NFL Player News

Strange is the Jaguars' projected Week 1 starter at tight end following the NFL's cutdown day, John Oehser of the team's official site reports.

Strange inked a three-year extension with Jacksonville back in June, and in the wake of roster cuts, rookie second-round pick Nate Boerkircher, rookie fifth-rounder Tanner Koziol and fifth-year pro Quintin Morris are the other TEs on the roster. As a result, Strange is the likeliest member of the group, barring health concerns, to end the campaign as the leader in offensive snaps. He's also coming off a 2025 season in which he posted a 46-540-3 line on 60 targets across 12 regular-season games.

The Raiders removed Okwuegbunam from their practice squad Thursday.

Okwuegbunam joined Las Vegas' practice squad Monday after missing the cut for the 53-man roster, but he's now a free agent again. He suited up for one game with the Raiders in 2025, catching five of six targets for 36 yards.

Washington signed Simon to its practice squad Tuesday, Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site reports.

Simon was waived by the Falcons on Saturday after missing the cut for their 53-man roster, but he's now getting a fresh opportunity with a new team. He spent the entirety of last season on Atlanta's practice squad.

Washington signed Westover to its practice squad Tuesday, Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site reports.

Westover went unclaimed after the Patriots waived him Sunday, but now he's getting another shot with a new club. He suited up for 17 regular-season games with New England in 2025, catching one of his two total targets for no gain.

Tennessee signed Wilson to its practice squad Monday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Wilson was waived Sunday after missing the cut for Tennessee's initial 53-man roster, but he's now back with the team. He's been bouncing around the league since 2023, but he's still waiting to make his regular-season debut.

Dallas signed Mitchell to its practice squad Thursday, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Mitchell cleared waivers after getting cut by the Panthers on Sunday, and he's getting an opportunity with a new team less than a week later. In a corresponding transaction, the Cowboys cut tight end Mitch Van Vooren.

The Jets waived Hulstein (undisclosed) from injured reserve with an injury settlement Thursday.

Hulstein was going to have to spend the entire 2026 season on IR, but he's now in line to hit the free agent market instead. The undrafted rookie suited up for all three of the Jets' preseason games, totaling four receptions for 25 yards.

Kraft (knee) appeared to be running without any limitations during Wednesday's practice, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Though Kraft was held out of action during the Packers' entire preseason slate, he was able to clear a major hurdle in his recovery from the torn ACL he sustained Nov. 2, 2025 by taking contact in a joint practice with the Cardinals last week. Kraft appeared to be in full uniform and pads for Wednesday's session, suggesting that he's on track to be ready to go for the Packers' Week 1 matchup with the Vikings. Green Bay will release its first injury report of 2026 next Wednesday, and if Kraft is listed as a full participant or is off the report entirely, it would provide confirmation that he's been cleared to play in the season opener.

Loveland is listed as a starting tight end along with Cole Kmet on the Bears' unofficial depth chart.

The 10th overall pick in the 2025 Draft, Loveland had a slow start to his rookie season, coming out of Week 8 with 11 catches total on the campaign and one DNP due to a hip injury. From Week 9 through the Bears' divisional-round loss to the Rams, though, he ran roughshod over opposing defenses, hauling in 59 of 89 targets for 790 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games. Loveland capped that stretch with four consecutive contests with double-digit targets, indicating he finished last season as QB Caleb Williams' top option in the passing game. While Loveland still has to contend with WRs Rome Odunze and Luther Burden (groin) for the attention of Williams, the tight end is poised to make a leap to the NFL's best at the position.

Johnson didn't see any action during the Saints' three-game preseason slate.

Johnson is locked in atop the depth chart at tight end for New Orleans, and with Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) set to miss at least the first four games of the season and no clear WR2 on the roster, Johnson could have a significant pass-catching role out of the gates. Tyler Shough has already predicted a big season for his former college teammate after Johnson was fantasy's overall TE5 in yards per game and TE8 in catches per game following last season's Rashid Shaheed trade ahead of Week 10. Turning 30 years old Sept. 13, Johnson is coming off a 77-889-3 campaign on 102 targets last season.