NFL Player News

Kraft (knee) said Wednesday that he expects to play Week 1 without any playing-time restrictions, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Coming back from last year's ACL tear, Kraft is absent from OTA practices but hopes to participate in training camp. Packers coach Matt LaFleur also said he hopes to have the tight end on the field during the early portion of training camp, and Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said Kraft is ahead of schedule in his rehab process. While the Packers have a well-earned reputation for caution with injured players, it sounds like all parties are on board for Kraft making a run at gaining clearance for Week 1.

Stowers appears to have a lower-body injury and isn't doing much at Wednesday's practice, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The rookie second-round pick has a sleeve over his right leg and reportedly hasn't been doing much this week. Philadelphia's first-round pick, WR Makai Lemon, has also been absent from recent practices, nursing a hamstring injury that doesn't sound overly severe. Stowers' issue doesn't sound serious either, but it's possible he'll be limited for these last few practices before the Eagles break for the summer. Nothing at this stage hints at doubt about his availability for the start of training camp in late July. The concern for Stowers' fantasy value is Dallas Goedert's continued presence in Philadelphia, not a minor injury during OTAs.

Fannin (undisclosed) hasn't practiced during OTAs or minicamp this spring, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

Fannin dealt with a groin injury at the end of the 2025 season, but it's unclear if his continued absence this spring is related. He did take part in a voluntary workout back in April, but the tight end has been off to the side working with the training staff for the past several weeks. Fannin's current issue doesn't appear to be serious, but it's unclear if he'll be ready for the start of training camp next month. He's expected to be a focal point of the Browns' passing offense in 2026 after he posted 72 catches for 731 yards and six touchdowns on 107 targets across 16 regular-season appearances during his rookie campaign.

The Panthers waived Haarberg on Monday, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Haarberg inked a deal with the Panthers in late May, but it now appears the team has decided to move in another direction. The Nebraska product caught eight passes for 52 yards and a touchdown across 10 contests during his final collegiate season.

Lohner is expected to miss two weeks after undergoing a lower-body procedure, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

Klis adds that Lohner's procedure was a routine cleanup and that he'll be fully ready for training camp. The second-year tight end spent his rookie season on the Broncos' practice squad and signed a reserve/future contract with the team in January. Lohner was lauded by Denver coach Sean Payton as a standout performer while participating in rookie minicamp this May, and he'll look to impress again when he's healthy this offseason.

Klein was sidelined at the Texans' OTAs during the week after tweaking his hamstring, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Per Wilson, the injury isn't expected to keep Klein off the practice field for an extended period. The rookie second-round pick, who's competing with Foster Moreau for the No. 2 job behind Dalton Schultz, will have a chance to return to practice at some point during the Texans' mandatory minicamp, which begins Tuesday.

Barner (undisclosed) is expected to be ready for training camp, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

The team has been vague on what Barner underwent his pair of surgeries for, but the tight end dealt with hip, elbow, shoulder, knee, ankle and calf injuries in the latter half of last season and into the playoffs. Despite the nagging issues, Barner started all 17 regular-season games, producing a 52-519-6 line on 68 targets. He added another six catches for 67 yards and one touchdown across three playoff contests.

Houston signed Hansen on Thursday.

The rookie tight end out of Connecticut is getting his first chance in the pros with the Texans. Over the course of the past three seasons with the Huskies, Hansen totaled 46 catches for 463 yards and four touchdowns in 40 games.

Pittsburgh waived Metayer on Thursday.

In a corresponding transaction, the Steelers signed veteran tight end Robert Tonyan to a one-year contract. Metayer, meanwhile, is now on track to become a free agent unless he's claimed by another team during the current waiver period.

Pittsburgh signed Tonyan to a one-year contract Thursday, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic reports.

Coming off the heels of a season in which he suited up for 17 games with Kansas City, Tonyan is now joining his fifth different team in as many years. Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington are returning at tight end for the Steelers, but they released veteran Jonnu Smith back in March, so there's room for Tonyan to potentially snag a spot on the 53-man roster for 2026.