NFL Player News

Tonyan (knee) practiced in a limited fashion Thursday, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

A little more than 10 months removed from tearing the ACL in his left knee Week 8 of last season, Tonyan seemingly has a chance to suit up for the Packers' Week 1 visit to the Vikings after notching back-to-back capped sessions. Friday's injury report may provide clarity for his availability heading into the weekend. If Green Bay ends up exercising caution with Tonyan for the season opener and holds him out, though, Josiah Deguara, Marcedes Lewis and Tyler Davis would be in line for the reps at tight end.

Parham (hamstring) remained sidelined at Thursday's practice.

Back-to-back missed practices set the stage for what Parham is able to do Friday to be pivotal with regard to his status for Sunday's season opener against the Raiders. If he's out or limited this weekend, Tre' McKitty would be a candidate to see added tight end snaps behind Gerald Everett.

Ertz (calf) was a non-participant at Thursday's practice, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

After logging a limited session Wednesday, Ertz seemingly has taken a step back as he continues his recovery from the calf issue that sidelined him starting Aug. 4. Due to his veteran status, though, Thursday's absence could be maintenance-related or a veteran day off, so his listing on Friday's practice report will be notable as the Cardinals prepare for Sunday's season opener versus the Chiefs. If Ertz ends up being limited or inactive this weekend, rookie second-round pick Trey McBride and Maxx Williams will serve as Arizona's primary tight ends.

Kittle (groin) didn't take part in Thursday's practice, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

Kittle's status for a Week 1 road matchup with the Bears is up in the air due to a groin injury that he sustained during an unofficial practice Monday. The issue has sidelined him for both official sessions this week and also is considered serious enough to threaten his availability for Sunday, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com. Kittle has one more opportunity to mix into drills Friday, at which point the 49ers may provide some clarity into his odds to suit up this weekend. If Kittle is unable to play, Tyler Kroft, Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley will be on hand to man tight end for San Francisco.

Kittle, who sat out the 49ers' first official practice of the week Wednesday, is dealing with a groin injury that's considered serious enough to potentially sideline him for Sunday's season opener in Chicago, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

According to Wilson, Kittle suffered the injury in question during an unofficial practice session Monday and was unable to take the field when the 49ers began Week 1 prep in earnest two days later. Head coach Kyle Shanahan suggested Wednesday that Kittle's status would be evaluated on a day-by-day basis leading up to the season opener, but the veteran tight end may need to practice in some capacity Thursday or Friday to have a realistic shot at playing Sunday. Tyler Kroft would be the next man up at tight end if the three-time Pro Bowler isn't able to play in Chicago.

Asiasi (quadriceps) missed practice again Thursday, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

Asiasi was working on the rehab field Thursday as he continues to try and come back from his lingering quadriceps injury. Even if he's well enough to play Sunday, the third-year-pro may be made a healthy inactive against the Steelers, as he's currently No. 4 on the Bengals' tight end depth chart. He's also only been with the team since Aug. 31, when he was claimed off waivers from the Patriots.

Turner (hamstring) was once again limited in practice Thursday, Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site reports.

Turner sat out all of Washington's preseason contests due to the injury. However, his ability to remain a limited participant in practice leaves open the possibility of him making his NFL debut Sunday against the Jaguars. If he can do so, the rookie could have a sizable role, as Logan Thomas (knee) is also questionable for Week 1.

Thomas (knee) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site reports.

Thomas has been limited in both of the Commanders' first two official Week 1 practices, making his status for Sunday's season opener versus the Jaguars iffy for the time being. The 31-year-old is working his way back from the a serious left knee injury he sustained last December, when he needed surgery to address a torn ACL in addition to MCL and meniscus damage. The fact that Thomas returned from the PUP list Aug. 22 suggests he won't be in store for an extended absence to begin the season, though Washington could err on the side of caution and hold him out for Week 1 while he works his way back to full speed. If Thomas ends up sitting out the opener, John Bates would likely have a clear path to seeing the bulk of the snaps at tight end.

Ertz (calf) wasn't spotted on the field during the open portion of Thursday's practice, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Unless Ertz fits in some work in behind the scenes, he'll be listed as a non-participant on the Cardinals' injury report, which marks a step back from his limited activity a day earlier. It's possible Ertz's potential absence is a pre-planned maintenance day, but it nonetheless creates further questions about his availability for Sunday's season opener against the Chiefs. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury previously listed Ertz as "day-to-day" earlier in the week, though that description doesn't shed much light on the tight end's status for the opener.

The Chiefs waived Bushman (collarbone) with an injury designation from the team's injured reserve Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

Bushman landed on Kansas City's IR after he was waived as part of the team's final roster cuts Aug. 30. The 26-year-old tight end will now look to record the first reception of his NFL career with a new team this regular season, once he gets healthy again.