NFL Player News

Wilcox (ankle) is active for Sunday's season opener against the Steelers, Marisa Contipelli of the Bengals' official site reports.

Wilcox suffered a left ankle injury during the team's exhibition opener and was sidelined for the remainder of the preseason. He was limited at practices all week, but he'll still suit up for Week 1. Wilcox will compete for Drew Sample for backup snaps behind Hayden Hurst, but the majority of Wilcox's snaps will likely come on special teams.

Kittle (groin) is listed as inactive Sunday at Chicago, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

As expected, Kittle will be unable to suit up for the 49ers' season opener due to the groin injury that he sustained during an unofficial practice last Monday. The team instead will turn to the trio of Charlie Woerner, Tyler Kroft and Ross Dwelley at tight end, though Kittle's absence may result in more targets for wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. Kittle's next chance to suit up is Sunday, Sept. 18 against the Seahawks.

Thomas (knee) is listed as active Sunday against the Jaguars.

Thomas has made a speedy recovery from a Dec. 17 surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. It's unclear exactly what type of snap share he'll be able to handle in his first game action since Week 13 of last season, but John Bates and Armani Rogers are on hand at tight end to take on any work that Thomas cannot, while rookie fifth-round pick Cole Turner (hamstring) is inactive.

Ertz (calf), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's regular-season opener against the Chiefs, is likely to play barring any pregame setbacks, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The veteran tight end looks to have made enough progress in his recovery from a lingering calf issue to be trending in the right direction for Week 1. It will certainly be positive news for Kyler Murray and the Cardinals' offense if Ertz is given the green light, especially with Rondale Moore (hamstring) and DeAndre Hopkins (suspension) out of action. An official word on Ertz's status may not come until the Cardinals release their inactive list 90 minutes prior to the 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff.

Kittle (groin), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at Chicago, isn't slated to play, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Since injuring his groin during an unofficial practice Monday, Kittle has been sidelined from all drills and entered the weekend with a designation. His status likely won't be confirmed until 90 minutes before Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff, but the 49ers are poised to trot out Charlie Woerner, Tyler Kroft and Ross Dwelley at tight end. Kittle's expected absence likely will allow more targets for the team's top wide receivers -- Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk -- than the aforementioned tight-end trio.

The Eagles have promoted Togiai to their active roster ahead of Sunday's season opener against the Lions.

Togiai landed on the team's practice squad after failing to make it through final roster cuts. He now slots in at No. 4 on the tight end depth chart, but he is most likely to contribute via special teams.

Atlanta has elevated Firkster to its active roster ahead of Sunday's Week 1 game versus the Saints, Tori McElhaney of the team's official website reports.

Firkster was cut by the Falcons during final roster cuts before returning via the practice squad. He will now be available to provide depth at tight end behind second-year sensation Kyle Pitts.

Thomas (knee) is expected to play in Sunday's season opener against the Jaguars, despite being listed as questionable for the contest, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Official confirmation of the tight end's Week 1 status, either way, is slated to arrive once the Commanders' inactives are posted 90 minutes in advance of Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff. If Thomas suits up, he'll provide new quarterback Carson Wentz with another viable option in the passing game. That said, it's unclear how much of a workload Thomas will handle while he makes his return from surgery to repair a torn ACL, a procedure he underwent Dec. 17. After Thomas, the Commanders have John Bates, Armani Rogers and Cole Turner (hamstring) as their other options at tight end.

John Keim of ESPN.com relays that he's been told that Thomas (knee) -- who is listed as questionable by the Commanders -- is ready to play in Sunday's game against the Jaguars.

The tight end, who is bouncing back from knee surgery that he underwent back on Dec. 17, was limited at practice this week, but he appears to be trending in the right direction ahead of Sunday's 1:00 ET kickoff. If Thomas does suit up, it remains to be seen how much of a workload he might see in Week 1, with John Bates also in the mix along with Armani Rogers and possibly Cole Turner (hamstring).

Waller agreed to three-year, $51 million contract extension Saturday with the Raiders, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The new deal keeps the Pro Bowler with the Raiders through the 2027 season, but more importantly pays Waller among the upper echelon of players at his position. The 30-year-old missed a solid chunk of training camp and preseason with a hamstring injury that some suggested could have been a way to enact a stealth holdout, but the issue was resolved just before the end of August with Waller practicing at full health over the last two weeks. Expect the star pass catcher to once again see a lion's share of the targets even with All-Pro wideout Davante Adams now in the fold.