NFL Player News

Franklin was waived by the Dolphins on Sunday, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

The tight end was claimed off waivers from New England on Aug. 5 and saw second-team reps during training camp with Ben Sims (undisclosed) and Will Kacmarek (undisclosed) nursing injuries, but Franklin was not able to make enough of an impact to earn a spot on the 53-man roster. He saw two targets during preseason action but didn't record a catch. Franklin went undrafted this year after four seasons at Boston College.

Kittle (Achilles) is expected to practice this week as he continues his push to play in the 49ers' season opener against the Rams in Australia, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

With Kittle having been activated from the active/PUP list last Sunday and reportedly avoiding setbacks in his recovery from a torn Achilles, he appears to be trending in the right direction for Week 1. His practice workload this week should offer the clearest indication yet of whether San Francisco's starting tight end will be ready for the opener. Should Kittle indeed be able to suit up versus the Rams, it would mean he'd return to game action almost exactly eight months after he tore his Achilles on Jan. 11 in a wild-card win over Philadelphia.

Long has been traded from Jacksonville to the Cardinals, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Long will get a fresh start after spending 2025 in a depth role for Jacksonville. After being selected by Miami in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Long has been used primarily as a blocker, though he did log career highs with 12 catches, 85 yards and two touchdowns over nine regular-season contests with the Jaguars last year. Trey McBride is the clear-cut top dog at tight end for Arizona, so Long doesn't figure to have a major offensive role with his new club.

The Rams waived Villari on Saturday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Villari joined Los Angeles as an undrafted free agent in late April and played in all three of the team's preseason games, catching one of two targets for 24 yards. The Syracuse product has intriguing versatility, as he logged some time as a quarterback and also was used often as a rusher during college. Villari is a candidate to settle in with the Rams' practice squad if he goes through waivers unclaimed.

The Rams waived Jones on Saturday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Jones signed with Los Angeles as an undrafted free agent in late April and stuck with the organization throughout the preseason. However, the Rams have a crowded tight-end room, so Jones was never expected to make the roster cut.

The Texans are slated to waive Pryor, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Pryor spent much of last season on Houston's practice squad, then signed a reserve/future deal with the team in January. He saw action in all three of the team's preseason contests and caught two of five targets for 19 yards. Pryor is a candidate to return to the practice squad if he goes unclaimed on waivers.

Houston waived Hansen on Saturday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Hansen joined the Texans as an undrafted free agent in early June and saw action in two preseason contests, catching both of his targets for seven yards. Per Wilson, Hansen made a positive impression during training camp and has a chance to be a part of Houston's practice squad if he goes unclaimed on waivers.

The Giants released Deguara on Saturday.

Since his rookie contract with the Packers ran out after the 2023 season, Deguara has split time between the Jaguars and Cardinals the last two years, combining for six catches (on eight targets) for 35 yards and one TD in 27 regular-season appearances. He then joined the 49ers at the start of training camp but was cut Monday before joining the Giants, playing preseason Week 3 and then getting cut again.

The Saints waived Mitchell-Paden on Saturday.

Since going undrafted in 2022, Mitchell-Paden has spent time with three different teams (the Browns, Ravens and Saints). New Orleans claimed him off waivers last October, but he made just two appearances with his new squad before landing on IR ahead of Week 18. If he clears waivers, Mitchell-Paden will be free to sign with another organization.

Roush brought in one of two targets for 19 yards in the Bears' 24-15 preseason win over the Titans on Saturday.

The rookie tight end's one catch was especially timely, as it came on fourth down during the Bears' second possession. Roush wrapped up his first pro preseason with a 5-64-0 line on eight targets across three games, and he'll now head into the regular season with a seemingly locked-in No. 3 role behind Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet.