NFL Player News

Smith (knee) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's contest against the Broncos, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Both Smith and veteran TE Kyle Rudolph (foot) were limited in practice this week, only to be cleared for Week 1 action. Meanwhile, Evan Engram, the team's No. 1 at the position, won't be out there due to a calf injury. As a result, Rudolph and Smith will be the Giants' primary tight ends Sunday, with the potential for one of Ryan Izzo, Chris Myarick or Jake Hausmann to be elevated from the practice squad.

Engram (calf) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against Denver, Zack Rosenblatt of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

With no practice participation this week, Engram seems unlikely to make it back for a Thursday game against Washington in Week 2. There is some good news for the G-Men, however, with fellow tight ends Kyle Rudolph (foot) and Kaden Smith (knee) both cleared to play Sunday. They're the only healthy tight ends on the roster, but New York does carry two fullbacks (Elijhaa Penny, Cullen Gillaspia) and also has a first-round pick (Kadarius Toney) in the No. 4 WR role.

Engram (calf) participated in individual drills during Friday's practice, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

At this stage, it's generally expected that Engram won't be available for Week 1 action, but it's possible that he could progress enough in the coming days to have a chance to suit up for the Giants' second game, next Thursday against Washington.

Schultz secured all six of his targets for 45 yards in the Cowboys' 31-29 loss to the Buccaneers on Thursday night.

The sure-handed tight end turned in an efficient performance that saw him slot in third in receptions and receiving yards on the Cowboys behind the prolific wideout duo of Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb. Position mate Blake Jarwin was active and turned in three grabs of his own in his first regular-season action since tearing his ACL against the Rams in the 2020 season opener, but if Thursday is any indication, Schultz still will retain a solid role in an offense that could tilt toward the pass in quite a few games.

Fant (knee) practiced fully Thursday.

With that, Fant is slated to be ready to play against the Giants in Sunday's season opener, with Teddy Bridgewater getting the start at QB for Denver. Fant, along with top wideouts Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy, thus is in line to be a key weapon in the Broncos' passing attack out of the gate this season. In that context, an uptick from Fant's 62-673-3 stat line (in 15 games) from last year seems plausible in 2021.

Conklin (hamstring) practiced fully Thursday, Craig Peters of the Vikings' official site reports.

Conklin didn't suit up during the preseason due to a minor hamstring injury, which also limited him at Wednesday's practice. Now that he's put together an uncapped showing on the field, the Vikings will be going with Conklin, Chris Herndon, Brandon Dillon and Ben Ellefson at tight end, with Irv Smith out for the season following a meniscectomy.

Smith (knee) was a limited practice participant Thursday, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Smith's knee injury popped up this week, leaving all the Giants' TEs with health concerns in advance of Week 1. With Evan Engram yet to practice due to a calf injury he sustained in the exhibition finale, the team maybe forced to roll with Smith and Kyle Rudolph (foot) -- who has been limited all week like Smith -- at tight end Sunday versus the Broncos.

Coach Vic Fangio expects Fant (knee) to be a full practice participant Thursday, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

If that's the case, the tight end clearly will be trending in the right direction as Sunday's season opener against the Giants approaches. Thursday's injury report will reveal whether or not Fant's on-field activity matches up with Fangio's pre-practice expectations.

Engram (calf) didn't participate in Thursday's practice, Tom Rock of Newsday reports.

For the second day in a row, Engram was relegated to working out on a side field and didn't mix into team drills. Giants head coach Joe Judge has yet to make an official call on Engram's status for Sunday's season opener versus the Broncos, but the tight end looks to be trending toward sitting out Week 1. Kyle Rudolph, who is managing a foot injury of his own but is expected to play Sunday, looks poised to handle the bulk of the tight end reps sans Engram.

Hesse was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday.

Hesse was away from the team for just over a week, but he'll rejoin the Falcons ahead of the season opener against Philadelphia. The 26-year-old is unlikely to play a significant role to begin the year since Kyle Pitts and Hayden Hurst are the team's clear top options at tight end.