NFL Player News

Hodges has been an active participant at the Commanders' OTAs this spring.

Hodges went down with a thigh injury last September and failed to appear in a game during his rookie season, but he looks ready to go for 2023. The 23-year-old is expected to compete with the likes of John Bates and Cole Turner for backup reps behind starting tight end Logan Thomas this year.

Uzomah left Friday's training session early due to a right leg injury, Connor Hughes of SNY.tv reports.

Uzomah limped off the practice field early Friday, so his status will need to be monitored. The 30-year-old tight end handled a depth role in his debut season for the Jets last year, tallying a 21-232-2 receiving line in 15 appearances. It remains to be seen whether Uzomah's injury will force him to miss any significant time.

Schoonmaker (foot) is expected to be ready for training camp, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Schoonmaker has been sidelined while battling a plantar fascia issue, but it doesn't appear to be too serious. When healthy, the rookie second-round pick should compete with Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot for snaps at tight end in 2023.

The Browns signed Thedford (undisclosed) on Monday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Thedford was waived by the Broncos at the end of May with an injury settlement, but he appears to be healthy after presumably passing a physical before signing a new deal with Cleveland. The 25-year-old has battled injuries since joining the league as an undrafted free agent in 2021, and he's yet to appear in an NFL regular-season game.

Turner "wowed" during training camp last year and is doing the same in practices this spring, Michael Phillips of the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports.

Zach Selby of the Commanders' official website also mentions Turner as one of the standouts from OTAs in May. The 2022 fifth-round pick caught only two passes in 10 games as a rookie last year -- both during a Week 6 contest where injuries forced him into an every-down role -- but it isn't out of the question that Turner could displace soon-to-be 32-year-old Logan Thomas as Washington's top TE this summer. Thomas suffered an Achilles tear in 2021 and averaged only 8.3 yards per catch and 5.3 yards per target in 14 games last season (39-323-1 on 61 targets).

Mallory (foot) was spotted in a boot Friday, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Mallory is dealing with a right foot/ankle injury and was sidelined at practice Friday. The tight end was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft and is expected to compete for a reserve role behind Jelani Woods (hamstring) this season.

Ogletree (knee) remains sidelined at the Colts' OTAs, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Ogletree suffered a torn ACL at practice last August and he's been slowly recovering since. Instead of rushing their second-year tight end back, the Colts seem adamant in taking their time with Ogletree. Once healthy, the 24-year-old will look to compete with the likes of Kylen Granson and Mo Alie-Cox for the reserve role behind starter Jelani Woods (hamstring).

Schoonmaker is dealing with a case of plantar fascia and has been limited at OTAs, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Schoonmaker was spotted wearing a protective boot on his right foot at practice Thursday. The tight end was selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft and once healthy, he's expected to compete with Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot for snaps this season.

Coach Frank Reich said he expects Hurst (sports hernia) to participate in individual drills at OTAs on Friday, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

The 29-year-old has been sidelined for the start of Carolina's voluntary offseason workouts after he underwent offseason surgery for a sports hernia, but he's nearing his return to the field. Hurst agreed to a three-year contract with the Panthers in March and should have plenty of time to get back to full health before the start of training camp.

Musgrave has been getting reps with the first-team offense at OTAs this week, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports.

After letting Robert Tonyan walk in free agency, the Packers didn't sign any veteran tight ends but used second- and third-round picks on Musgrave and Tucker Kraft, respectively. Playing time at tight end thus appears to be up for grabs, with fourth-year player Josiah Deguara also in the mix for reps. As for Musgrave, head coach Matt LaFleur has praised the rookie for the speed and size (6-foot-6, 253 pounds) he brings to the table, and he likely profiles as the top receiving threat among the three tight ends competing for the top spot on the depth chart.