Njoku (hamstring) returned to practice Friday, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.

Njoku didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday, but the tight end's return to the field for Friday's session offers hope that he may be able to return to action Sunday against the Bengals. The Browns' upcoming injury report will reveal the game status of Njoku, who was inactive for last weekend's loss to the Chiefs.

Krull caught all three of his targets for 21 yards in Thursday's 34-27 loss to the Chargers.

Krull finished the contest tied in playing time with Adam Trautman, as both tight ends finished the game with 28 offensive snaps. The 26-year-old Krull, however, was the more relied upon pass catcher, seeing three targets while Trautman was targeted just once. With that said, none of Denver's tight ends had a big game, including Nate Adkins, who caught two passes for just 18 yards. Krull remains extremely difficult to trust for fantasy purposes while stuck in a timeshare. The Pittsburgh product's next opportunity to take a step forward comes when the Broncos visit the Bengals in Week 17.

Conklin (personal) hasn't been listed on the Jets' injury reports during Week 16 prep.

Conklin sat out this past Sunday's win at Jacksonville due to the birth of his child, but he has since joined his teammates in the meantime and will retain his standing as the team's top tight end. Through 13 games this season, he's posted a 36-317-2 line on 54 targets.

Fant (knee) practiced in full Thursday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

This follows a limited showing at Wednesday's session for Fant. Since sitting out three games from Weeks 9-12 due to a groin injury, he's had only modest results in Seattle box scores, accounting for a 9-59-0 line on 15 targets over the last three contests.

Hurst (hip) is listed as active for Thursday night's game against the Broncos, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.

Hurst, who had been sidelined since Week 10, was activated from IR ahead of the contest, and in his return to action he'll provide added depth to a tight end corps that will be without Will Dissly (shoulder). In that context, Hurst has an opportunity to get back into the Chargers' passing game mix in short order while working in tandem with fellow TE Stone Smartt, who logged five catches for 50 yards last weekend in Dissly's absence. With a possible timeshare looming, Hurst profiles as a speculative Week 16 fantasy lineup option.

Higbee (knee) missed Thursday's practice due to an illness, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

The Rams waited until the very end of Higbee's 21-day window to activate him from the reserve/PUP list Tuesday. As of Wednesday, he was listed as a full participant on seven consecutive injury reports, but he's now dealing with an illness. With another hurdle in his path to returning to action Sunday at the Jets, it remains to be seen if Higbee will be able to make his first appearance since sustaining ACL and MCL tears in his right knee in a playoff loss Jan. 14 at Detroit.

Hudson (knee) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Hudson was absent from Wednesday's practice report, so it appears the knee injury is a recent one. His practice participation Friday will provide clarity on his status ahead of Sunday's game against the Browns. Over his last six games, Hudson has caught 16 passes (on 18 targets) for 125 yards and one touchdown.

Stover (appendix) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Texans.

Stover will be sidelined for a second straight game after undergoing an emergency appendectomy this past Saturday. It's unclear whether he'll be able to progress in his recovery enough to play against the Ravens on Christmas Day. With no other healthy tight end on the active roster outside of starter Dalton Schultz, the Texans will likely elevate Irv Smith from the practice squad ahead of Saturday's game due to Stover's injury.

Strange (shoulder) remained limited at practice Thursday.

Per Juston Lewis of the Florida Times-Union, Strange, who also was limited Wednesday, sustained an AC joint sprain in last week's loss to the Jets. However, head coach Doug Pederson indicated that the tight end should be good to go Sunday against the Raiders after logging 11 catches for 73 yards on 12 targets versus New York this past Sunday. Friday's final injury report will reveal whether Strange heads into the weekend with an injury designation or cleared for Week 16 action.

Johnson (foot) was limited at practice Thursday.

For a third week in a row, Johnson is tending to a foot injury, but he's been able to log a typical workload the last two games en route to six catches (on eight targets) for 62 yards and one touchdown over that span. With Taysom Hill out for the season due to a torn ACL, Johnson and Foster Moreau have been handling the TE reps the last three games, and neither player has topped 50 receiving yards in any given week. Both have recorded one TD catch apiece. In any case, Johnson's status will need to be monitored as the week goes on to ensure he isn't in danger of sitting out Monday's visit to the Packers.