NFL Player News

Bryant is in line to serve as the Browns' No. 1 tight end Sunday at Houston with David Njoku (knee) ruled out for the contest, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Njoku previously sat out Weeks 8 and 10 due to a sprained left ankle, which allowed Bryant to take on an elevated snap share in those two outings. Still, getting 72 and 76 percent of the offensive plays resulted in only three catches (on three targets) for 15 yards and a touchdown for Bryant during that span. As a result, he seemingly is a TD-dependent option, despite the upcoming increased workload.

Johnson (ankle) didn't practice Friday.

The tight end is in danger of missing Monday's game at Tampa Bay after back-to-back missed practices. He played only 45 percent of snaps and finished without a catch in last week's 13-0 loss to San Francisco, following six straight games with multiple receptions and at least 63 percent snap share (not to mention five TDs in the six-game stretch). Adam Trautman and Taysom Hill are the best bets to take on more snaps if Johnson can't play Monday night, though his absence might also free up more playing time for the team's depth wide receivers.

Woods (shoulder/quad) will be listed as questionable for Sunday night's game against the Cowboys.

Woods, who missed practice Wednesday and Thursday, was back on the field Friday, per Zak Keefer of The Athletic, but the tight end's status is unclear as Sunday night's 8:20 ET kickoff approaches. Woods is coming off a Week 12 effort in which he caught eight of his nine targets for 98 yards in Monday's 24-17 loss to the Steelers, but that season-high output coincided with fellow tight end Kylen Granson (who has practiced fully this week) being sidelined by an illness. Given Granson's looming availability and the timing of the Colts' kickoff, Woods currently profiles as a speculative fantasy lineup option in Week 13.

Bellinger (eye) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game versus the Commanders, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.

Bellinger isn't in the clear yet as he draws closer to the end of his recovery from the fractured left eye socket that he sustained back in Week 7. So far, he's missed four games as a result of the injury and subsequent surgery, but three capped practices in a row this week at least has given him a chance to return Sunday. If the Giants clear him ahead of a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff, Bellinger may be eased in due to the relatively steady play of fellow tight end Lawrence Cager over the last three outings.

Woods (shoulder/quad) is slated to practice Friday, Zak Keefer of The Athletic reports.

Woods didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday, but his looming practice participation Friday suggests that the tight end could play Sunday night against the Cowboys. With Kylen Granson inactive in Week 12 due to an illness, Woods logged 41 snaps against the Steelers, while catching eight passes on nine targets for a team-high 98 yards.

Njoku (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Texans, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.

With Njoku unavailable, Harrison Bryant and Pharaoh Brown are slated to lead the Browns' tight end corps in Week 13, with Bryant a candidate to log enough volume Sunday to merit fantasy lineup consideration. Njoku will now target a potential return to action Dec. 11 against the Bengals.

Thomas (rib) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Giants, Sam Fortier of The Washington Post reports.

Thomas has been listed with a rib injury for almost a month now and also dealt with an illness last week. He's caught only eight of 16 targets for 84 yards in five games since returning from a three-game absence due to a calf injury, but the Commanders have stuck with him as their top receiving tight end all the same, using Thomas on more than two-thirds of snaps in four straight games.

Smith logged 17 of a possible 54 snaps on offense in Thursday's 24-10 loss to the Bills en route to catching both of his targets for six yards, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Smith, who was out-snapped by fellow tight end Hunter Henry (47 to 17) Thursday, is averaging two catches for 18.2 yards through 11 games thus far. Given that he hasn't scored a TD in that span while working in a time-share with Henry, Smith heads into the Patriots' stretch run with modest fantasy upside.

Henry was on the field for 47 of a possible 54 snaps on offense in Thursday's 24-10 loss to the Bills en route to catching two of his five targets for 13 yards, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Meanwhile, fellow tight end Jonnu Smith logged 17 snaps while catching both of his targets for six yards. Through 12 games, Henry has recorded 25 catches on 39 targets for 336 yards, but has only scored two TDs to date after finding the end zone a career high nine times in 17 contests last season. As long as he operates in a time-share with Smith, the 2016 second-rounder will remain a hit-or-miss fantasy option down the stretch.

Morris (illness) has been ruled inactive for Thursday's game against the Patriots.

Morris did not participate in Buffalo's practices Sunday and Tuesday due to an illness before returning in full Wednesday. However, he still appears to be dealing with the effects of this ailment, and he will now miss his first game since Week 1 as a result. With Morris sidelined, Dawson Knox and Tommy Sweeney will serve as the Bills' only available tight ends versus New England.