NFL Player News

Schultz secured one of two targets for 15 yards during the Cowboys' 16-3 preseason loss to the Steelers in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game.

Schultz opened the game with Garrett Gilbert operating as his quarterback and was productive on the one grab he was able to make. The 2018 fourth-round pick turned in an impressive 63-615-4 line across 16 games last season following Blake Jarwin's Week 1 season-ending knee injury, and with the latter being handled with care this summer, Schultz is still slated to see a solid amount of work in practices and preseason contests for the time being.

Freiermuth (shoulder) doesn't appear as if he'll play in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Cowboys, Dale Lolley of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

The Steelers are taking a prudent approach with the rookie second-rounder after he injured his left shoulder at Tuesday's practice. Freiermuth's pro debut thus will have to wait until preseason Week 1 next Thursday in Philadelphia, at the earliest.

Conklin (ankle) returned to practice Thursday, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Conklin was held out Monday through Wednesday with a minor injury. His cameo in the No. 2 TE spot went well at the end of last season, and he now figures to handle that role on a more permanent basis after the Vikings parted ways with Kyle Rudolph in the offseason. Conklin could even have mainstream fantasy relevance at some point this year if starting tight end Irv Smith misses time.

Hollister returned to practice Thursday after injuring his back on the first day of training camp practice last Thursday, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports.

The veteran and former college teammate of quarterback Josh Allen can now get back to work and try to secure his No. 2 tight end status behind starter Dawson Knox.

Wolf did not practice Thursday due to an ankle issue, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Wolf is aiming to secure a depth role in New Orleans' tight end room, so he can't afford to miss much time due to injury. Since going undrafted back in 2018, Wolf has yet to make his NFL debut.

Hooper didn't participate in practice Wednesday due to an illness, Andrew Gribble of the Browns' official site reports.

There's been little buzz out of Browns camp regarding the team's tight ends, but the depth chart should remain the same entering the 2021 season. Hooper will top the chart, followed by Harrison Bryant and David Njoku, in that order.

Smith recorded two touchdowns in practice Wednesday and may be in store for an increased red-zone role in 2021, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

Kyle Rudolph left in free agency in the offseason, giving Smith an opportunity to pick up more work inside the 20-yard line. While head coach Mike Zimmer said earlier in the summer that Smith's role may not change much sans Randolph and that Tyler Conklin would instead see a bigger boost in opportunity as the second tight end, it's possible that Smith takes over as the main red-zone target at the position. Rudolph produced 15 touchdowns between 2016 and 2017, though it's worth noting that he holds a four-inch advantage in height over Smith. Regardless, Smith's usage will be something to monitor in the preseason.

The Packers activated Deguara (knee) from the PUP list Wednesday, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

While Demovsky noted Deguara has been medically cleared from the torn ACL he suffered Oct. 5 against the Falcons, he likely will be eased into practices. Robert Tonyan is the clear-cut top receiving tight end in Green Bay, and Marcedes Lewis handles key blocking duties. As a result, Deguara, a 2020 third-round pick, may be fighting for not much more than a peripheral role in the Packers offense.

Conklin isn't practicing Wednesday due to an ankle injury, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Conklin initially missed practice Monday, but he told reporters his ankle injury isn't serious. He's expected to work as Minnesota's No. 2 tight end, a role that could entail playing more than half the snaps on offense. With Conklin temporary unavailable, rookie fifth-round pick Zach Davidson should get a few more practice reps.

Alie-Cox sat out practice Wednesday with a knee injury, Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star reports.

The tight end didn't participate in the session, but he attended practice as an observer, suggesting the injury isn't too serious. Alie-Cox, Jack Doyle and Kylen Granson are competing for tight end snaps, after Doyle and Alie-Cox shared the position with Trey Burton in 2020. Alie-Cox doesn't have an obvious path to more than three or four targets per game, but he made a good impression last season with 394 receiving yards on only 39 targets (10.1 YPT).