NFL Player News

Parham (knee) was listed as a non-participant on Monday's practice estimate, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Parham has recorded multiple receptions in seven games this season, including the last two weeks. However, he apparently picked up a knee injury during Sunday's win over the Giants that would've kept him out of practice Monday. His practice status should be monitored leading up to Thursday night's divisional clash with the Chiefs.

Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia said Moreau is day-to-day with a muscle strain suffered in Sunday's 48-9 loss to the Chiefs, Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.

While picking up starts the past two weeks in place of top tight end Darren Waller, Moreau has seen heavy snap shares on offense (84 and 98 percent), but he's produced an underwhelming 4-47-0 line on nine targets. Both of Las Vegas' top options at the position are now looking iffy for a Saturday game in Cleveland in Week 15, as Bisaccia suggested that Waller will be viewed as questionable heading into that contest. It's unclear if Moreau is any healthier at this stage, but the Raiders' upcoming practice reports will provide a better gauge for which direction both tight ends are trending in the weekend approaches.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh said he expects Kroft (lung) to return from injured reserve in advance of Sunday's game against the Dolphins, Andy Vasquez of The Bergen Record reports.

New York has yet to designate Kroft for return from IR since he was deactivated Nov. 9, so getting back on the practice field at some point Wednesday through Friday will be the first order of business for the 29-year-old if he hopes to suit up this weekend. If Kroft proves to New York's coaching and training staff that he's made a full recovery from his lung laceration, he'll likely be on the short end of a timeshare at tight end with Ryan Griffin.

Higbee has been ruled out ahead of Monday's game against the Cardinals following his placement on the reserve/COVID-19 list, but he could be eligible to return to the active roster as soon as Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

According to Schefter, Higbee's placement on the list was the result of an initial positive test, but the tight end proceeded to test negative for the virus twice thereafter. That would seemingly lend credence to the idea that the initial result was a false positive, but because the Rams couldn't confirm as much prior to Monday's 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff, Higbee will have to sit out his first game of the season. Kendall Blanton is the next man up on the depth chart behind Higbee and profiles as the Rams' best blocking tight end, while Brycen Hopkins and the newly promoted Jared Pinkney represent greater pass-catching threats at the position.

Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia said Monday that he's viewing Waller (knee) as questionable ahead of the team's Week 15 game in Cleveland on Saturday, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.

Bisaccia described Waller as day-to-day early on last week, only for the tight end to miss a second consecutive game on account of a strained knee. Waller didn't practice in any capacity last week before being ruled out ahead of the Raiders' loss to the Chiefs, so he'll likely need to get back on the field as at least a limited participant by Thursday before taking a designation into Saturday's contest. Las Vegas is at less-than-optimal health at tight end, as Bisaccia relayed that Waller's replacement in the lineup the past two weeks, Foster Moreau, strained a muscle in Kansas City.

Pinkney was elevated from the Rams' practice squad ahead of Monday's game against the Cardinals.

Pinkney will serve as additional depth at tight end after Tyler Higbee (illness) was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday. The 24-year-old joined the Rams' practice squad in mid-October and hasn't yet made his regular-season debut in the NFL.

Hurst caught his only target for a three-yard touchdown during Sunday's 29-21 win over the Panthers.

Hurst returned from a three-game absence to catch his second touchdown of the season. Before the ankle injury, Hurst recorded 20 receptions on 25 targets for 158 yards and a touchdown through nine games. Matt Ryan's reliance on checkdowns to running backs and tight ends makes the 2018 first-round pick an interesting option, but the emergence of Kyle Pitts will likely diminish Hurst's fantasy potential.

Blanton is expected to start at tight end in Monday's game against the Cardinals after the Rams placed Tyler Higbee on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Blanton, an undrafted rookie out of Missouri, was added to the Rams' roster Week 7 and has played just 37 offensive snaps on the season, drawing three targets. The 6-foot-6, 262-pound Blanton has served mainly as a blocker during his time on the field, so he likely won't be tasked with matching Higbee's output as a pass catcher, even though he's the frontrunner to absorb most of the snaps at tight end. Behind Blanton on the depth chart are 2020 fourth-round draft pick Brycen Hopkins and practice squad call-up Jared Pinkney, who profile as better receiving threats than Blanton but have played just 16 offensive snaps between them during their NFL careers.

Higbee won't be available for Monday's game against the Cardinals after the Rams placed him on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Higbee and cornerback Jalen Ramsey were placed on the list in the hours leading up to the 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff, leaving the Rams without two key starters. They become the fifth players to be placed on the list within the last few days, joining running back Darrell Henderson, offensive tackle Rob Havenstein and cornerback Donte Deayon. The team hasn't revealed whether Higbee or Ramsey tested positive for the virus, or if they were deemed close contacts of an infected person. In any case, Higbee will sit out his first game of the season Monday, and his status for Los Angeles' Week 15 game against the Seahawks also is in question. Kendall Blanton is the next man up at tight end, and rookie Brycen Hopkins could be called upon to cover some of Higbee's vacated snaps.

Lewis was targeted four times and caught four passes for 51 yards in Sunday's 45-30 victory over the Bears.

Both the reception and yardage totals were season highs for Lewis, who played 55 percent of the snaps Sunday after being on the field for fewer than 40 percent of the plays the Packers ran over the two weeks leading up to their Week 13 bye. While Lewis had his best game of the season, he still split tight end duties with teammate Josiah Deguara, so his fantasy value hasn't been altered significantly. Lewis will have the matchup in his favor in both Weeks 15 and 16, but considering he racked up a total of 13 yards over the four games prior to Sunday, he remains on the fringes in fantasy circles.