NFL Player News

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.

Bartholomew saw one target in Saturday's preseason opener against the Giants.

The tight end logged 31 percent of the Vikings' offensive snaps in the contest. Bartholomew was in for 18 offensive plays but was unable to snag a reception. The 23-year-old will likely remain behind Ben Yurosek on the depth chart as the two head into their sophomore seasons with the Vikings.

Kittle (Achilles) said Sunday that he's "very confident" he won't start the season on the reserve/PUP list and that he's still got a chance to play Week 1 versus the Rams, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Kittle is recovering from a torn Achilles suffered on Jan. 11, and he's maintained this offseason that he'll be ready for the Week 1 opener versus the Rams in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday, Sept. 10. He added that the decision about whether he'll play Week 1 should be made before the 49ers depart for their international game versus the Rams, per Wagoner. The soon-to-be 33-year-old recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns in 2023 and 2024, but he tallied 628 yards on 57 catches across 11 appearances during the 2025 regular season. When healthy, Kittle should still be a key target for San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy, especially after wide receiver Ricky Pearsall underwent a season-ending surgery to repair his PCL this August.

The Titans placed Kanak (pectoral) on injured reserve Sunday, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.

Kanah suffered a season-ending pectoral injury in Thursday's preseason opener against the 49ers. The rookie seventh-rounder will now have to wait until 2027 for a potential pro debut. The Titans signed tight end Matt Lauter in a corresponding move.

The Titans signed Lauter to a contract Sunday, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.

Lauter was waived by the Raiders in early May. The undrafted free agent out of Boise State was signed to fill a depth spot in the Titans' tight end corps that was vacated by Jaren Kanak (pectoral). Lauter's signing is a corresponding move to Kanak's placement on season-ending injured reserve, and he will likely only fulfill a meaningful role until the preseason concludes.

Bates (hamstring) is set to begin practicing Tuesday, Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site reports.

Bates suffered a hamstring injury in late July and has not practiced since the issue developed. The tight end is recovering well and is set to see at least a limited practice session Tuesday. While Bates has been absent, Ben Sinnott has been expanding his route tree in the hopes of obtaining the No. 2 tight end role. Bates will need to prove he can maintain his position behind Chig Okonkwo as he works his way back the remainder of the preseason.

Kraft said Sunday that he expects the Packers to limit his reps "probably until halfway through the season," Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Kraft has been trending toward returning Week 1 following a season-ending torn ACL suffered during Week 9 of the 2025 campaign, and he also returned to 11-on-11 drills for the first time Sunday. The fourth-year tight end added that he's hoping not to be on a rep count for the regular-season opener, per Demovsky, so it'll be worth monitoring his status leading into that game versus the Vikings on Sunday, Sept. 13. Kraft played at least 88 percent of the Packers' offensive snaps in each of their first seven games before going down last year. He finished with 32 catches for 489 yards and six touchdowns over eight contests in 2025. Kraft also was asked whether he expects a new contract by Week 1, saying "that's the goal," according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.