NFL Player News

Kittle will be held out of Wednesday's practice with knee soreness, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Kittle is banged up following five straight games with 50-plus snaps and consecutive contests with double-digit targets. The initial report suggests Kittle's knee is merely sore, but it's unclear if he'll be able to get back on the practice field Thursday or Friday as the Niners prepare for Sunday's home game against Atlanta.

Pinkney was placed on the practice squad COVID-19 list Wednesday.

Pinkney was elevated from the Rams' practice squad for Monday's win over the Cardinals but didn't take the field. He reverted to the practice squad after the game and will now need to spend some time away from the team.

Mundt (knee) was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday.

Mundt was already ruled out for the season after he suffered a torn ACL in mid-October, but he'll need to spend some time away from the team. While it's not yet clear whether the tight end has tested positive for COVID-19, his absence shouldn't significantly impact his timetable as he recovers from his knee injury.

The Jets designated Kroft (lung) for return from injured reserve Wednesday.

The tight end sustained a lung laceration in a Week 9 loss to the Colts, but he looks as though he may be ready to put an end to a five-game absence Sunday against the Dolphins. Prior to suffering his injury, Kroft had logged 10 catches (on 15 targets) for 104 yards and a touchdown in six games.

Hockenson (hand) won't practice Wednesday, Chris Burke of The Athletic reports.

Hockenson couldn't suit up for Detroit's Week 14 loss to Denver, and though head coach Dan Campbell said he's "hopeful" the tight end will return for Week 15, Burke theorizes that Hockenson is trending in the wrong direction. In any case, Hockenson will almost certainly need to return to practice in at least a limited fashion by Friday to have a shot at suiting up in Sunday's game against the Cardinals.

Conklin caught both his targets for 20 yards during Thursday's 36-28 win over the Steelers.

Conklin appeared poised for a larger role in the passing game with Adam Thielen (ankle) sidelined, but Justin Jefferson and K.J. Osborn were targeted on 24 of Kirk Cousins' 31 pass attempts instead. The two targets were a season low for Conklin, though it's the sixth time this year he's finished below 30 receiving yards.

Bowers (neck) was designated to return from injured reserve Tuesday.

The tight end has been on IR since Oct. 23, but the team will now have 21 days to either activate him or leave him inactive for the rest of the season. When active, Bowers operates mainly as a special teams option, and has failed to record a target on six offensives snaps in two games this year.

Parham (knee) was limited on Tuesday's estimated practice report.

Like top tight end Jared Cook (quadriceps), Parham improved upon his listing of DNP on Monday, fitting in some reps at a walkthrough Tuesday. Ultimately, Wednesday's injury report will reveal whether the players emerge from Week 15 prep with or without designations for Thursday's game against the Chiefs.

Hopkins was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday due to a positive test of the virus.

The tight end will enter the league's COVID-19 protocols, but since he's vaccinated, he'll be able to play Sunday against the Seahawks if he's asymptomatic for 48 hours and is able to produce two consecutive negative COVID-19 tests. Hopkins has appeared in three straight games for the Rams, logging 33 offensive snaps without a target.

Moreau (abdomen) was listed as limited on Tuesday's practice estimate, Rachel Gossen of the Raiders' official site reports.

Interim coach Rich Bisaccia called Moreau "day-to-day " on Monday due to an undisclosed strained muscle, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, which has now been revealed to be an abdominal strain. Moreau still appears to be in better shape than No. 1 tight end Darren Waller (knee/back), who hasn't practiced in any capacity since he was forced out of the Raiders' Week 12 win in Dallas. If Waller again is sidelined Saturday at Cleveland, Moreau would be in line for another large workload, assuming he's active.