NFL Player News

Waller (hamstring) remained limited at practice Thursday, Rachel Gossen of the Raiders' official site reports.

Back-to-back limited practices have Waller trending toward a potential return to action Sunday against the Saints, but the tight end presumably will need to return to a full practice Friday in order to head into the weekend minus a Week 8 injury designation.

Andrews (knee) is expected to play Thursday night against the Buccaneers in the absence of any pregame setbacks, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The same applies for RB Gus Edwards (knee) and WR Rashod Bateman (foot), with the trio's Week 8 statuses in line to be officially confirmed when the Ravens' inactives are released ahead of Thursday's 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff.

Johnson was limited at Thursday's practice due to a hamstring injury.

Johnson avoided the injury report entirely Wednesday, so his inclusion one day later could be indicative of an injury suffered on the practice field. Ultimately, his listing Friday may give a sense of his potential to play Sunday against the Raiders. With Adam Trautman (ankle) unable to practice the last two weeks, Johnson would be in line for top positioning on the TE depth chart if he's able to demonstrate his health in the coming days.

Smythe (hamstring) was a limited participant in practice Thursday, Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald reports.

Smythe has been hampered by a lingering hamstring injury, but after he missed Week 6 against the Vikings, he did suit up for Sunday's win over the Steelers. He was held out of practice Wednesday, so his return to the field Thursday is a good sign he's trending in the right direction for Week 8 against the Lions.

Schultz (knee) was limited at practice Thursday.

Operating under a cap on his reps in the first two sessions of the week, Schultz now has just one more opportunity to practice in full before the Cowboys potentially hand him a designation for Sunday's game versus the Bears. Meanwhile, running back Ezekiel Elliott (knee) and wide receiver Noah Brown (foot) didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday, so plenty of targets may be freed up for Schultz if one or both of them are sidelined this weekend. However, that's assuming Schultz gains active status himself.

Turner (concussion) did not participate in practice Thursday.

Turner sustained a concussion in Sunday's win over the Packers and missed his second practice in a row Thursday. As a result, the rookie tight end appears unlikely to suit up heading into the Commanders' Week 8 contest against the Colts. Turner has caught two of his seven passes for 23 yards over three games this season, and his absence could lead to increased targets for Armani Rogers and John Bates if top tight end Logan Thomas (calf) remains out Sunday against Indianapolis.

Hurst was a limited participant Thursday in the Bengals' first Week 8 practice due to groin and ankle injuries, Jay Morrison of The Athletic reports.

Dating back to Week 3, Hurst has missed out on some practice reps on account of the groin injury, but he has suited up in every game this season. The tight end is apparently also nursing an ankle issue coming out of the Bengals' Week 7 win overt he Falcons, but the fact that Hurst was on the field in any capacity Thursday suggests the newer injury isn't much of a concern either. Assuming he upgrades to full activity by Saturday, Hurst likely won't carry a designation into the Bengals' Monday night matchup with the Browns.

Hockenson (knee) was limited in practice Thursday.

After kicking off Week 8 prep with no on-field activity, Hockenson bumped up to a capped session Thursday and now has one more practice to get back to full before the Lions potentially give him a designation for Sunday's game versus the Dolphins. The offense as a whole is getting healthier with No. 1 RB D'Andre Swift (ankle/shoulder) avoiding any practice limitations this week, though top WR Amon-Ra St. Brown remains in the concussion protocol. If both are able to play this weekend, Hockenson, if active, would have more room to operate underneath.

Thomas (calf) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

After not practicing or playing each of the past three weeks, Thomas looks like he'll have a chance at returning to action Sunday in Indianapolis now that he's practiced on consecutive days, albeit in a limited capacity. He'll almost certainly need to graduate to full activity Friday to enter the weekend without a designation, but even another limited showing could put him in good position to play against the Colts. Over Washington's first four games of the season, Thomas registered 13 receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown on 20 targets.

Trautman (ankle) didn't practice Thursday, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.

Trautman has yet to resume practicing since suffering a left ankle injury in the Saints' Week 6 loss to the Bengals, and unless he's able to get back on the field in some capacity Friday, he'll likely be ruled out for a second straight game this weekend against the Raiders. While Trautman was sidelined in the Saints' Week 7 loss to the Cardinals, Juwan Johnson stepped in as the team's top tight end and recorded five receptions for 32 yards and two touchdowns.