NFL Player News

Waller (hamstring) remained sidelined at practice Thursday, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports.

Back-to-back practice absences don't bode particularly well for Waller's status for Sunday's game against the Texans, but he'll have one more chance to get in some work before the Raiders' final Week 7 injury report comes out. If he's out or limited this weekend, Foster Moreau is a candidate to see added work against Houston if he's able to move past a knee injury that has sidelined him of late and limited him during Wednesday's session.

Granson (neck) practiced fully Thursday.

With his full return to practice Granson -- who caught all four of his targets for 38 yards in Week 6 -- is all but locked into Sunday's game against Tennessee. The Colts are committed to forging Granson into their primary pass-catching tight end, though through 23 career games steady production has not yet surfaced, with Mo Alie-Cox and Jelani Woods also in the mix for targets.

Bates (hamstring) did not practice Thursday, ESPN's John Keim reports.

Bates missed Wednesday's practice as well, meaning his availability for Week 7 is in substantial question going into Friday's practice. He suffered the injury shortly before Washington's Thursday game in Week 6, so he's been out for one week at this point. If Bates can't play against Green Bay on Sunday then Washington might need to rely on Cole Turner and Armani Rogers again, though neither has the blocking ability that Bates normally provides.

Andrews (knee) didn't take part in practice Thursday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

On Wednesday, coach John Harbaugh initially relayed that Andrews was getting a rest day, but the tight end eventually was tagged as a non-participant with a knee issue on the first injury report of Week 7. Now with a second straight absence under his belt, Andrews will have just one more opportunity to mix into drills before the Ravens potentially hand him a game-day designation ahead of Sunday's divisional matchup with the Browns.

Thomas (calf) was a non-participant at practice Thursday, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

For a second day in a row, Thomas was spotted on the side getting in some work, but he again went down as a DNP. He may need to log a limited session before week's end to put himself on a path to ending a two-game absence as he tends to a calf issue. Friday's injury report ultimately may paint a clearer picture for Thomas' availability (or lack thereof) for Sunday's game against the Packers. Fellow tight end John Bates (hamstring) also hasn't practiced this week, leaving Cole Turner and Armani Rogers as the only healthy options at the position on the team's active roster.

Johnson is expected to serve as the Saints' starting tight end and primary option at the position in Thursday's game against the Cardinals with Adam Trautman (ankle) ruled out for the contest.

Trautman led the position group in snaps from Weeks 3 through 5, but his early exit in last Sunday's loss to the Bengals opened the door for Johnson to clear 70 percent of the offensive snaps for the first time since Week 2. Johnson finished the contest with four receptions for 41 yards on six targets on a 77 percent snap share, and he could see his play count tick up Thursday while Trautman is out for the entirety of the contest. Moreover, the Saints are down two of their top three receivers in Michael Thomas (foot) and Jarvis Landry (ankle), though Chris Olave (concussion) is back in action after a one-game absence. Even so, Johnson could conceivably find himself as the Saints' No. 3 target behind Olave and running back Alvin Kamara, as New Orleans' other pass-catching options at wideout and tight end are mostly underwhelming.

Kroft (knee) was a full participant in the 49ers' practice Wednesday, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

Kroft sprained his MCL in Week 2 against Seattle. While he returned to practice in a limited fashion for the first time last Wednesday, the tight end was ultimately sidelined for the fourth consecutive game Sunday against Atlanta. Now, Kroft seems ready to make his full return heading into this Sunday's contest versus the Chiefs. The 29-year-old has caught one of his two targets for nine yards this season, and he'll likely slot in alongside fellow backups Ross Dwelley and Charlie Woerner.

Moreau (knee) was a limited participant in practice Wednesday, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports.

Despite coming off a bye week, Moreau was once again limited in practice after missing the Raiders' last two games with a knee injury. The 25-year-old previously returned to practice in a limited fashion before sitting out Las Vegas' Week 5 loss to the Chiefs. Moreau will look to increase his practice activity either Thursday or Friday. If he doesn't, the Raiders may be extremely thin at tight end Sunday against the Texans, as starter Darren Waller (hamstring) also sat out practice Wednesday.

Fant was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice due to an illness, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Until Wednesday, Fant had avoided appearances on Seattle's injury reports in his first season in the Pacific Northwest. He'll look to get back to full participation Thursday and/or Friday, at which point the Seahawks may remove his designation entirely. While he had a relatively slow start to his tenure with team -- he logged a combined 10-56-1 receiving line on 11 targets through four games -- Fant has come to life somewhat over the last two contests, hauling in nine of 12 targets for 94 yards and no scores.

Parham (concussion) didn't practice Wednesday.

Gerald Everett (illness) also sat out Wednesday's practice, which leaves Tre' McKitty as the Chargers' top healthy tight end at this stage of the week. Parham, who is in the NFL's concussion protocol, now has two more chances to return to practice ahead of Sunday's game against the Seahawks.