NFL Player News

Kittle (groin) was back at practice Monday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Per the report, Kittle didn't fully participate in the session, but the tight end's return to the field Monday nonetheless was encouraging. There's a decent chance Kittle won't play in Friday's preseason finale against the Chargers, and if so he'll then turn his focus to avoiding any injury setbacks ahead of Week 1.

Davis (knee) has officially been placed on the Packers' injured reserve, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

No surprise here, as Davis suffered a torn ACL in the Packers' preseason opener. The fourth-year tight end has been a significant special-teams contributor during his time in Green Bay. He will now focus on recovering for the 2024 season.

Hockenson (illness) was limited during Monday's practice, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Hockenson warmed up and ran through installs before heading inside for treatment. The tight end has been limited due to the ear infection since Aug. 3, and it remains unclear when he'll be back to 100 percent. The Vikings have one remaining preseason game, Saturday against Arizona, and three weeks until they open the regular season against Tampa Bay on Sunday, Sept. 10. Hockenson said last week that he's "starting to get cleared up," so there doesn't appear to be too much concern about his availability, but it's certainly a storyline worth following with Week 1 approaching fast.

Saubert (undisclosed) could miss a week or two, Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald reports.

Saubert's injury details are unclear, but according to head coach Mike McDaniel, the 29-year-old will need a week or two of rehabbing to get back on track.

Hendershot caught one of two targets for seven yards in Saturday's preseason loss to the Seahawks.

The second-year tight end caught his first pass of the preseason late in the first quarter, contributing to Dallas' first TD drive of the night. Hendershot seems ensconced in the No. 3 spot on the depth chart behind Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker, especially with promising undrafted rookie John Stephens having suffered a season-ending ACL tear Saturday. In a similar role in 2022, Hendershot caught 11 of 16 targets for 103 yards and two TDs, while adding a third score on a two-yard carry -- his only rush of the season.

Wilcox (undisclosed) has been cleared to practice and has been removed from the active/PUP list .

Wilcox had been placed on the PUP list on July 24, and now that he's ready to resume practice, he'll look to secure a role in the Bengals tight end corps. Heading into the team's preseason finale, Irv Smith and Drew Sample profile as Cincinnati's top two options at the position, with Wilcox, Devin Asiasi, Tanner Hudson, Nick Bowers and Christian Trahan competing for depth slotting.

McKeon's chances of making the 53-man roster increased greatly with John Stephens having suffered a season-ending ACL tear Saturday, Nick Eatman of the Cowboys' website reports.

Stephens, an undrafted free agent out of Louisiana, was having an impressive camp and was pushing McKeon for the No. 4 spot on the depth chart at tight end. The rookie's injury doesn't guarantee McKeon a roster spot, as Dallas could elect to go with only three TEs to begin the year, but in all likelihood his job is secure. The 25-year-old has only six catches in 22 games over the last two seasons and would have a minimal receiving role behind Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker and Peyton Hendershot.

Parham failed to catch any of his three targets in Sunday's preseason loss to the Saints.

Getting the start with Gerald Everett and the Chargers' other first-teamers sitting out, Parham was the intended recipient of Easton Stick's first throw but couldn't haul it in, which ended up being the story of the night for the fourth-year tight end. Meanwhile, depth TE Stone Smartt caught four of his five targets from Stick for 32 yards. Parham's 6-foot-8 frame had made him an enticing red-zone sleeper even since he entered the league in 2020, but as yet it hasn't translated into any kind of consistent production.

Allen secured all eight of his targets for 53 yards during Saturday's 34-17 preseason loss to the Raiders.

The rookie fifth-round pick just returned to practice this week after suffering a hamstring injury that cost him the entirety of training camp, but he showed no rust in putting on a dominating performance against the Raiders. Allen made multiple contested catches, showcased his abilities as a blocker and functioned as Stetson Bennett's safety valve through much of the contest. Tyler Higbee is the only roster lock of the seven tight ends the Rams currently have on the roster, but Allen's big game may help move the needle towards keeping the Clemson product on the final 53-man roster.

Saints coach Dennis Allen said that Graham (illness) will not suit up for Sunday's preseason game against the Chargers but that he is still in a good spot while recovering from Friday's medical episode, according to team reporter Erin Summers.

Graham's recovery timeline is still unclear, as not all of the specifics of his medical episode Friday have been made publicly available. However, he was apparently doing well enough to travel with the team to SoFi Stadium and watch Sunday's preseason tilt from the locker room, according to Jeff Duncan of The Athletic. Graham's final opportunity to suit up this preseason will come versus the Texans on Sunday, Aug. 27.