NFL Player News

Kalinic (knee) was waived/injured by the Bears on Monday.

The tight end injured his right knee during Chicago's preseason win over Cleveland on Saturday and headed to the locker room. If Kalinic clears waivers, he will need to reach an injury settlement with the Bears to have a chance to play in 2026, though the severity of his ailment remains unclear. The former Ram and Colt was competing for a depth role with Chicago.

Dinkins (undisclosed) had a tryout with the 49ers on Saturday, Howard Balzer of USA Today reports.

Dinkins was waived by the Niners in July after suffering a non-football injury, but he now appears to be back to full health. The tight end signed with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent in April, and he'll look to latch on with a squad in an attempt to make his NFL debut before the end of the preseason.

Conner was waived by the Jaguars on Monday.

The tight end signed with the Jaguars in April as an undrafted free agent after three collegiate seasons at Troy. Conner caught 31 passes for 397 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in his final college season last year, and he faced an uphill battle to make Jacksonville's 53-man roster.

Waller didn't practice Monday after officially signing with the Panthers, Mike Kaye of ESPN.com reports.

It looks like the Panthers plan to ease the newcomer in, with coach Dave Canales noting Monday that Waller isn't likely to be full go in joint practices on Wednesday in Jacksonville, though it's possible the veteran tight end could log some individual work. Once he gets up to speed with his new team's offense, Waller has a chance to emerge as a viable pass-catching TE option for QB Bryce Young, a context that could land Waller -- who recorded 24 catches for 283 yards and six touchdowns (on 34 targets) across nine regular-season appearances for the Dolphins in 2025 -- on the radar in deeper fantasy formats.

Bates (undisclosed) was waived with an injury designation Monday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

The Browns brought in Jermaine Terry in a corresponding move to add more depth to the tight-end room. Bates, a third-year pro out of Kentucky, will now look to latch on with another team.

Johnson is listed as the starting tight end on the Saints' unofficial depth chart.

Johnson is coming off a breakout season in which he easily set career bests with 77 receptions and 889 yards, so it's little surprise that he remains the top tight end for the Saints. Now trailing him on the depth chart are offseason acquisition Noah Fant and rookie third-rounder Oscar Delp.

Barner was rested for Seattle's 17-7 preseason loss to the Cowboys on Saturday.

Most of Seattle's starters sat out Saturday's preseason opener, with Barner among them. Backup TEs Elijah Arroyo, Nick Vannett and Nick Kallerup each had one catch Saturday, and Eric Saubert also is competing for a roster spot at the position. Barner seems entrenched atop the depth chart on the heels of a sophomore regular season in which he caught 52 of 68 targets for 519 receiving yards and six touchdowns, though Arroyo was a second-round pick in 2025 and is hoping to earn a larger role in his second season, much like Barner did a year ago.

Goedert didn't play in Saturday's 24-7 preseason loss to the Ravens.

Goedert and other key starters were rested for the preseason opener. Rookie second-round pick Eli Stowers caught all three of his targets for 12 yards, and the Eagles got their first look at the rookie second-round pick in a game situation. Stowers is unlikely to challenge Goedert for the top spot on the depth chart out of the gate, and Goedert has a clear path to heavy red-zone involvement following the offseason departure of A.J. Brown. Goedert led the Eagles with 11 receiving touchdowns during the 2025 regular season, but he had only 24 touchdown catches over the previous seven regular seasons combined.

Andrews was rested for Baltimore's 24-7 preseason win over the Eagles on Saturday.

Andrews and other key starters didn't suit up for the preseason opener. The 30-year-old tight end averaged a career-low 24.8 receiving yards per game during the 2025 regular season, but the Ravens didn't bring in any established pass catchers at the position to replace the departed Isaiah Likely, so Andrews has an opportunity to bounce back under a new coaching staff.

Strange didn't play in Saturday's 24-20 preseason win over the Saints.

Jacksonville held out key starters for its preseason opener, and Strange was among that group. After signing a three-year extension in June, Strange seems safely locked in atop a tight end depth chart that added rookies Nate Boerkircher and Tanner Koziol in the second and fifth rounds, respectively, of the 2026 NFL Draft.