NFL Player News

Kittle (hamstring) is not expected to play in Friday's preseason game against the Chiefs, Joe Fann of the 49ers' official site reports.

Contrary to a previous report, Kittle didn't actually practice Wednesday, which is confusing since he'd been removed from the injury report earlier in the morning. However, it's possible his absence could've been precautionary.

Kittle (hamstring) is not listed on the injury report for Wednesday's practice, ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner reports.

Kittle returned to practice in a limited fashion Monday after missing less than a week of action. The minor hammy issue shouldn't impact his bid for a key role -- possibly even a starting job -- amongst a tight end group subject to fierce competition. Incumbent starter Vance McDonald faces an uncertain future after being overpaid by the previous front office regime, while fellow veterans Garrett Celek and Logan Paulsen are mostly valued for blocking. While he only caught 48 passes at Iowa and wasn't taken until the fifth round of this year's draft, Kittle did display top-notch athleticism in running a 4.52 40-yard dash at 247 pounds at the Combine. The Niners might opt for trial by fire, particularly if they struggle early in the season and don't appear destined for the playoffs.

Tom Brady has frequently looked to Allen in the red zone at training camp, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe reports.

The Patriots made frequent use of two-TE formations last season when both Martellus Bennett and Rob Gronkowski were healthy, but Allen isn't quite on Bennett's level and that team didn't have Brandin Cooks. While thus unlikely to match Bennett's target volume, the former Colt could stay regularly involved near the end zone, where he's long been a threat. Nineteen of his 126 career receptions (15 percent) have gone for touchdowns, with 11 of those coming from inside the 10-yard line. Allen's primary appeal still involves a scenario in which Gronkowski is absent.

Wright (knee) signed a contract with the Lions on Wednesday, Michael Stets of NewsTalk 760 AM WJR reports.

Wright was out of the NFL in 2016 after suffering a torn ACL during the Lions' offseason program last May, resulting in his release. With the tight end apparently having returned to full health following the year-plus layoff, the Lions will give him another look and see if he can offer an upgrade over some of their other depth options at the position. During his last NFL season in 2015, Wright appeared in nine games for Detroit, logging nine catches for 77 yards and two touchdowns.

Njoku has been restrained from practice with a sore back, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Njoku is listed as the No. 3 tight end in Cleveland, but a lot of this is due to his troubles with fumbles early in camp. He's easily more talented than Randall Telfer and Seth DeValve, though, so if he can just hold onto the ball, Njoku should be able to steal the No. 1 job. This injury isn't expected to be too serious, so expect to see the 2017 first-round pick at some point during preseason.

Graham could get more targets at the goal line this year, the Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Graham was targeted a team-high 20 times in the red zone last season but only three came inside the 10, where he scored once. Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said the plan is to "[g]ive him more opportunities," and that Russell Wilson needs to continue to trust that the 6-7 Graham, who has a huge catch radius, is open even when he looks covered. "If you're a fantasy guy, you're probably not really excited about what was happening (last year)," Bevell said. "He's in there. We're working to get him the ball. Can we be better at it? Yes. That is absolutely what we're trying to do. We want to make him a big part of things."

Uzomah suffered a severe left ankle sprain Monday, Jim Owczarski of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

This is still a bad injury, but it easily could've been worse. Uzomah is a depth tight-end option in Cincinnati, behind Tyler Eifert and Tyler Kroft. He finished last season with 25 receptions on 38 targets for 234 yards and a touchdown.

Graham is down to 260 pounds after playing last season at around 280, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia reports.

While he didn't look out of shape last season, Graham apparently tacked on some unwanted weight while recovering from patella surgery. He still finished third among NFL tight ends with 923 receiving yards, but he was often absent from practice during the week, and there have been reports all offseason that he produced that total while playing at far less than 100 percent strength. The 30-year-old tight end said himself that he feels "almost a hundred times better" than he did during training camp last year. Graham is locked in as one of the top options at his position, with less than a handful of players offering comparable ceilings.

Njoku is listed behind Randall Telfer and Seth DeValve at tight end on the unofficial depth chart the Browns issued Monday, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

The 2017 first-round pick has had a fumbling problem early on in training camp, which has temporarily put him behind his main competition for the starting role. From a talent standpoint, Njoku unquestionably outclasses Telfer and DeValve, so if he's able to rein in the mistakes and pick up the offense quickly, he could end up emerging at the top of depth chart before Week 1 arrives. Njoku's preseason performance may ultimately dictate how many snaps he sees to begin the regular season.

Uzomah was carted off the field during Monday's practice with an apparent lower-leg injury, Sam Greene of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Uzomah was reportedly in a lot of pain as he was being wheeled off the field Monday. It's difficult to predict how long he'll be out with relatively few details available, but more information should be available in the coming days. With Uzomah sidelined, expect Ryan Hewitt and Mason Schreck to pick up the bulk of the third-team reps at tight end.