NFL Player News

Hill is slated to return to his versatile role on offense and special teams Sunday against the Chiefs with Drew Brees (ribs) expected to return from injured reserve to start at quarterback for the Saints, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Brees remains on IR for now, but he's expected to be activated no later than Saturday, putting an end to his four-game absence. Hill performed well as the fill-in starter during that stretch, compiling a 3-1 record and completing 82 of 114 pass attempts for 834 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions while also rushing 39 times for 209 yards and four more scores. The 30-year-old should be involved in the offense as a runner and receiver in addition to his duties on special teams while Jameis Winston serves as a more traditional backup option behind Brees.

Henry brought in five of seven targets for 65 yards and a touchdown in the Chargers' 30-27 overtime win over the Raiders on Thursday night.

The athletic tight end locked in a solid fantasy night early courtesy of a 10-yard touchdown grab in the latter portion of the first quarter that opened the scoring for both teams. Henry went on to post his second-highest yardage total since Week 2, and he's now just 40 yards away from exceeding the career-high 652 he recorded last season over 12 games. The fourth-year pro will look to accomplish the feat in a Week 16 divisional contest against the Broncos on Sunday, Dec. 27.

Waller brought in nine of 12 targets for 150 yards and a touchdown in the Raiders' 30-27 overtime loss to the Chargers on Thursday night.

Derek Carr's late first-quarter exit did nothing to dampen the Pro Bowl tight end's production, as Waller led all pass catchers in receptions, receiving yards and targets on the night. The 28-year-old notched Las Vegas' first touchdown of the contest with a 35-yard grab early in the second quarter on a pass from Marcus Mariota, and he continued to connect frequently with the veteran backup throughout the game. Waller now has at least Thursday's nine-catch tally in four games, certainly an impressive feat for a player at his position. His remarkable effort against the Chargers also put Waller within 33 yards of a second straight 1,000-yard season, a benchmark he'll look to reach in a Week 16 Saturday night battle versus the Dolphins on Dec. 26.

Alie-Cox (knee) missed a second consecutive practice session Thursday, Kevin Bowen of 93.5 the Fan reports.

The VCU standout banged up his knee during Indianapolis' Week 14 triumph over the Raiders. Though he was ultimately able to return and round out his workload at 20 offensive snaps, back-to-back practice DNPs shed doubt on the likelihood of Alie-Cox suiting up Sunday against the Texans. An output of eight combined receptions for 161 yards and one TD between Weeks 2 and 3 caught the eye of deep-league fantasy managers, but Alie-Cox has not exceeded 45 receiving yards in a game since that point.

Lewis (knee) is expected to suit up Week 15 against Carolina after logging a limited practice session Thursday, Wez Hodkiewicz of the Packers' official site reports.

The veteran tight end has remained limited throughout the practice week, but he's seemingly in the clear for Saturday night's matchup after being removed from the injury report Thursday. Despite coping with a banged-up knee for most of the year, Lewis has just one missed game on the 2020 campaign while posting nine receptions, 98 yards and three touchdowns.

The Packers list Sternberger (concussion) as out for Sunday's game against the Panthers, Wes Hodkiewicz of Green Bay's official site reports.

Sternberger remains in the NFL's concussion protocol and wasn't able to practice in any fashion Tuesday through Thursday, so his absence for the Packers' Week 15 game isn't too surprising in that context. With Sternberger out of the picture, Robert Tonyan could draw an extra target or two as the team's clear top pass-catching tight end, while blocking specialist Marcedes Lewis may see an uptick in his overall snaps.

Graham (hip) was limited at Thursday's practice.

After practicing fully Wednesday, Graham's downgrade in activity Thursday may just be maintenance-related, but his status now will be one to watch as the weekend approaches. He's been relatively quiet over the last four games -- seven catches for 55 yards on 11 targets -- but he salvaged his day this past Sunday against the Texans with his first TD since Week 9.

Hooper (neck) remained listed as limited on Thursday's practice report, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

It remains to be seen if Hooper approaches Sunday's game against the Giants listed as questionable or free from a Week 15 injury designation, but if he does return to action this weekend, it would cut into the snap/target share of both Harrison Bryant and David Njoku.

Gesicki (shoulder) was listed as limited in Thursday's walk-through practice, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com reports.

While Gesicki's listed upgrade is a positive indicator, it remains to be seen if he'll be cleared to play Sunday against the Patriots. Added clarity on his Week 15 status will arrive no later than Friday, but if he's unable to suit up this weekend, Adam Shaheen and Durham Smythe would see expanded duties in Miami's offense Sunday.

The Rams activated Blanton from the practice squad COVID-19 list Wednesday, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Blanton was placed on the list Monday, as it appears he turned in two negative tests 24 hours apart to gain clearance. Blanton will look to build on one appearance for the Rams this season back on the practice squad, as he logged just four special-team snaps in the game.