NFL Player News

Pitts secured three of four targets for 29 yards in the Falcons' 25-0 loss to the Patriots on Thursday night.

Pitts checked in tied for second in receptions and as the sole runner-up in receiving yards for the Falcons on the night, but neither tally was anything that would qualify as a useful figure from a fantasy perspective. The rookie tight end had even more attention heaped upon him than usual with both Calvin Ridley (personal) and Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle) out, and it helped lead to his second-lowest yardage total of the season. Pitts has yet to top four catches in any of his last four games, although a potentially favorable Week 12 matchup against the Jaguars on the road a week from Sunday could help break that unfavorable pattern.

Everett (groin) was a non-participant at Thursday's practice, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

With back-to-back absences to open Week 11 prep, Everett doesn't appear to be trending in the right direction for Sunday's contest against the Cardinals. Fortunately for the fifth-year pro, he has one more session to mix into individual drills (or more) before the Seahawks tab him with a designation. If Everett ends up missing his third game of the season, Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson will cover for him at tight end, while Tyler Mabry and Ryan Izzo would be candidates for elevation from the team's practice squad.

Smith (shoulder) is listed as active for Thursday night's game against the Falcons.

The tight end is out there if you need him Thursday after a one-game absence, but his fantasy ceiling is capped while working in a timeshare with Hunter Henry. It's an arrangement that has resulted in Smith averaging 2.3 catches for 21.4 yards on 3.8 targets per game, while scoring one TD through nine contests.

Atlanta signed Hesse off its practice squad Thursday, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.

Hesse will join the 53-man roster ahead of Thursday's matchup with the Patriots after fellow tight end Hayden Hurst (ankle) was moved to injured reserve in a corresponding move. In three appearances with the Falcons this season, Hesse has played 27 snaps on offense, failing to reel in his only target.

Goedert (concussion) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

The limited showing amounts to progress for Goedert, who entered the NFL's concussion protocol after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit in Sunday's win over the Broncos, then missed practice Wednesday. While the extent of Goedert's practice activity Thursday isn't fully known, Josh Tolentino of The Philadelphia Inquirer notes that the tight end was donning a helmet and did some route running and pass catching in the portion of the workout that was open to the media. Goedert won't necessarily need to practice fully Friday in order to play this weekend against New Orleans, but at the very least, he'll need to receive clearance from an independent neurologist.

Swaim (concussion) didn't practice Thursday, John Glennon of Sports Illustrated reports.

Swaim wasn't listed on the Titans' initial Week 11 injury report, so he likely suffered the concussion in Wednesday's practice. Friday's injury designation will help determine Swaim's chances of suiting up Sunday against the Texans, but his absence Thursday suggests he's in jeopardy of sitting out. If Swaim can't go, MyCole Pruitt and Anthony Firkser would take on larger roles at tight end for Tennessee.

The Falcons placed Hurst (ankle) on injured reserve Thursday, Tori McElhaney of the team's official site reports.

The Falcons had already ruled Hurst out ahead of Thursday's game against the Buccaneers after the ankle issue rendered him a non-participant in practices Monday through Wednesday. After further evaluation of the tight end, however, Atlanta determined it was best to shut Hurst down for two more games beyond Thursday. The blocking-oriented Lee Smith should step in as the No. 2 tight end behind starter and pass-catching specialist Kyle Pitts.

Hill (foot) isn't practicing Thursday, Amie Just of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

The Saints have already committed to Trevor Siemian making his third consecutive start at quarterback Sunday in Philadelphia, but if available, Hill will still have a role as a gadget player in the Saints' game plan. At least for the time being, Hill's status for the team's matchup with the Eagles is up in the air, as he's now missed consecutive practices on account of the foot injury. He'll likely need to return to practice Friday as a full participant to avoid taking an injury designation into the weekend.

Smith (knee) didn't practice Thursday, Jordan Raanan of ESPN reports.

Smith exited New York's Week 9 win over the Raiders, and he apparently isn't ready to resume practicing, even after the Giants' Week 10 bye. The third-string tight end will have an extra day to get healthy, as the Giants don't play until Monday; however, even that may not be enough if he doesn't return to practice soon.

Goedert (concussion) returned to practice Thursday, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Goedert was removed from the first half of the Eagles' Week 10 win at Denver to be evaluated for a concussion, which eventually was confirmed. He was unable to practice Wednesday, but his activity Thursday included positional drills, at the very least. Philadelphia's second injury report of the week will reveal approximately where Goedert stands in the protocol for head injuries.