NFL Player News

Gadsden (coach's decision) is listed as inactive for Friday's game versus Kansas City, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.

The Chargers apparently feel good rolling into Week 1 with just Will Dissly and Tyler Conklin available at tight end, so Gadsden will have to wait at least another week to make his regular-season debut. His absence might mean a few more snaps from the slot for Keenan Allen.

Schoonmaker failed to catch his only target in Thursday's 24-20 loss to the Eagles.

The third-year tight end had a limited role, as expected, while working behind starter Jake Ferguson. Schoonmaker's hold on the No. 2 spot on the depth chart may not be secure, either, despite his standing as a 2023 second-round pick -- he played 15 snaps on offense to Brevyn Spann-Ford's 10, and the latter made a more noticeable impact with his blocking.

Likely (foot) has been ruled out for Sunday night's season opener against the Bills.

Likely didn't practice this week, so it's not a surprise that he'll be sidelined Sunday. As for the tight end's status beyond Week 1, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com noted that Likely was running on a side field Friday, which is a positive sign relative to his chances of returning in the next couple of weeks. As long as Likely remains sidelined, however, fellow TE Mark Andrews figures to be busy, with Charlie Kolar also mixing in at the position.

Whiteheart (knee) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Bengals, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plan Dealer reports.

Whiteheart gained clearance with full participation in practice Friday following a pair of limited sessions. He's a distant third on the depth chart behind David Njoku and rookie third-round pick Harold Fannin.

Waller (hip) has been ruled out for Sunday's season opener against the Colts, Travis Wingfield of the Dolphins' official site reports.

Per Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com, Waller suffered a hip strain this week, and the injury setback will be enough to sideline the tight end Week 1. In Waller's absence versus Indianapolis, fellow TEs Julian Hill and Tanner Conner are in line for added opportunities, while Greg Dulcich and Hayden Rucci are potential practice-squad elevations.

Calcaterra wasn't targeted in Thursday's 24-20 win over the Cowboys.

Jalen Hurts peppered starting tight end Dallas Goedert with a team-high seven targets, but there was no action left over in the passing game for Calcaterra and Kylen Granson. On the bright side, Calcaterra was on the field for 59 percent of Philadelphia's offensive snaps, behind Goedert's 83 percent but well ahead of Granson's 27 percent. It would likely take an injury to Goedert for Calcaterra to gain any fantasy relevance in 2025.

Likely (foot) isn't practicing Friday, Jonas Shaffer of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

That said, Shaffer notes that Likely appears to be ramping things up, with the tight end spotted doing some on-field work Friday with trainers that included light running but not much hard cutting. Look for Likely to be ruled out for Week 1 action later Friday, but in that scenario the tight end's absence may not linger too long beyond the Ravens' regular-season opener against the Bills.

Coach Mike McDaniel revealed Friday that Waller (hip) suffered a setback before Thursday's practice, Travis Wingfield of the Dolphins' official site reports.

As a result, Waller didn't take part in Thursday's session, and at this stage, McDaniel said he doesn't believe the tight end will play Sunday against the Colts, a notion that could be confirmed when Friday's final Week 1 injury report is posted. If Waller is ruled out, Julian Hill and Tanner Conner would be next up for Miami's tight end reps this weekend.

Ferguson brought in five of six targets for 23 yards in the Cowboys' 24-20 loss to the Eagles on Thursday night.

Ferguson finished second in receptions on the Cowboys to CeeDee Lamb and third in receiving yards, although the latter total was a reflection of a low-volume passing night for Dallas. Nevertheless, it was encouraging to see Ferguson as Dak Prescott's second-favorite target on the night, as it was a reminder of the chemistry between the two that was nullified by Prescott's season-ending hamstring avulsion in Week 9 of last season. Ferguson could remain similarly busy during the Cowboys' Week 2 home opener against the Giants on Sunday, Sept. 14.

Goedert brought in all seven targets for 44 yards in the Eagles' 24-20 win over the Cowboys on Thursday night.

Goedert recorded a co-game-high reception total and was second on the Eagles in receiving yards on a night when Jalen Hurts threw for a modest 152 yards. The veteran tight end was peppered with a team-high target tally by Hurts as the Cowboys focused plenty of attention on A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, leading to a productive start to the campaign for Goedert. He should be involved in a complementary capacity at minimum during a Week 2 road Super Bowl rematch with the Chiefs on Sunday, Sept. 14.