NFL Player News

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

Smith has battled the knee injury all season, but he has been active for all four games. While he will likely be active for the divisional matchup with the Cowboys on Sunday, the 24-year-old will maintain his marginal role behind Evan Engram and Kyle Rudolph.

Washington placed Thomas (hamstring) on injured reserve Wednesday.

He's ineligible for the next three games, with Week 8 at Denver being the earliest possible date a for a return. Thomas injured his hamstring in the opening minutes of Sunday's 34-30 win over the Falcons, with his absence thereafter allowing backup Ricky Seals-Jones to play a career-high 62 snaps (93 percent share). Seals-Jones caught only two passes for 29 yards on four targets, and it's possible moving forward that he loses some playing time to youngsters John Bates and Sammis Reyes, or recent signee Jace Sternberger. Still, Seals-Jones is a clear favorite for Washington's tight-end targets with Thomas sidelined through midseason.

Washington signed Sternberger from Seattle's practice squad Wednesday, independent NFL reporter Dov Kleiman reports.

Sternberger spent two weeks on the Seahawks' practice squad after he was waived by the Packers in mid-September, and he'll now serve as depth at tight end for Washington after Logan Thomas (hamstring) was placed on injured reserve. The 25-year-old appeared in 12 games for Green Bay last year and hauled in 12 of his 15 targets for 114 yards and a touchdown.

Kroft won't practice Wednesday due to a back injury, Ethan B. Greenberg of the Jets' official site reports.

Since logging three catches for 26 yards Week 1, Kroft, who played through a rib issue this past Sunday against the Titans, has totaled just three catches for 20 yards over the Jets' subsequent three contests. If Kroft ends up sitting out this weekend against the Falcons, Ryan Griffin would operate as the Jets' clear No. 1 tight end after splitting work with Kroft through the first four contests.

Thomas (hamstring) isn't practicing Wednesday, Rhiannon Walker of The Athletic reports.

Thomas' absence was fully expected, given that he's reportedly viewed as week-to-week after exiting Sunday's win over Atlanta in the first quarter. Ricky Seals-Jones filled in for Thomas as Washington's primary tight end but caught just two of four targets for 29 yards. Thomas is looking doubtful for the Football Team's Week 5 game against New Orleans.

Higbee (ankle) was a limited participant at Tuesday's walkthrough, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Higbee handled all 111 of the Rams' offensive snaps through the first two games of the campaign, only to fall back to 103 of 133 (77.4 percent) in the past two contests. His production has been respectable, with 15 catches (on 18 targets) for 152 yards and one touchdown to date. Assuming he gets through Week 5 prep unscathed and suits up as expected Thursday in Seattle, Higbee could be poised for another modest performance against a Seahawks defense that sits tied for 13th in catches allowed (21) to tight ends this season.

Fortson logged a two-yard touchdown reception on his only target Sunday versus the Eagles.

Fortson saw a season-high 13 snaps (21 percent) in the contest but was primarily on the field in multiple tight end sets to help with the run game. He has begun to find some utility near the goal line but seems unlikely to produce enough on a weekly basis to warrant fantasy consideration in the vast majority of formats.

Parham caught two of his three targets for 17 yards and a touchdown in Monday's 28-14 win over the Raiders.

Parham saw a slight uptick in playing time (56 percent offensive snaps) with the Chargers ahead for the entirety of the contest. The 6-foot-8 behemoth even put his height to good use, capitalizing on his first red zone target of 2021 for just his fourth career touchdown. It's a bit surprising Parham hasn't been utilized more near the goal line given his unmatched size, but given how efficient the Chargers have been in that area over the past three weeks, the 24-year-old might be more of a luxury than a necessity.

Indianapolis released Wells from the practice squad Tuesday.

Wells was cut to make room for fellow tight end Michael Jacobson on the practice squad. The 26-year-old is still looking for a chance to make his NFL debut.

Indianapolis signed Jacobson to the practice squad Tuesday.

Jacobson's signing coincides with David Wells being cut from the practice squad. He spent time on Seattle's scout team during September.