NFL Player News

Ertz will serve as the Eagles' clear top tight end in Thursday's game against the Buccaneers with Dallas Goedert (illness) still on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Goedert tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, leaving him little time to clear the necessary protocols and be available Thursday. Indeed, the Eagles didn't activate Goedert before Thursday's 4:00 p.m. ET deadline to do so. Ertz thus figures to be far more active as a receiver than he previously has been this season. Through five contests, he's earned between 50 and 62 percent of the offensive snaps and two and eight targets on each occasion, while Goedert's respective ranges have been 55-74 percent and 2-5 targets. Philly regularly uses two tight-end sets, so Jack Stoll and the elevated Noah Togiai should get on the field, but most of Ertz' and Goedert's combined average of 8.8 targets per game likely will go to Ertz.

Togiai was elevated from the practice squad ahead of Thursday night's matchup against the Buccaneers.

The tight end will replace Dallas Goedert (illness) on the roster and serve as a depth option at the position behind Zach Ertz. Togiai was signed to the Eagles' practice squad Monday and will appear in his first game of the season.

Tonyan (knee) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday.

Listed similarly on a second consecutive injury report, Tonyan's status for Week 6 is somewhat cloudy, but it could all be cleared up if he logs a full practice Friday. If he's able to do so, he'll look to get his season back on track Sunday against a Bears defense that allowed him to haul in all seven targets for 85 yards and touchdowns in two 2020 matchups.

Njoku (knee) returned to a limited practice Thursday.

Njoku, who caught all seven of his targets for 149 yards and a touchdown in the Browns' 47-42 loss to the Chargers in Week 5, sat out Wednesday's practice with a knee issue, but his return to a limited session has him trending in the right direction as Sunday's game against the Cardinals approaches. Friday's final injury report will reveal whether the tight end heads into the weekend carrying an injury designation or is able to finish the week with a full practice and subsequently cleared to play.

Daniels (illness) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Following a positive COVID-19 test last week, Daniels has since cleared all of the NFL's intensive protocols, but the Cardinals have still elected to ease the tight end back into the fold with a pair of limited practices to kick off Week 6 prep. Assuming Daniels is deemed fit to play this weekend against the Browns, he'll likely step into a larger role than he saw prior to missing last week's win over the 49ers. With top tight end Maxx Williams (knee) heading to season-ending injured reserve Wednesday, Daniels and Demetrius Harris appear set to split work at the position for the foreseeable future.

Goedert (illness) won't be available for Thursday's game against the Buccaneers after he wasn't reinstated from the reserve/COVID-19 list prior to the 4 p.m. ET deadline for the Eagles to make Week 6 roster moves, Josh Tolentino of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

As expected, Goedert wasn't able to clear all COVID-19-related health and safety protocols on a short week after it was revealed Tuesday he tested positive for the virus. Since he's fully vaccinated, Goedert will be eligible for reinstatement as soon as he's asymptomatic and submits two negative tests at least 24 hours apart. With Goedert out for the Week 6 matchup, Zach Ertz could be in store for his heaviest snap share of the season as the Eagles' clear top tight end.

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

Hockenson is managing the knee injury for the second week in a row, but the Lions haven't provided any indication that he suffered a setback coming out of Sunday's loss to the Vikings. Though he was held to just 22 yards on two receptions in the contest and then didn't practice Wednesday, Hockenson's return to the field Thursday likely puts him on pace to play this weekend against Cincinnati. However, Hockenson may need to upgrade to full activity Friday to avoid taking a questionable tag into the matchup.

Brown (shoulder) returned to practice Thursday.

Brown sat out Wednesday's practice, so his return to the field Thursday -- albeit in a limited fashion -- bodes well for his chances of suiting up Sunday against the Colts. The tight end caught two of his four targets for 22 yards in the Texans' Week 5 loss to the Patriots, and he overall has compiled a modest 7-95-0 stat line through five contests.

Hockenson (knee) was present for Thursday's practice, Chris Burke of The Athletic reports.

It remains to be seen how the Lions list the tight end's participation level, but Hockenson's return to the field, in any capacity, represents a positive indicator with regard to his Week 6 status. Last week, Hockenson also followed a Wednesday DNP with a return to practice Thursday before being listed as questionable for this past Sunday's game against the Vikings, which he ended up suiting up for. That pattern could well be repeated in advance of this weekend's game against the Bengals.

Bell (back) won't participate in Thursday's practice, Pete Sweeney of ArrowheadPride.com reports.

Bell will be held out of practice for a second straight day as he continues to deal with a back injury. If he hopes to play Sunday against Washington, he'll presumably need to return to practice in some capacity Friday.