NFL Player News

Thomas (calf) isn't available for Friday's preseason game against Cleveland, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Thomas hasn't practiced for the past week and likely will miss time beyond Friday. He struggled last season and is scheduled for a non-guaranteed $6.28 million base salary this year, but the Commanders seemingly intend to give him another shot as their top pass-catching TE. With Thomas unavailable, Cole Turner is probably the team's best receiver at the position, while John Bates is the most experienced option.

Stephens has been converted to tight end by the Cowboys and has looked good during the early part of training camp, Jon Machota and Saad Yousef of The Athletic report.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 221 pounds coming out of Louisiana, Stephens played wide receiver in college and his length and red-zone ability earned him a look as a UDFA from the Cowboys. Dallas has a very young tight end room headlined by 2022 fourth-round pick Jake Ferguson and 2023 second-round selection Luke Schoonmaker (foot), so if Stephens continues to handle the transition well and proves he can hold up as a blocker while providing a mismatch as a receiving option, he could find his way onto the Week 1 roster. More likely, a strong showing in the preseason will get him stashed on the practice squad so he can hone his skills further.

Parkinson caught his only target for 10 yards in Thursday's 24-13 preseason win over the Vikings.

Parkinson's catch came on Seattle's second drive. He's competing for playing time in a deep tight end room that also features Noah Fant and Will Dissly. The 24-year-old Parkinson had 322 yards and two touchdowns in the 2022 regular season. Seattle's next preseason game will be Aug. 19 against Dallas.

Jordan' (hamstring) isn't slated to play in Thursday's preseason game against the Patriots, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

With Jordan still dealing with a hamstring issue, his next chance to see game action will occur Saturday, Aug. 19 against the Dolphins. Once he's back in action, Jordan will look to carve out a role in a Houston tight end corps that also includes Dalton Schultz and Teagan Quitoriano (quadriceps).

Schoonmaker (foot) will get more work in practice Thursday, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Schoonmaker continues to ramp up his activity as he recovers from a partial tear of his plantar fascia, which he suffered earlier in the summer. The Michigan product had his first practice with the team Monday following his activation from the non-football injury list, and he will likely see his participation level increase as the preseason proceeds, as long as he can stay healthy. The 24-year-old is expected to compete with Peyton Hendershot and Jake Ferguson for tight-end snaps this season.

Kittle (adductor strain) didn't practice Thursday, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Per Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News, Kittle is expected to be out for about a week, so it looks safe to assume that the 49ers' star tight end won't be available for Sunday's preseason opener against the Raiders. With that in mind, Kittle's next chance to suit up for game action will arrive Saturday, Aug. 19, when San Francisco faces Denver.

Smith (undisclosed) participated in team drills during Wednesday's practice, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.

Smith, who had missed time with an unspecified issue, returned to the field Tuesday, per McElhaney, and his increased participation Wednesday has the tight end on track to be able to continue to carve out a complementary role behind top option Kyle Pitts. As long as Pitts is available, Smith may not see steady targets in Atlanta's offense, but the 2017 third-rounder could be a viable streaming option in the event that Pitts misses any time this coming season.

Akins returned to practice earlier this week after missing time with a knee injury, Scott Petrak of BrownsZone.com reports.

Akins missed about a week while recovering from the injury, but he's been back at practice since at least Monday. The 31-year-old is working to earn a spot as the top backup to No. 1 tight end David Njoku.

Pitts (knee) didn't participate in the team portions of Wednesday's practice, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The Falcons have been easing Pitts back into the mix as he bounces back from an MCL injury, but coach Arthur Smith noted Wednesday that the team plans to "put a little more on (the tight end) as we ramp him up," adding "we'll push him a little more next week." With that in mind, it doesn't seem likely that Pitts will see action in Friday's preseason opener against the Dolphins, but the 2021 first-rounder continues to progress and is on track to be a key part of Atlanta's offense come Week 1.

Dulcich was listed as the No. 2 tight end on the Broncos' unofficial depth chart Wednesday, Henry Chisholm of TheDNVR.com reports.

Dulcich slotting in as the No. 2 tight end should come as a surprise, as many assumed that he earned the No. 1 spot based on his playmaking ability as a pass catcher. Instead, teammate Adam Trautman was listed as the starter. While addressing the media following the release of the first unofficial depth chart, head coach Sean Payton said, "the one thing that is interesting about this tight end group is that there are some clear roles that you can see. Strengths and weaknesses that these players have." Payton praised Trautman for his versatility as a blocker and a pass catcher. Trautman's ability as a blocker is likely what earned him his depth chart standing, as Dulcich isn't known for blocking. Instead, the 23-year-old shined as a pass catcher in 2022 and proved that he had the ability to stretch the field with six gains of 20-plus yards and three of 30-plus as a rookie. Though Dulcich may see fewer inline tight end snaps than Trautman, he will likely be used as the primary pass-catching tight end in Payton's offensive scheme. For this reason, Dulcich should remain the most fantasy-friendly option of the two.