NFL Player News

Waller (knee), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Chargers, is expected to play, Dianna Russini of ESPN reports.

Las Vegas will need a win over the Chargers, a tie with the Chargers plus a Colts loss, or losses by the Colts and Steelers to secure a playoff berth, so the team will likely do everything it can to field its best lineup for Week 18. With that in mind, Waller looks like he'll at least try to give it a go after he was sidelined for each of the Raiders' last five games with the knee injury. Following his reinstatement Wednesday from the reserve/COVID-19 list, Waller was listed as a limited participant in three consecutive practices. While that signals that he's likely still less than 100 percent healthy, Waller's presence in the lineup Sunday in any capacity would be a welcome development for the Derek Carr-led passing attack. Those planning on deploying Waller in DFS lineups or in season-long leagues that are still active for Week 18 won't get official word on his availability until the Raiders release their inactive list 90 minutes prior to Sunday's 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff.

Uzomah (knee/hip) is active for Sunday's game against the Browns, though it's unclear if he'll handle a normal workload in the contest, Jay Morrison of The Athletic reports.

Though he was listed as questionable heading into the day and avoided the inactive list, Uzomah shouldn't be counted on to handle the 70-plus percent snap share that has typically been the norm for him this season. In addition to not practicing this week in any fashion due to the pair of injuries, the Bengals have little at stake Sunday in terms of playoff positioning. With top quarterback Joe Burrow (knee) also sitting out and top running back Joe Mixon (illness) on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the Bengals' usually high-powered offense won't be operating at peak efficiency with Brandon Allen stepping in as the starting quarterback. If Uzomah is limited for the regular-season finale or is only available as an emergency backup, Drew Sample and Mitchell Wilcox would see most of the work at tight end.

Wright (groin) is active for Sunday against the Packers.

Wright was limited in practice all week, but he feels good enough to play in the Lions' season finale. Wright should fill in as the No. 1 tight end on the positional depth chart, a spot that hasn't yielded big results for Wright yet. The rookie has 10 catches on 15 targets for 66 yards and a touchdown in nine games. Numbers he'll look to expand on Sunday against the Packers.

Akins (illness) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Titans.

Akins was questionable due to an illness and won't be available for the final game of the season. The 2018 third-round pick is set to hit free agency during the offseason after totaling 24 receptions for 214 yards and zero touchdowns in 2021.

Njoku (shoulder) is listed as active for Sunday's game against the Bengals.

Njoku headed into the contest listed as questionable after returning to a limited practice Friday, but he'll look to close the season on a positive note on the heels of logging a 4/28/1 stat line in Week 17. Assuming no issues with his shoulder, Njoku should see his share of targets Sunday, but he remains a hit-or-miss fantasy option with Austin Hooper also in the mix for a portion of Cleveland's tight end targets.

Arnold (knee) wasn't among the players added to Jacksonville's roster Saturday ahead of Sunday's season finale against the Colts.

Though Jacksonville restored Arnold from the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, the tight end ultimately wasn't able to demonstrate enough progress in his recovery from an MCL sprain to gain clearance from injured reserve. He'll conclude the season with six straight absences, but he should head into the offseason as Jacksonville's No. 1 tight end after turning in a 28-324-0 receiving line on 41 targets over eight games following his acquisition from Carolina in late September. The Jaguars could still look to the draft or free-agent market to provide competition at the position, so Arnold may still have to fight for a starting job during training camp in 2022.

Jackson will undergo an MRI on Sunday after injuring his right knee in Saturday's 51-26 loss to the Cowboys, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Per the report, early indications are that Jackson avoided an ACL injury prior to exiting Saturday's contest. Before departing, the tight end logged three catches on five targets for 22 yards and his first NFL touchdown. Jackson saw expanded snaps Week 18 due to Dallas Goedert (illness) and Jack Stoll (illness) being on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Both should be on track to gain clearance ahead of the Eagles' wild-card round game, so even if Jackson is available for that contest, he'll be moving into a smaller role.

Schultz caught all three of his targets for 21 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 51-26 win over the Eagles.

Schultz made quite the impact with his few catches, scoring both of his touchdowns in the final two minutes of the first half. The tight end's initial end-zone trip came from two yards, then Schultz revisited pay dirt from nine yards just five seconds before halftime. In doing so, Schultz brought his final touchdown tally this season to eight, doubling his prior career high set last year. The veteran will now turn his focus to Dallas' playoff game next weekend, with his opponent currently undetermined.

Jackson (knee) will not return Saturday against the Cowboys.

Jackson injured his knee on punt coverage in the second half Saturday. He was having issues with putting weight on his leg and exited the game with trainers' assistance. Before exiting, Jackson had three catches on five targets for 22 yards and a touchdown. All were the firsts of his career.

Mabry was signed to the Seahawks' active roster Saturday, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athleticr reports.

Mabry has appeared in seven games for the Seahawks this season, but he hasn't seen a target on 20 offensive snaps. With Will Dissly (heel) questionable, Mabry has a shot to slide into the third position on the tight end positional depth chart Sunday against the Cardinals.