NFL Player News

Hill (foot) was a full participant in Monday's practice.

Though head coach Sean Payton has yet to officially disclose the Saints' plans at quarterback for Thursday's game against the Cowboys, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported earlier Monday that Hill is expected to replace Trevor Siemian atop the depth chart and pick up his first start of the season this week. The starting assignment is likely contingent on Hill demonstrating that his lingering plantar fascia injury isn't a concern, and he appears to have done just that by taking every rep with the first-team offense Monday. So long as Hill avoids any further setbacks over the next two days of practice, expect Payton to officially name him the starter leading up to Thursday's contest. Over his four-game starting run in place of Drew Brees in 2020, Hill proved to be a fantasy-friendly option. He averaged 208.5 passing yards and 52.3 rushing yards while accounting for eight touchdowns (four passing, four rushing) during that stretch.

Conklin caught two of his three targets for 25 yards during Sunday's 34-26 loss to the 49ers.

Conklin has caught multiple passes in every game this season and has totaled 40 receptions for 413 yards and three touchdowns through 11 contests. The 25-year-old has solidified himself as the Vikings' No. 1 pass-catching tight end with Irv Smith (knee) out for the season. He will likely remain a high-floor fantasy option against the Lions in Week 12.

Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia said Monday that Waller (knee) is considered "week-to-week," Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. "I know Waller improved the first day [after suffering the knee injury Thanksgiving Day] and now we'll see how the rest of the week goes," Bisaccia said.

Bisaccia isn't closing the door on Waller suiting up this weekend against Washington, but the fact that the tight end is being labeled as week-to-week suggests he's likely trending toward his second absence of the season. Waller was diagnosed with a strained knee after exiting in the first half of the Raiders' 36-33 overtime win over the Cowboys last Thursday, playing just 22 percent of the offensive snaps while hauling in two of five targets for 33 yards. Foster Moreau would be in line to start at tight end and take on a heavy snap share Week 13 in the likely event Waller is inactive for the contest.

Hesse caught his only target for seven yards during Sunday's 21-14 win over the Jaguars.

With Hayden Hurst (ankle) on injured reserve, Hesse has caught one pass in each of his last two games. He was out-snapped by No. 2 tight end Lee Smith 29-23 on Sunday, but Smith's strength is in the running game, which should open the door for Hesse in the passing game. Nonetheless, barring a touchdown, Hesse likely remains unplayable in standard formats.

Washington activated Thomas (hamstring) from injured reserve ahead of Monday's game against Seattle.

As expected, Thomas' six-game, seven-week absence from the lineup will come to an end Monday, though he's expected to be eased back into the mix with a more limited snap count than usual, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Even so, Thomas is expected to start at tight end and see the bulk of the reps at the position, especially with Ricky Seals-Jones (hip), his main replacement in the lineup, listed as doubtful and not expected to play. Thomas was a top option in the passing game for Washington over the three full games he's played this season, stringing together a 12-117-2 receiving line on 14 targets.

Thomas (hamstring) remains on track to be activated from injured reserve prior to Monday's game against the Seahawks, but Washington head coach Ron Rivera suggested the tight end will likely be on a "pitch count" in his return to the lineup, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Thomas, who opened the season as Washington's top tight end, has been sidelined for the past six games with a right hamstring injury, but he evidently displayed enough progress in his return to practice this week to gain clearance to play. Due to the missed time, Thomas likely hasn't had sufficient time to get fully conditioned, so Washington will manage his workload more carefully after he previously played every offensive snap in each of the Football Team's first three contests. With Ricky Seals-Jones (hip) listed as doubtful for Monday's game, rookie John Bates most likely will be sharing reps at tight end with Thomas.

Woerner caught his lone target for 11 yards in Sunday's 34-26 win over the Vikings.

Woerner recorded his first reception since George Kittle returned from IR a couple of games back. While both tight ends finished with similar disappointing stat lines, don't let the production indicate any sort of time share at the tight end position in San Francisco. Kittle recorded 65 offensive snaps (93 percent) while Woerner was limited to 19 snaps (27 percent). The latter does not carry any fantasy value heading into a matchup against Seattle.

Hill (foot) took first-team reps during Monday's practice session, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Hill has been dealing with a plantar fascia injury recently, but it appears as though he could overtake Trevor Siemian for starting duties once he's deemed healthy enough to play. The 31-year-old signed a four-year, $22.5 million contract extension with the Saints last week and has completed seven of eight passes for 56 yards and a touchdown while rushing 20 times for 104 yards and three touchdowns across seven appearances in 2021.

Bryant sustained a high-ankle sprain in Sunday's loss to the Ravens, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.

Coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday that Bryant will be re-evaluated in "a couple weeks" following his diagnosis. The 23-year-old racked up a season-high 50 yards on three receptions against Baltimore. He'll be able to recover during the Browns' Week 13 bye, but it's not yet clear whether he'll be available for the team's Week 14 matchup against the Ravens on Dec. 12.

Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer said Monday that Arnold (knee) will be placed on injured reserve, Mark Long of the Associated Press reports.

Arnold sustained a sprained MCL in Sunday's loss to the Falcons and is facing an estimated recovery timetable of 4-to-6 weeks. He'll be forced to miss at least three games due to the injury, and the 26-year-old could be sidelined for the remainder of the season if he fails to meet the short end of the recovery timeline. James O'Shaughnessy is in line to serve as the Jaguars' top tight end while Arnold is sidelined, while Chris Manhertz should also see additional work.