NFL Player News

Henry tore the ACL in his right knee Tuesday during OTAs and will miss the 2018 season, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Though Schefter noted Henry and the club will seek a second opinion Wednesday, Schefter's source says Henry won't suit up this coming season. After snagging 12 touchdown passes over his first two seasons, Henry was headed for an uptick in responsibility after Antonio Gates wasn't re-signed. Henry and Gates split snaps the last two years, and Henry was targeted 4.4 times per game in 2017, compared to 3.3 targets for Gates. The No. 35 pick from the 2016 draft projected to be a top TE in the fantasy realm due to his larger role, but now the Chargers will be stuck scrambling for a replacement. Schefter added that Los Angeles might consider re-signing Gates to help fill the void. Blocking specialist Virgil Green appears to be atop the depth chart at the moment.

Barnes (undisclosed) cleared waivers and was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.

After going undrafted in 2017, Barnes spent his rookie campaign looking for employment and eventually latched onto the Lions' practice squad in late December. Barnes was a long shot to make the 53-man roster anyway with tons of talent ahead of him in the depth chart.

Barnes (undisclosed) was waived with an injury designation Monday, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

Barnes has been with Detroit since joining the team's practice squad last December. While it isn't clear what sort of injury he's dealing with, Barnes will revert to injured reserve if he passes through waivers unclaimed.

Lucas signed a contract with the Lions on Monday.

Lucas spent time with the Raiders' and Colts' practice squads last season, after entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2014. With a very small chance of making the Lions' roster, he could end up being a practice squad candidate once again.

Firkser signed with the Titans on Monday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Firkser was most recently waived by the Chiefs two weeks ago. The Titans will be the third NFL team the tight end has signed with in two years, making him a long shot to make the final roster.

Orndoff was waived by Cincinnati on Monday, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Orndoff ended 2017 on the Bengals' practice squad and was looking to make the active roster for the team in 2018. If he goes unclaimed, he'll be a free agent able to sign with any team, where he'll look to secure a depth role.

Gathers has recovered from his concussion, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

While Gathers is not eligible to make his return to the field during the Cowboys' rookie minicamp, the second-year tight end is finally cleared of the concussion that plagued his rookie season. Gathers is being viewed as a potential replacement at starting tight end for now-retired Jason Witten given his athletic upside, but the former Baylor basketball star still reportedly has a lot to work on before that becomes a reality. Being cleared of all concussion-like symptoms this early in the offseason will surely help Gathers' chances of making an immediate impact.

Gathers (concussion/jaw) will need to improve his blocking if he's going to get a chance to replace Jason Witten in the Cowboys' offense, Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News reports.

The 24-year-old has by far the most upside as a receiver of any tight end on the Dallas roster due to his athleticism -- catching seven passes for 106 yards and two TDs in two preseason games last year -- but Gathers' lack of experience and unrefined skill set was also evident in his overall body of work. The former college basketball player spent the entire 2017 campaign on injured reserve due to concussion and jaw issues, but if he's healthy and can add a little more polish to his physicality, he could emerge as a dangerous target for Dak Prescott in an offense now without both Witten and Dez Bryant.

Swaim (knee) is now the most experienced tight end on the Cowboys' roster following the retirement of Jason Witten, Jon Machota on the Dallas Morning News reports.

That's not saying much -- he's played only 28 games over three seasons in Dallas -- but Swaim is also the only tight end on the depth chart to have caught a pass in a regular-season game, giving him an edge on the current competition as the Cowboys move on from Witten. The 24-year-old is still recuperating from minor knee surgery, but he should be 100 percent by training camp, if not sooner.

Seals-Jones (leg) likely will operate as the Cardinals' starting tight end during offseason workouts, Mike Jurecki of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM

Jermaine Gresham tore his Achilles in Week 17 last season, while Seals-Jones suffered a far less severe leg injury in the same game. The Cardinals nonetheless opted against adding any tight ends in free agency or the draft, displaying an unexpected degree of confidence in Seals-Jones, a former college wideout who stuck with the team as an undrafted rookie last year. He finally earned a meaningful role Week 11, ultimately finishing the season with 12 catches for 201 yards and three touchdowns on 28 targets, despite logging only 133 snaps on offense. Seals-Jones will enter training camp as a clear favorite for playing time on passing downs, with the potential to earn a heavier workload if he proves competent as a run blocker. His participation in offseason workouts and a recent charity golf event suggests that he's made a full recovery from last year's unspecified leg/ankle injury.