NFL Player News

Waller (back/knee) remained sidelined at practice Friday, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports.

Interim head coach Rich Bisaccia previously labeled the tight end as "week-to-week," so Waller's absence from a third consecutive practices come as little surprise. He's trending toward being officially ruled out for Sunday's game against Washington later Friday, and if that's the case, Foster Moreau will take on an expanded role at tight end.

Freiermuth (concussion) doesn't carry an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Ravens, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

The tight end, who suffered a concussion during Week 12 action, practiced fully this past week and has been cleared to play versus Baltimore. With Eric Ebron (knee) on injured reserve, Freiermuth is the Steelers' clear-cut top option at his position, a context that puts him on track for enough snaps and targets to merit weekly fantasy consideration.

Kmet (groin) doesn't carry an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Cardinals.

Kmet trended in the right direction throughout the week, as he missed practice Wednesday before upgrading to a limited session Thursday and practicing fully Friday to gain clearance. The 22-year-old tight end is still searching for his first touchdown of the season, but he has topped 65 receiving yards twice in the past three games after failing to reach 50 in any of his first 24 NFL contests. With quarterback Justin Fields (ribs) doubtful, Kmet will likely be catching passes from Andy Dalton against Arizona.

Smith (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's contest against the Dolphins, Zack Rosenblatt of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

Smith wasn't able to practice this week and hasn't seen game action since Week 9, so his status comes as no surprise. With fellow tight end Kyle Rudolph (ankle) questionable, Chris Myarick may see an increased role against the Dolphins on Sunday.

Seals-Jones (hip) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Raiders, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

Even if he plays, Seals-Jones is expected to serve as the top backup to tight end Logan Thomas, who returned from a hamstring injury last week and played 77 percent of the offensive snaps in a win over the Seahawks. Seals-Jones' hip injury has sidelined him for both of Washington's past two games.

Hill is believed to have torn a tendon in the middle finger of his throwing hand, with the injury potentially requiring surgery at some point, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

It isn't clear if Hill would get surgery soon or try to play through the injury and wait until the offseason. He's reportedly scheduled for more tests after playing through the injury in the majority of Thursday's 27-17 loss to the Cowboys. The initial belief is that he may have "mallet finger," similar to the injury Seahawks QB Russell Wilson dealt with earlier this year.

Thomas (hamstring) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game in Las Vegas, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

The lack of designation comes as no surprise after Thomas took on six targets and a 77-percent offensive snap share in Monday's win over the Seahawks, his first action following a six-game stint on injured reserve. He's the likely No. 2 option for quarterback Taylor Heinicke behind wideout Terry McLaurin, especially with passing-down back J.D. McKissic (concussion) out this week.

Schultz caught all five of his targets for 43 yards in Thursday's 27-17 win over the Saints.

The tight end continues to deliver solid, if unspectacular, numbers. Schultz hasn't reached 60 receiving yards since Week 6, but he's seen at least five targets in five of the last six games and posted a 21-221-1 line over that stretch on the steady volume. He'll look to make an impact in Week 14 against Washington.

Hill completed 19 of 41 passes for 264 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions in the Saints' 27-17 loss to the Cowboys on Thursday night. He also rushed 11 times for 101 yards and played with a splint on his finger after hitting it on the hand of a pass rusher early in the contest, Katherine Terrell of The Athletic reports.

Hill played serviceably as a passer for significant swaths of the contest, and his work on the ground was outstanding, especially in the absence of Alvin Kamara (knee). However, the BYU product, both rusty after not having drawn a start under center all season and hampered after hurting the middle finger on his throwing hand in the first quarter, short-circuited too many drives, particularly in the second half, with his errant throws. Three of the four picks Hill threw came in consecutive possessions during the fourth quarter, with the final one a pick-six with 2:52 remaining that essentially put the game out of reach for New Orleans. Hill did manage to dress up his overall fantasy line one last time with a 70-yard touchdown pass to Deonte Harris with 2:32 remaining, his second scoring toss since Week 14 of last season. Despite the turnover-laden performance, Hill figures to be back under center for a more favorable Week 14 visit to the Jets a week from Sunday.

Johnson (neck) has returned to Thursday's game against the Cowboys, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.

Johnson was absent for several drives due to a neck injury, but he returned to the field with just over five minutes remaining in the first half. He hauled in his lone target for 27 yards early in the contest.