NFL Player News

The Bengals officially signed Fant on Thursday.

Fant, who recorded a 48-500-1 receiving line in 14 regular-season games with the Seahawks in 2024, bolsters a Bengals tight end corps that also includes Mike Gesicki, who caught 65 passes for Cincinnati last season. With star wideouts Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins also around to command plenty of targets, Fant may not initially have a path to steady volume, but the 2019 first-rounder would quickly find himself on the fantasy lineup radar if Gesicki were forced to the sideline at any point this season.

The Colts cut Okwuegbunam on Thursday.

Okwuegbunam signed with the Colts' practice squad last December but didn't appear in a regular-season game during the 2024 campaign. The 27-year-old clearly didn't show enough in practice this offseason behind Tyler Warren, Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree, Jelani Woods and Will Mallory. Okwuegbunam's NFL career appears to be running on fumes, with him having last logged a regular-season reception back in the 2022 campaign with Denver.

The Bengals waived Taylor on Thursday.

Taylor signed with the Bengals as an undrafted free agent following the 2025 Draft. He's out of a roster spot after the team signed veteran TE Noah Fant on Thursday.

Taylor looks ready to start out of the gate and has been operating ahead of Jeremy Ruckert and Stone Smartt in training camp, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.

Taylor has demonstrated good chemistry with quarterback Justin Fields and drawn praise from wide receiver Garrett Wilson for his playmaking ability. The rookie second-round pick's main competitors for snaps at tight end, Ruckert and Smartt, have combined for only one touchdown catch in 79 regular-season NFL games.

Knox (hamstring) returned to practice Thursday.

After missing the start of training camp, this marks the first practice for Knox since he came off the active/non-football injury list, per Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News. The 28-year-old, who logged 22 catches for 311 yards and a touchdown in 16 regular-season games in 2024, thus is slated to reprise his role in a Buffalo passing offense that also features fellow TE Dalton Kincaid, who caught 44 passes in 13 contests last season.

Johnson (undisclosed) took part in individual drills at Thursday's practice, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.

Johnson returning as at least a limited participant Thursday lends optimism to the notion that the undisclosed injury he sustained Tuesday or Wednesday is indeed minor, and shouldn't hamper him for more than a few days. The 28-year-old veteran has surpassed 500 receiving yards in two of the last three seasons and is currently positioned as New Orleans' clear top tight end, with positional mates Taysom Hill (knee) and Foster Moreau (knee) on the active/PUP list. A quick return to team reps will be beneficial for Johnson, as he works to establish chemistry with QBs Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener.

Fant is expected to sign with the Bengals after both sides came to terms Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Fant's first visit as a free agent after being released by Seattle was to Cincinnati, and though he subsequently met with New Orleans and Miami, the 2019 first-round pick now appears set to join Mike Gesicki atop the Bengals' tight end depth chart. The fit is somewhat intriguing, as Fant boasts receiving chops and now joins a prolific passing game, but he faces a murky role and may have to settle for a definitive depth gig behind Gesicki, whom Cincinnati inked to a three-year, $25.5 million extension this offseason.

The Patriots signed Fotheringham (undisclosed) to a contract Wednesday.

Fotheringham was let go with an injury settlement by the Broncos in early June due to an undisclosed injury. He appears to be past the issue, and the Utah product will look to earn a spot on the Patriots' 53-man roster as a backup tight end. Fotheringham last saw regular-season action in 2023 with the Raiders, when he played 32 snaps (21 on offense, 11 on special teams) across two games while catching one pass for six yards.

Strange is operating as the Jaguars' starting tight end at training camp, Paul Bretl of USA Today reports.

This comes as zero surprise following Evan Engram's offseason departure to Denver, but it was noteworthy that Jacksonville did very little at the tight end position during the offseason, opting to add only depth-type blockers Johnny Mundt, Hunter Long and Quintin Morris. Strange started eight regular-season games that Engram missed last season, totaling 29-285-2 receiving in those contests. Strange is a popular late-round pick at tight end in early fantasy drafts this summer.

The Patriots signed Davis (shoulder) to a contract Wednesday.

Davis missed the entire 2024 season due to a shoulder injury. He last saw regular-season action in 2022 with the Packers, when he played in all 17 games and posted four catches (on seven targets) for 26 yards while mostly serving in a blocking and special teams role. Now in New England, Davis will use practices and preseason games to compete for a backup tight end spot on the 53-man roster.