NFL Player News

Smith (knee) practiced fully Thursday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Smith sat out this past Sunday's loss to the Browns, but his return to a full practice Thursday puts him on track to resume action this weekend against the Jaguars. With Anthony Firkser also in the Titans' tight end mix, Smith profiles as a hit-or-miss fantasy option Week 14, but he at least has been helpful in TD-heavy formats, with seven trips to the end zone in 11 games this season, including scores in two of his last three outings.

Smith (back) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday.

Offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak told Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com that Smith had a "positive" day of practice Thursday and may be back "in the mix" this weekend if he looks good again Friday. "He picked up his work today so we're heading in the right direction towards Sunday," Kubiak said. With Kyle Rudolph (foot) not yet able to practice this week, it could be the Smith and Tyler Conklin show at tight end for the Vikings on Sunday in Tampa Bay.

Smith (back) was spotted at practice Thursday, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Meanwhile, fellow tight end Kyle Rudolph (foot) remained sidelined, with the Vikings' upcoming injury report slated to reveal whether Smith was limited or logged a full session in his return to practice Thursday.

Hill is expected to once again start at quarterback Week 14 against the Eagles, Jeff Duncan of The Athletic reports.

Hill continues to have a firm hold on the quarterback job while early season starter Drew Brees (ribs) remains on IR and hasn't participated much in practice. While the situation with Brees could change by the time Week 15 rolls around, it would be exceedingly difficult to bench a player like Hill, especially if he picks up a win Sunday to improve to 4-0 as a starter. According to the report from Duncan, Hill's three-game effort has only helped his case for being the future franchise QB in the eyes of New Orleans brass.

The Jets designated Wesco (ankle) for a return from injured reserve Wednesday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Wesco has resided on IR since Nov. 9 with the ankle issue, and the team will have 21 days to activate him. Whether Wesco returns to the lineup shouldn't affect things from a fantasy perspective, as he's only caught one of two targets this season for five yards.

The 49ers signed Helm to their practice squad Wednesday.

Helm was let loose by the 49ers last week after coming off the reserve/COVID-19 list, so he appears healthy in his return to the organization. The Duke product has suited up in three games with the 53-man roster in San Francisco this season, failing to record a fantasy-relevant stat over that span.

Hudson (personal) was a full participant during Wednesday's practice.

Hudson was ruled out of Week 12's game against the Chiefs following the passing of his father, but he's returned to the team. Hudson will return to his depth tight end role for Sunday's game against the Vikings, as he's compiled just two catches for 26 yards this campaign.

Sternberger didn't participate in Wednesday's practice due to a concussion.

Sternberger was diagnosed with a concussion during last week's win over Philadelphia, he still resides in the league's concussion protocol. The team is a bit thin at tight end currently, with Sternberger and Mercedes Lewis (knee) both managing practice snaps Wednesday.

Lewis (knee) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice.

Lewis begins the week again with his limited practice regimen, as has been the case for much of the season. Expect Lewis to play in Sunday's game against the Lions, but he'll likely need to continue to stay on the practice field. The veteran continues to be the third option at tight end this season, compiling eight catches for 92 yards and three touchdowns this season.

Brown (concussion) was a non-participant during Wednesday's practice.

Brown suffered the concussion in last week's loss to the Colts, and appears to still be in concussion protocol. The Oregon product likely will need to practice in some fashion this week to have a chance to play in Sunday's game against the Bears. If Brown is forced to sit, Darren Fells and Kahale Warring would be the tight end options behind starter Jordan Akins.