NFL Player News

Arizona claimed Higgins off waivers Wednesday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

Arizona was the league's most active team in the post-cut waivers process, claiming six players. Higgins will provide depth in a tight end room that also features Zach Ertz (knee), Trey McBride, Geoff Swaim and Blake Whiteheart.

Woods aggravated his hamstring injury recently and may soon be placed on injured reserve, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

The hamstring has bothered Woods since the spring and kept him off the field for the entire preseason. His likely absence for the first few games of the regular season leaves the Colts with a tight end committee comprised of Kylen Granson, Mo Alie-Cox, Andrew Ogletree and Will Mallory. At least three of those tight ends will likely take snaps on offense Week 1 against Jacksonville.

The Jets waived Kuntz on Tuesday, Randy Lange of the Jets' official site reports.

Kuntz was a seventh-round pick by the Jets in this year's draft but was unable to make the team's initial 53-man roster. He'll now seek out other opportunities ahead of the 2023 campaign.

Jordan (hamstring) participated in practice Wednesday, Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Jordan dealt with a hamstring injury during most of training camp, but it was encouraging to see him back at practice Wednesday. He'll have a week and a half to return to full health ahead of the Texans' regular-season opener in Baltimore on Sept. 10, but his availability for that game isn't yet clear.

The Texans released Vannett on Tuesday.

Vannett joined the Texans in early August but was unable to secure a spot on the team's 53-man roster. He's spent time with three teams since the start of the 2022 campaign and will need to seek out other opportunities once again.

The Bengals waived Bowers on Tuesday.

Bowers spent the offseason in Cincinnati after spending the 2022 campaign on the Bengals' practice squad. It's possible the tight end winds up on a practice squad once again in 2023.

The Giants placed Sweeney (undisclosed) on the reserve/non-football illness list Tuesday, per the NFL's transaction log.

Sweeney is set to miss at least the first four games of the regular season, as a result. The depth tight end suffered an undisclosed medical emergency Aug. 23, but coach Brian Daboll said, "he's good" after the event. It remains to be seen when/if New York expects to have Sweeney back on the field this season.

Dallas placed Stephens (knee) on injured reserve Tuesday, Nick Harris of the team's official site reports.

Stephens will miss the entire 2023 campaign due to a torn ACL sustained during the preseason. The undrafted rookie out of Louisiana had put together a solid offseason, but his sights will now need to be set on making a full recovery for the 2024 season to again compete for a roster spot.

Graham was not included in the Saints' final cuts ahead of Tuesday's 53-man roster deadline, NewOrleans.Football reports.

New Orleans coach Dennis Allen reiterated Tuesday that Graham's performance over the final two weeks of the preseason went a long way toward securing him a roster spot. The 36-year-old unexpectedly signed a one-year deal with the Saints in late July after he sat out the entire 2022 season, as it seemed like his time in the NFL may have come to an end following a career-worst season with the Bears in which he caught 14 of 23 targets for 167 yards and three touchdowns. His comeback to New Orleans then seemed to be in jeopardy after he experienced a medical episode Aug. 19 just ahead of the team's preseason contest versus the Chargers. However, he returned to practice four days later and suited up for the preseason finale versus Houston, catching three passes for 34 yards and a touchdown. The five-time Pro Bowler should now slot into a reserve role alongside Foster Moreau while up-and-coming tight end Juwan Johnson likely accounts for the majority of targets at the position.

Baltimore waived Vokolek on Tuesday.

Vokolek signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in April and had a solid preseason, catching six of eight passes for 63 yards and two touchdowns. If he clears waivers -- which is not a certainty -- there's a good chance Vokolek will end up on Baltimore's practice squad.