NFL Player News

Cajuste (concussion) caught both targets for 27 yards in Thursday's 20-10 preseason win over the Giants.

Cajust suffered a concussion in late July but is apparently clear of any further issues. The 25-year-old led Cleveland tight ends with 37 offensive snaps Thursday and was the only one to catch a pass besides starter David Njoku.

Kittle (shoulder) isn't expected to practice next week or play in the 49ers' second preseason game, Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Kittle was removed from Thursday's preseason game against Dallas after taking a hard hit in the first quarter, later walking to the locker room with his right arm pinned to his body. A serious injury would be a major blow to the San Francisco offense, after Kittle finished his rookie season with 194 receiving yards over the final three weeks. Garrett Celek will step in as the 49ers' top tight end while Kittle is unavailable.

Gathers turned his lone target into a nine-yard gain during Thursday's preseason opener against the 49ers.

Gathers watched as the likes of Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz garnered more attention from the Dallas quarterbacks, waiting until the final drive of the game to garner his only reception. Even more discouraging for Gathers' case was that Geoff Swaim, the most experienced player of the bunch, didn't play in this one. The Dallas tight end battle remains open, but Gathers seemingly has a ways to go before the end of the preseason to claim a roster spot.

Akins brought in both of his targets for 20 yards and two touchdowns in the Texans' 17-10 preseason win over the Chiefs on Thursday.

The 2018 third-round pick made quite the splash in his NFL debut, connecting with backup quarterback Brandon Weeden for both of Houston's touchdowns. Akins is the rare 26-year-old rookie, having played minor-league baseball for several years. Despite the advanced age for a first-year player, he has an opportunity for a solid amount of playing time in the coming season if he can continue generating the caliber of performance he provided Thursday -- the team doesn't have any locks at the position behind starter Ryan Griffin. Akins will look to prove his opening act was no fluke when the Texans face off with the 49ers a week from Saturday in their second exhibition game.

Gesicki failed to come up with either of his two targets during the Dolphins' 26-24 preseason loss to the Buccaneers on Thursday.

The heralded second-round pick had been coming on all throughout camp, progressively earning himself more first-team snaps in the process. That made Thursday's empty stat line both surprising and disappointing, the usual applicable caveats about preseason notwithstanding. Despite the underwhelming debut, the Dolphins clearly have plans for the talented Penn State product to play a significant role in the offense during the coming season, and he has all of the measurables to create plenty of mismatches. He'll look to bounce back when Miami takes on the Panthers a week from Friday in their second exhibition contest.

Goedert nabbed four of five targets for 66 yards and a touchdown during Thursday's 31-14 loss to Pittsburgh.

The rookie settled into a soft spot in Pittsburgh's coverage on a scramble drill early in the second quarter, leading to a 15-yard Eagles touchdown. The second-round pick looks like a smooth receiver on a roster that knows how to get the ball to the tight end. If all goes as planned, he can slide nicely into Trey Burton's old role opposite starter Zach Ertz.

Kittle injured his shoulder and will not return to Thursday's preseason opener against the Cowboys, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Kittle came up holding his right shoulder after running downfield for a deep ball. The exact nature of his injury isn't clear. In Kittle's absence, Garret Celek will take over as the 49ers' No. 1 tight end.

Njoku caught two of his three targets for 46 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Thursday's 20-10 win over the Giants to open the preseason.

There have been rumors of Njoku struggling with drops in camp, but he had no problem holding on to a 36-yard touchdown pass from Tyrod Taylor on Cleveland's second possession. The athletic tight end found the end zone again two possessions later, this time on a 10-yard pass from Baker Mayfield. Njoku's prospective fantasy owners have to be ecstatic with this performance, especially since he showed a rapport with both of the team's potential starters at quarterback.

Engram wasn't targeted during Thursday's 20-10 loss to the Browns in the preseason opener.

Engram emerged as New York's top receiving threat after Odell Beckham went down with a season-ending ankle injury last year, but the young tight end failed to make an impact in two drives of work here even with Beckham absent. New York did split Engram out wide on a few occasions, so he appears primed to play a versatile role similar to the one he was used in as a rookie.

Hurst caught his only target for a 12-yard gain in Thursday's preseason game against the Rams.

Hurst caught his pass on the first snap of the game, after hauling in three of four targets for 14 yards and a touchdown in last week's Hall of Fame Game against Chicago. The rookie first-round pick is making a push to usurp incumbent starter Nick Boyle, a block-first tight end with 52 catches in 32 career games. Even if he doesn't win the starting job, Hurst is shaping up as a clear favorite to lead Baltimore tight ends in targets. Fellow rookie Mark Andrews, a third-round selection, has struggled to stay healthy during training camp.