NFL Player News

Blanton was signed off of the Chiefs' practice squad by the Rams on Thursday, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic.

Blanton was waived by the Rams on Aug. 20, then found his way onto Kansas City's practice squad after a short stint with the Commanders. The addition of the 26-year-old comes a day after the news that fellow tight end Brycen Hopkins would be serving a three-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy. Blanton should be able to slide right into the team's offense after having been with the franchise recently, including appearing in 11 games last season. He'll likely operate as the team's No. 2 tight end Sunday in a divisional matchup with the Cardinals.

Hockenson (hip) is participating in practice Thursday, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports.

Hockenson was limited to begin the week Wednesday, and while the extent of his participation Thursday has yet to be clarified, it's good that he's able to take the field. The 25-year-old tight end doesn't appear to be in danger of sitting out in Week 3 against the Vikings, and he'll look to step up his production after mustering just 64 yards through two games.

Forristall was elevated to Cleveland's active roster Thursday.

Forristall was elevated from the practice squad ahead of Thursday's game against the Steelers. He'll provide depth at tight end behind David Njoku and Harrison Bryant, taking the spot of Jesse James (biceps). The Browns can elevate Forristall for one more game after this but would have to sign him to the active roster to dress him for a third time.

Rader was signed to Tennessee's active roster from the practice squad on Thursday, Turron Davenport of ESPN reports.

Rader will provide tight end depth for the Titans moving forward, starting with Sunday's game against the Raiders. His usage will likely be limited primarily to special teams with Austin Hooper, Geoff Swaim and Chigoziem Okonkwo all ahead of Rader on the depth chart.

Schultz (knee) will increase his practice workload every day leading up to Monday's game against the Giants, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.

Schultz will have a chance to suit up for Monday Night Football as long as things progress on track through Sunday. The tight end is dealing with a PCL sprain to his right knee, and while it seems like he won't practice in full Thursday, the extent of his participation Friday and Saturday should be more telling as to his game-time status. If Schultz does manage to take the field versus New York on Monday, he will once again be catching passes from Cooper Rush in place of Dak Prescott (thumb).

Sample will likely be forced to miss the remainder of the 2022 season due to MCL and PCL damage in his right knee, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor said Tuesday that Sample is set to undergo surgery following a right knee injury suffered during Sunday's loss to the Cowboys. While the tight end was initially expected to be sidelined for at least a few months, it now appears that he will sit out the rest of the year after initial tests revealed damage to his MCL and PCL, according to Fowler. Sample recorded 11 catches for 81 yards while playing 440 offensive snaps last season, and he will now look to work his way back from this injury as he approaches free agency this offseason. In his stead, Cincinnati will likely turn to Mitchell Wilcox to step up as the team's No. 2 tight end behind Hayden Hurst.

Hockenson was a limited practice participant Wednesday with a hip injury.

The injury is likely a minor one, given that Hockenson managed a limited practice after playing 89 percent of Detroit's snaps on offense in a Week 2 win over Washington. He's seen 14 targets through two weeks while handling an every-down role, but with only seven catches for 64 yards, Hockenson is still looking for his first productive day as a pass catcher ahead of Sunday's road game against the Vikings.

Hopkins received a three-game suspension Wednesday for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.

Despite being active for both of the Rams' games this season, he's been blanked in the box score while earning eight snaps on offense and six more on special teams. His next chance to take the field won't come until Oct. 16 against the Panthers. In the meantime, Tyler Higbee will continue to dominate reps at tight end for the Rams, while Roger Carter and Jared Pinkney are candidates to be elevated from the practice squad.

Likely was a limited practice participant Wednesday due to a groin injury, Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Likely caught four of five targets for 43 yards in a 42-38 loss to the Dolphins this past Sunday, making the most of his 17 snaps after finishing without a catch on four targets Week 1. He didn't leave the Week 2 loss early, and his ability to practice at all Wednesday suggests the groin injury isn't serious. Likely isn't getting enough playing time to trust in fantasy, but he holds an interesting role in Baltimore's offense, functioning more like a No. 3 receiver than a No. 2 tight end.

Hill was limited at practice Wednesday due to a rib injury.

Hill has stuck to a gadget role through the first two contests of this season, hauling in his only target for two yards while taking seven carries for 95 yards and one touchdown. His snap count on offense dropped from 15 to six from Weeks 1 to 2, and he's now dealing with an injury. As a result, Hill's activity level bears watching as the weekend draws closer.