NFL Player News

Kittle (calf) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Seahawks, with coach Kyle Shanahan noting that the Niners should have a better idea by Saturday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Shanahan said he was encouraged by Kittle's work on the practice field Friday, though the tight end was a limited participant, with reports from beat writers showing him running on the sideline rather than stretching with with teammates at the beginning of the session. For his part, Kittle acknowledged Friday afternoon that he's dealing with some swelling and pain, but he also said he'll "do everything" he can to suit up for Sunday's 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff, per Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News. If Kittle can't make it, the Niners will turn to Ross Dwelley and Charlie Woerner at tight end, while wide receivers Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Mohamed Sanu could take on some extra targets.

Kroft (rib) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Titans, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.

Kroft upgraded to full practice participation Friday after limited sessions Wednesday and Thursday, suggesting the starting tight end is trending in the right direction. He already had a limited role in the low-octane Jets offense, and now Kroft likely will have to compete for targets over the middle of the field with slot receiver Jamison Crowder, who is listed as questionable with a groin injury of his own but expected to make his season debut against Tennessee.

Kittle (calf) is running at Friday's practice, but he doesn't have a helmet and doesn't appear to be doing the usual routine, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

Kittle started warming up with his teammates but then did some running on his own off to the side while healthy players went through stretches. After missing practice Wednesday and Thursday, he'll almost certainly have a game designation when the Niners release their final injury report Friday afternoon. They have a 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff for Sunday's home game against Seattle.

Smith (knee) is questionable for Sunday's game in New Orleans, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports.

Smith has battled this knee issue all season but has yet to miss a game, so he'll likely gut it out again come Sunday. With Evan Engram having returned from a calf injury last week, Smith has been relegated to third-string tight end duties behind Engram and Kyle Rudolph.

Conlkin (glute/elbow) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's matchup with Seattle.

Conklin missed practice Wednesday but made it back on the field Thursday and Friday. He caught seven of eight targets for 70 yards and a touchdown last week in the 30-17 win over Seattle after hauling in six of eight targets for 56 yards over the first two weeks combined. While he isn't much of a big-play threat, Conklin's workload (16 targets, 74.0 percent snap share) puts him on the map as at least a streaming option in fantasy.

Manhertz caught his only target for seven yards during Thursday's 24-21 loss to the Bengals.

Manhertz started and led Jacksonville's tight ends with 24 offensive snaps, but Dan Arnold, Luke Farrell and Jacob Hollister all saw double-digit snaps. Most notable is Arnold, as he was only acquired from the Panthers on Monday and caught both his targets for 29 yards in his debut with the Jags. Manhertz should continue to play regular snaps as a blocking specialist, but Arnold should see more and more playing time as he gets more accustomed to his new offense.

Arnold brought in both his targets for 29 yards in the Jaguars' 24-21 loss to the Bengals on Thursday night.

Arnold took the field just three days after being traded to the Jaguars from the Panthers, and the veteran tight ended finished second in receiving yards to Laviska Shenault on his new squad. Arnold has multiple catches in all four games he's played this season between Carolina and Jacksonville, and he'll now have some extra time to get a grasp on his new playbook ahead of a Week 5 matchup against the Titans a week from Sunday.

Uzomah secured five of six targets for 95 yards and two touchdowns in the Bengals' 24-21 win over the Jaguars on Thursday night.

The veteran tight end surprisingly took on a front-line role in the air attack on the night, delivering with 22- and 31-yard touchdown grabs to spearhead the Bengals' big second-half comeback. Uzomah also notched a critical 25-yard grab in Cincinnati's final drive, with his catch taking the ball down to the Jaguars' 21-yard line and laying the groundwork for Evan McPherson's game-winning 35-yard field goal. Uzomah had only four receptions for 39 yards on five targets coming into Thursday, however, so it remains to be seen whether he can come anywhere close to replicating Thursday's production in a Week 5 home showdown against the Packers a week from Sunday.

Conklin (glute/elbow) was limited at practice Thursday.

In the heels of a seven-catch, 70-yard and one-touchdown performance Week 3 against the Seahawks, Conklin was unable to put in any official practice reps Wednesday. One day later, he's bumped up to some activity, but it remains to be seen if he'll be able to enter this weekend without a game-day designation. Beyond Conklin on the TE depth chart, Minnesota has Chris Herndon and Ben Ellefson (neck) on the active roster, while Zach Davidson and Brandon Dillon are on the practice squad.

Kittle (calf) isn't participating in Thursday's practice, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

The sore calf Kittle picked up in Sunday's loss to the Packers looks like it may be more worrisome than initially anticipated, as the star tight end will miss his second straight practice as the 49ers prepare for a Week 4 matchup with the Seahawks. Kittle has proven in the past that he doesn't need a full slate of practice to suit up on game days, but his ability to get on the field in any capacity Friday would alleviate some of the concern fantasy managers may have about the health of his calf. Through three games, Kittle has yet to find paydirt, but he's recorded 15 receptions and has totaled 196 yards from scrimmage.