NFL Player News

Gesicki secured four of seven targets for 54 yards during Saturday's 26-25 win over the Raiders.

Gesicki returned to action after just a one-game absence due to a shoulder injury, and he immediately returned to his role as Miami's top tight end. He came in second only to Myles Gaskin in terms of receiving with DeVante Parker (hamstring) sidelined, while Adam Shaheen and Durham Smythe combined for just three targets. If Parker were to miss Week 17's divisional matchup against the Bills as well, Gesicki would once again stand to see an uptick in targets (and perhaps red-zone looks).

Waller secured five of six targets for 112 yards during Saturday's 26-25 loss to the Dolphins.

Had Miami not been able to pull out an improbable win in the final 20 seconds, Dolphins cornerback Eric Rowe would have endured even worse nightmares regarding Waller's Week 16 performance. The first-time Pro Bowl tight end logged four separate gains of 19-plus yards on the night, including a marvelous one-handed grab over Rowe in the third quarter. With Las Vegas eliminated from playoff contention given a Week 16 loss, Waller heads into the Raiders' 2020 finale needing just 21 yards against Denver to establish a second consecutive 1,100-yard season. The 28-year-old's eight touchdowns, meanwhile, have already more than doubled his previous career best of three.

Sokol was elevated to the Chargers' active roster from the practice squad Saturday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

The 25-year-old joined the Chargers' practice squad in late October after being let go by the Lions, and he'll be a gameday elevation for Week 16. Sokol has yet to make his NFL debut since going undrafted out of Michigan State in 2019.

Kittle (foot) recorded four receptions on five targets for 92 yards in Week 16 against the Cardinals.

Kittle was in game action for the first time since Week 8 and returned to lead the team in targets, yards and receptions. The majority of his production came on long receptions, including gains of 27, 24 and 18 yards. His first catch of the day came on a pass short and to the flat, but he made a quick cut and burst up field. The only thing missing from Kittle's effort was a trip to the end zone, though most importantly he appears to be fairly healthy heading into a Week 17 matchup against the Seahawks.

Gesicki (shoulder) is listed as active Saturday in Las Vegas.

Gesicki injured his right shoulder Week 14 and missed one game as a result, but now that he's back in action he'll look to extend his TD streak to four games against a Raiders defense that has allowed the 14th-most touchdown passes (24) this season.

The Chargers elevated tight end Matt Sokol from the practice squad Saturday, which may indicate the team isn't expecting Henry (undisclosed) to be available Sunday against the Broncos, Gavino Borquez of USA Today reports.

Henry didn't practice Wednesday due to an illness and was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list one day later, giving him very little time to make his way through league protocols to be able to suit up for game day. If Henry doesn't return to the active roster in time for Sunday's 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff, Donald Parham is slated to start at tight end for L.A.

Hockenson caught four of six targets for 23 yards in Saturday's 47-7 loss to the Buccaneers.

Matthew Stafford hurt his ankle on Detroit's first drive, and the combination of Chase Daniel and David Blough guided the offense to zero points, leading to underwhelming performances from all of the team's skill position players. This was the fifth-lowest yardage total of Hockenson's breakout sophomore season, and the tight end has been held to fewer than 25 yards in consecutive games heading into next week's season finale against Minnesota.

Daniels (hamstring) is listed as active for Saturday's game against the 49ers.

Daniels carried a questionable tag coming into the weekend, but he ultimately was able to overcome a hamstring issue that held him out of practice Tuesday and Wednesday. The 26-year-old tight end will provide depth behind starter Dan Arnold, and his role may be more integral than usual with Maxx Williams (ankle) having been ruled out ahead of Saturday's tilt.

Arnold (back) is active for Saturday's contest against the 49ers.

Arnold made a last-minute appearance on the Cardinals' injury report this week, being listed as limited Thursday and questionable for this game. Still, he'll gut out his back issue and may even earn a bit more work with Maxx Williams (ankle) sidelined. Arizona's available tight ends Week 16 are Arnold, Darrell Daniels and Seth DeValve.

Gilliam has been ruled out for Monday's game at New England due to knee/hamstring injuries, the Bills' official site reports.

Gilliam sees the bulk of his snaps on special teams, so the Bills will have to dig a little deeper on those units Monday as they shoot for the No. 2 seed in the AFC after clinching the AFC East crown already.