News reports.

LaPorta appears to be dealing with a minor injury, which Campbell said the star tight end sustained in practice late last week. It doesn't appear that LaPorta's current issue is anything truly notable, but it could impact his preseason availability, beginning with Thursday's opener on the road against the Giants. As long as LaPorta is sidelined, additional first-team reps will be up for grabs for Brock Wright, James Mitchell and Shane Zylstra.

Coach Zac Taylor said Monday that Gesicki (undisclosed) is managing some tightness and considered day-to-day, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

Gesicki has reportedly been building some positive chemistry with new quarterback Joe Burrow at training camp, but it sounds like the tight end could be a candidate to be held out of Saturday's preseason opener against the Buccaneers, if Cincinnati's starters do suit up. Though Gesicki is coming off back-to-back seasons in which he failed to tally 400 receiving yards, there's reason to be optimistic that his athleticism sets up well for a comeback in Cincinnati's passing game, and that will depend on the 28-year-old staying healthy and truly establishing himself as the No. 1 option in the Bengals' tight end room.

Kincaid has been impressive throughout training camp, according to Alex Brasky of the Batavia Daily News.

The 2023 first-round pick came on strong in the second half of his rookie season -- especially while fellow tight end Dawson Knox was out with a wrist injury -- and now becomes a candidate to lead the Bills in targets post-Stefon Diggs. It is possible Knox's superior size/blocking costs Kincaid some snaps (and therefore routes), but there's no doubt Kincaid will be one of the passing-game priorities whenever he's on the field. The Bills otherwise seem to be counting on WRs Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman, along with RB James Cook. While there's no obvious superstar like Diggs, the diversity of skill sets could work well in combination with the rushing threat posed by QB Josh Allen.

Knox (groin) returned to practice Monday, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.

Knox's absence Sunday was chalked up to "groin/vet rest," and this would seem to confirm it's nothing serious. He should still have a role in the Buffalo offense as a regular blocker and occasional pass catcher, but he isn't likely to see as many targets as he did from 2019 to 2022 now that the Bills have 2023 first-round pick Dalton Kincaid at tight end.

Castles (undisclosed) reverted to the Eagles' injured reserve Sunday, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Castles suffered an undisclosed injury in Thursday's public practice and will now be sidelined for the entire 2024 campaign unless he reaches an injury settlement with Philadelphia. The tight end was geared up to compete for a depth role this season behind Dallas Goedert, but he'll now shift his focus to recovering from his injury.