NFL Player News

Ricci (concussion) missed practice again Thursday.

The 25-year-old remains in concussion protocol, causing him to miss a second consecutive practice. He suffered the injury in Week 6 versus Vikings, exiting the contest early. His chances for suiting up Sunday against the Giants are slim, but he still has one more practice Friday to make an appearance.

Kelce (neck) remained limited at practice Thursday.

Kelce was also limited Wednesday, but at this stage we'd be surprised if his status for Sunday's game against the Titans is in any danger. Friday's final injury report will reveal whether the star tight end will head into the weekend carrying a Week 7 injury designation.

Smith (knee) was able to practice in a limited capacity Thursday, Zack Rosenblatt of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

The tight end logged a limited practice for the second consecutive day, which bodes well for his chances to play Sunday versus the Panthers. He has been on the injury report since Week 4, but he hasn't missed a game. Smith sits behind Evan Engram and Kyle Rudolph on the depth chart, which has resulted in him recording three catches for 33 yards in six games this season.

Hill (concussion) isn't participating in Thursday's practice, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Hill was diagnosed with a concussion after exiting the Saints' Week 5 win over Washington, and despite benefiting from a Week 6 bye, the jack-of-all-trades quarterback seemingly hasn't made any tangible progress in his recovery. Not only will Hill likely need to practice in some capacity to play Monday in Seattle, but he'll also need to receive clearance from an independent neurologist before exiting the NFL's five-step concussion protocol. Hill has attempted just three passes this season while carrying 16 times, with eight of those totes coming in the red zone. As such, Hill's potential absence Monday might be more beneficial to top back Alvin Kamara rather than starting quarterback Jameis Winston.

Sweeney scored his first NFL touchdown on a one-yard catch during Monday's 34- 31 loss to the Titans.

Sweeney only saw 11 offensive snaps, but his usage could make a big leap if Dawson Knox (fractured hand) misses games. The Bills are on bye this week and don't currently have a healthy tight end besides Sweeney, though fullback Reggie Gilliam is more of a hybrid player that can serve some tight end duties. Given the big-strike offense Buffalo runs, those in deeper leagues should keep an eye on the situation -- specifically Knox's status -- ahead of the Bills' Week 8 tilt against the Dolphins.

Hockenson (knee) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

Hockenson was withheld from the Lions' first Week 7 practice Wednesday, but his return to the field Thursday in a limited capacity suggests his absence from the field a day earlier may have been mostly for maintenance purposes. Hockenson may need to practice fully Friday to avoid carrying a questionable designation into Sunday's game against the Rams, but regardless, he appears on track to play this weekend.

Vannett (knee) was designated to return from injured reserve Thursday, John DeShazier of the Saints' official site reports.

Vannett has been on injured reserve since Sept. 7, but he'll be able to rejoin the Saints for practice this week. The tight end will have to be activated within the next 21 days if he hopes to return this year.

Engram was listed as a non-participant in Thursday's practice due to a calf injury, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Along with Engram, Sterling Shepard (hamstring) was a new addition to Thursday's injury report, meaning that the team's top tight end, top running back and top four receivers were either non-participants or limited participants in the Giants' penultimate practice of the week. While Engram's lack of reps Thursday is clearing a discouraging sign for his chances of playing Sunday against the Panthers, he would be able to quell at least some of the concerns about his availability by returning to the field Friday as a limited or full participant. If Engram can't play Week 7, Kyle Rudolph would likely step in as the Giants' starting tight end. It's worth noting that Engram missed the Giants' first two games of the season with a calf injury, but it's unclear if he's dealing with a related setback or a new concern this time around.

Goedert (illness) didn't participate in Thursday's practice despite being activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list earlier in the day.

According to Josh Tolentino of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Goedert was in attendance for the practice, though he was working off to the side during the media-access portion of the session. Since Goedert had been away from the team since Oct. 12 after testing positive for COVID-19, the Eagles may have just been easing him back in while he works to regain conditioning. A clearer idea regarding Goedert's status for Sunday's matchup with the Raiders should come when the Eagles release their final Week 7 practice report, but assuming he participates in Friday's session in some capacity, he should be in line for a full workload on game day.

Seals-Jones (quadriceps) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

This follows an absence from Wednesday's session as Seals-Jones tends to a quad issue. By getting back into at least positional drills one day later, he's putting himself into a position to not miss any game action, but Friday's injury report ultimately will determine if he goes into the weekend with an injury designation attached to his name. With Logan Thomas (hamstring) out of commission most of the last three games, Seals-Jones has been Washington's clear-cut No. 1 TE, playing 90 percent of the offensive snaps in each contest while compiling an 11-118-1 receiving line on 19 targets.