NFL Player News

Giants general manager Joe Schoen said Wednesday that Johnson (hip) should return to practice soon, Patricia Traina of SI.com reports.

The rookie fourth-round pick is on the PUP list for the start of training camp, slightly delaying what looks to be a fantastic opportunity. The Giants have one of the weakest tight end groups in the league after Darren Waller's retirement this summer, potentially giving Johnson a chance to compete with third-year pro Daniel Bellinger for a starting job. Those two may be the only tight ends on the roster with every-down potential, as Jack Stoll and Chris Manhertz are veteran blocking specialists, while Lawrence Cager and Tyree Jackson profile as oversized slot receivers. None of the bunch has ever caught more than 34 passes in a season at the NFL or college levels.

Latu (knee) opened 49ers training camp without an injury designation Tuesday, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

The 2023 third-round pick out of Alabama missed his entire rookie campaign after sustaining a meniscus injury in San Francisco's last preseason game. Latu appears to be past the injury, and he will battle Eric Saubert for the No. 3 tight end spot behind George Kittle and Logan Thomas.

Coach Sean McVay said Tuesday that Higbee (knee) will start training camp on the active/PUP list, Cameron DaSilva of USA Today reports.

Higbee's placement on the PUP list figures to be made official without much delay. The veteran tight end remains without a timeline for his return as he works his way back from a torn ACL and MCL suffered back in January. Higbee can come off the active/PUP list at any time through camp and the preseason, but if he ends up on the reserve/PUP list after final roster cuts are made, he'll be required to miss at least the first four games of the regular season.

Coach Sean Payton said Tuesday that Dulcich (hamstring) is expected to practice this week at training camp, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

Dulcich avoided placement on the active/PUP list to begin camp, so practicing this week should be a given for him. The third-year tight end has been unable to stay healthy as a pro, missing a combined 22 of 34 games since being selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Dulcich played in just two games last season, missing the final 11 overall. The Broncos return veteran Adam Trautman and have openly hyped Lucas Krull this offseason at the tight end position. Payton's Denver regime also wasn't the one that chose to draft Dulcich, so he needs to put some strong, healthy days together this summer to keep his spot.

Kittle (groin) is ready for the start of training camp Tuesday and will not be placed on the PUP list, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

Kittle lacks any injury designation for Day 1 of training camp and will participate in team activities, indicating that he's fully recovered from the core muscle procedure he underwent after the Super Bowl. The standout tight end said back in June that he lost nearly 30 pounds early in the offseason while recovering from surgery, as well as shoulder and rib injuries, but that he'd already regained almost all the weight. Coming off a 65-1,020-6 receiving line across 16 regular-season appearances in 2023, Kittle remains positioned to repeat as a top fantasy option at the tight end position. His target share could even increase depending on the outcome of teammate Brandon Aiyuk's recent trade request.

The Buccaneers placed Taula (undisclosed) on the active/non-football injury list Monday, per the NFL's transaction log.

Taula appears to be dealing with an undisclosed injury sustained away from team facilities. The second-year tight end will be eligible to resume practicing once over his undisclosed issue, and he's still looking for a chance to make his NFL debut.

The Vikings placed Hockenson (knee) on the active/PUP list Monday.

The transaction confirms an announcement by coach Kevin O'Connell earlier Monday. Hockenson is eligible to come off the PUP list at any point during training camp or the preseason, once he's ready to practice, but given the timing of his late-January procedure to repair a torn ACL, the 27-year-old tight end seems like a real candidate to miss some time early in the regular season. Josh Oliver, Robert Tonyan and Johnny Mundt will be candidates to benefit from increased first-team reps as long as Hockenson remains sidelined.

Davis (knee) was spotted practicing Monday, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Davis missed all of Green Bay's 2023 campaign due to a torn ACL, but it now seems as if he's moved past the issue. Now that Davis has returned to full health, he's expected to compete for a depth role in the Packers' tight end room as the offseason progresses.

Coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday that Hockenson (knee) will start training camp on the active/PUP list, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

O'Connell said Hockenson is "well ahead of schedule" in his recovery from ACL surgery that he underwent in late January, per Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, but he also said "the significant injury that it was, we want to make sure everything is done the right way." It sounds like the Vikings will continue taking a cautious approach while working Hockenson back into action, and given that the standout tight end still remains without a timetable to return, his availability for Week 1 remains up in the air. Once he's back on the field, it could take Hockenson some time to ramp up to pre-injury form in terms of production, so it won't be surprising if he gets off to a slow start when he's healthy, then improves down the stretch of the 2024 season.

Dulcich (hamstring/foot) avoided being placed on the active/PUP list by the Broncos ahead of training camp beginning Tuesday, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.

Dulcich has played in just 12 games over his first two seasons in the NFL, and he'll enter camp looking to leave both a hamstring and a foot injury in his past. His ability to begin training camp on the field is a positive sign for where he's at in his recovery as he looks beat out the likes of Adam Trautman and Lucas Krull for Denver's starting tight end role in 2024.