NFL Player News

Hockenson (hand) was listed as a limited participant on Wednesday's estimated practice report.

The hand injury is a new health concern for Hockenson after he avoided practice limitations since Week 8 prep. During that five-game stretch, he put together a 23-224-2 receiving line on 31 targets. Assuming he gets past the current issue by week's end, Hockenson again will serve as one of the Lions' top receiving options, but who will be throwing him passes is a question mark with Jared Goff unable to practice Wednesday due to an illness.

Waller (knee/back) isn't practicing Wednesday, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.

Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia referred to Waller as day-to-day on Monday, perhaps sparking hope for the tight end to return to practice Wednesday. It won't play out that way, giving Waller two more chances to get on the field before Sunday's game in Kansas City. Fill-in tight end Foster Moreau played 89 and 85 percent of snaps for the Raiders the past two weeks, catching two of eight targets for 37 yards between those contets.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has ruled Bryant (ankle) out for Sunday's game against the Ravens, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Bryant sustained a high-ankle sprain Week 12 and was unable to practice Wednesday. Even though he had extra time to recover during Cleveland's Week 13 bye, the tight end will be forced to miss at least one game. However, Stefanski said that the Browns don't plan on placing Bryant on injured reserve, signaling that the team expects him to miss fewer than three contests.

Bryant (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Bryant suffered a high ankle sprain during the Browns' Week 12 loss to the Ravens, and he's unlikely to play in Week 14. Coming off the Week 13 bye, coach Kevin Stefanski said the team was still contemplating whether an IR stint would be necessary, so it doesn't appear like Bryant will be returning anytime soon. If he is indeed out for the rematch against the Ravens, Austin Hooper and Miller Forristall may be the only healthy tight ends on the active roster, as David Njoku and Stephen Carlson were both placed in COVID-19 protocols this week.

Seals-Jones (hip) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Seals-Jones has missed three straight games, but if healthy, he could step back into a three-down role as Washington's top tight end as soon as Sunday's game against the Cowboys. Logan Thomas reclaimed starting duties at the position for the past two games following a seven-week stint on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury, but he's now out for the season after returning to IR on Wednesday after injuring his left knee in last week's win over the Raiders. According to Keim, the Football Team expects Seals-Jones to put an end to his three-game absence this weekend, but he may need to upgrade to full practice participation by Friday for that to be a reality. When Thomas was on IR earlier this season, Seals-Jones averaged four catches for 38.4 yards and 0.2 touchdowns on six targets across his five starts from Weeks 5 through 10, emerging as a low-end streaming option in many formats. It's possible he returns to that status, though that's far from a guarantee given his hip injury along with rookie John Bates' increasing contributions as the No. 2 tight end behind Thomas the past two weeks.

Okwuegbunam secured three of four targets for 21 yards in Sunday's 22-9 loss to the Chiefs.

Okwuegbunam played 43 percent of the Broncos' offensive snaps, operating as the No. 2 tight end behind Noah Fant. Though the 23-year-old has flashed his athleticism throughout the season, he'll likely continue to have little fantasy value while Fant is healthy and available.

Uzomah secured three of six targets for 20 yards in Sunday's 41-22 loss to the Chargers.

Though Uzomah saw his highest offensive snap share of the season (87 percent), the veteran tight end had yet another underwhelming stat line. In an offense with several talented pass catchers and a thriving rushing attack, Uzomah will likely continue to struggle to produce for fantasy managers.

Washington placed Thomas (knee) on injured reserve Wednesday, ruling him out for the rest of the 2021 season.

Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reported Monday that Thomas' initial MRI revealed that he avoided an ACL tear of his left knee, and while that hasn't been confirmed one way or the other, the tight end is evidently dealing with a serious enough health concern that he'll be done for the season after landing on IR for a second time. While Thomas was on IR earlier this season due to a strained hamstring, Ricky Seals-Jones averaged four catches for 38.4 yards and 0.2 touchdowns on six targets across five starts (Weeks 5 through 10). However, Seals-Jones then missed Weeks 11 through 13 with a hip injury, allowing rookie John Bates to get more playing time. It isn't entirely clear Seals-Jones will return to a three-down role if he's available for this week's game against Dallas, but he offers more promise than Bates as a pass catcher.

Washington is expected to place Thomas (knee) on injured reserve later this week, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

Though the tight end reportedly received better results than expected after recently undergoing an MRI on the left knee he injured in Sunday's win over the Raiders, he's apparently still dealing with a serious enough of an injury to result on him landing on IR for a second time, which will end his season. Ricky Seals-Jones (hip) has been sidelined for three straight games with an injury of his own, but if available this weekend against the Cowboys, he would likely replace Thomas as Washington's starting tight end.

Sample failed to draw a single target in Sunday's 41-22 loss to the Chargers.

Sample was on the field for 26 of the Bengals' 76 offensive snaps in the contest, while starting tight end C.J. Uzomah played 66 snaps. Sample offers little fantasy value as a No. 2 tight end, as the 25-year-old typically serves as the blocker on the rare occasions he's on the field.