NFL Player News

The 49ers activated Kittle (foot) from injured reserve Friday, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Kittle missed the past six games due to a fractured cuboid bone in his foot that he suffered Nov. 1. The 49ers' receiving corps has been depleted, with Deebo Samuel (hamstring) not expected to play Week 16 or 17, Trent Taylor (undisclosed) on the reserve/COVID-19 list and two others on IR. Coach Kyle Shanahan said Kittle will be under a "snap count" Saturday in Arizona, but it remains to be seen how exactly the tight end will be utilized.

Bell (illness) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Eagles, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The 29-year-old was added to the injury report Thursday with the non-COVID-19 illness, and his status for Sunday remains in question. Sean McKeon would serve as Dallas' secondary tight end behind Dalton Schultz if Bell is unable to play this weekend.

Sternberger (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday's game versus the Titans, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

The 24-year-old will be sidelined for the third straight game due to the concussion. Sternberger has yet to practice in any capacity since suffering the concussion Week 13, so his status for Week 17 also remains in doubt.

Lewis (knee) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Titans, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

The veteran tight end began the week not practicing but was able to put in a full practice Friday to avoid the questionable tag. Lewis should continue to see occasional targets while primarily serving as a blocker for Green Bay.

Smith (knee) doesn't have a designation for Sunday's contest at Green Bay, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com reports.

Smith logged a midweek absence from practice Thursday, but he otherwise practiced in full, clearing him for Week 16 action. On the season, he's consistently earned at least 70 percent of the snaps on offense, doing so in 11 of 13 appearances. That said, Smith's production has been sporadic en route to 37 catches, 410 yards and seven touchdowns on 56 targets.

Smith (knee) is slated to return to practice Friday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

We'll circle back to see how the Titans officially list the tight end for Sunday night's game against the Packers, but Smith's return to the field Friday bodes well for his chances of being cleared to play this weekend.

Brown (ankle) was a full participant during the Texans' practice session Thursday.

Brown popped up on the injury report with an ankle issue Wednesday, but he's quickly back to taking full repetitions as Houston prepares to host Cincinnati in Week 16. A concussion kept the Oregon product inactive Dec. 13 for a matchup against the Bears, but it doesn't appear the recent ankle injury will cost Brown any time.

Daniels (hamstring) is considered questionable entering Saturday's game against the 49ers, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

The 26-year-old tight end was unable to practice at all Tuesday or Wednesday, but a limited session to close out the week has his status trending in a positive direction for Saturday's divisional tilt. Daniels has suited up 10 times for the Cardinals this season, but his passing-game contributions have amounted to only seven receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown.

Sternberger (concussion/illness) was a non-participant during Thursday's practice session, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Sternberger's concussion has lingered, and an inability to gain practice clearance is beginning to threaten his Week 16 availability. The Texas A&M product initially sustained his head injury Dec. 6 during a win over the Eagles. If he's unable to rally for a Sunday night matchup against Tennessee, it would mean a third consecutive absence from Sternberger and likely increased opportunities for breakout tight end Robert Tonyan.

Lewis (knee) was limited during the Packers' practice session Thursday, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

The veteran tight end has been coping with a knee issue since early October, but he's still proven capable of getting on the field for 13 of Green Bay's 14 games this season. Barring a setback to his status Friday, Lewis is trending toward a Week 16 activation. He'll be afforded slightly more time to get his body right, with the Packers not kicking off against the Titans until Sunday Night Football.