NFL Player News

Kmet was held out of Thursday's walkthrough due to an illness.

While Kmet was one of eight Bears to miss the session for this reason, the team placed five players, including fellow tight end Jesse James (undisclosed), on the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday. As for the rest of the TE room, Jimmy Graham was listed as limited due to a knee issue and Jesper Horsted also sat out with an illness, making J.P. Holtz the only healthy member of the position group at the moment.

Cager was signed to the Browns' active roster Thursday.

Cager spent the last few weeks on Cleveland's practice squad, but he'll join the active roster since Jarvis Landry (illness) is on the reserve/COVID-19 list and Anthony Schwartz (concussion) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Raiders. Cager played just one offensive snap in his lone regular-season appearance this year.

Carlson (knee) was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday.

Carlson will now be able to rejoin the team, but he'll remain on injured reserve after he underwent season-ending knee surgery in mid-August. The 25-year-old had a strong performance in camp and could compete for a 53-man roster spot in 2022.

Waller (knee/back) won't play Saturday against the Browns, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com and Josh Dubow of the Associated Press report.

Tashan Reed of The Athletic relays via interim coach Rich Bisaccia that Waller is dealing with some lingering pain in his knee, and while the tight end is making progress he's not ready for game action at this stage. Waller's next chance to suit up will arrive Sunday, Dec. 26, when the Raiders face the Broncos. Next up for the team's TE snaps this weekend is Foster Moreau.

Bryant (ankle) is listed as questionable for Monday's game against the Raiders, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Bryant, who last suited up Week 12, is bouncing back from a high-ankle sprain, but the fact he was able to get some work in during Thursday's practice gives him a chance to return to action this weekend. Meanwhile, fellow tight end Austin Hooper currently is on the reserve/COVID-19 list, while David Njoku was activated from the list Thursday.

Waller (knee/back) was spotted working out with athletic trainers off to the side of Thursday's practice, Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

While the activity seemingly marks a step forward for Waller in his recovery from the strained knee he suffered in the Raiders' Thanksgiving Day win over the Browns, he still looks destined to go down as a non-participant on the team's final Week 15 injury report. If that's the case, Waller will likely take an "out" or "doubtful" tag into Saturday's game in Cleveland, almost certainly resulting in him missing a third consecutive contest. Foster Moreau (abdomen) has logged heavily snap shares in place of Waller the past two games and has collected nine targets along the way, but slot maven Hunter Renfrow (22-219-1 receiving line on 24 targets) has arguably benefited more from the absence of the star tight end.

Hockenson had season-ending surgery on his left thumb Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The first inclination that Hockenson may be dealing with a serious injury was last Thursday, when he was spotted with a heavy wrap on his left hand. He eventually was deemed doubtful for Week 14 action and inactive Sunday in Denver. Upon returning to Detroit earlier this week, coach Dan Campbell relayed hope that Hockenson would be able to play Week 15, but the ensuing procedure will bring his campaign to an abrupt conclusion, with the expectation he'll complete his recovery by the offseason program. Hockenson will end his third season as a pro with 61 catches (on 84 targets) for 583 yards and four touchdowns in 12 appearances. The Lions will turn to Brock Wright and practice squad member Shane Zylstra at tight end down the stretch.

Njoku, who had been on the reserve/COVID-19 list, returned to practice Thursday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Njoku's return to the mix is a welcome one, with fellow tight end Austin Hooper among the numerous Cleveland players on the list in advance of Saturday's game against the Raiders and Harrison Bryant managing an ankle injury. With that in mind, Njoku figures to see a key role in the Browns' Week 15 passing game.

Hockenson (hand) isn't participating in Thursday's practice, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Since turning in a limited session last Wednesday due to a left hand injury, Hockenson hasn't taken any reps in any of the Lions' subsequent four practices. He was listed as doubtful before being placed on the inactive list for last week's loss to the Broncos, and unless he gets back on the field in some capacity Friday, Hockenson will likely carry a designation into this weekend's contest against Arizona, if he's not ruled out beforehand. Backup tight ends Shane Zylstra (63 percent of offensive snaps, six targets) and Brock Wright (55 percent, five targets) saw similar workloads and involvement in the passing game while Hockenson was sidelined in Denver.

Thompson signed with the Panthers' practice squad Thursday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

Thompson was waived by Carolina on Tuesday, but he'll return to the organization after he went unclaimed on waivers. The 28-year-old has appeared in 10 games this year but failed to haul in his lone target thus far.