NFL Player News

Goedert (illness) won't be available for Thursday's game against the Buccaneers after he wasn't reinstated from the reserve/COVID-19 list prior to the 4 p.m. ET deadline for the Eagles to make Week 6 roster moves, Josh Tolentino of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

As expected, Goedert wasn't able to clear all COVID-19-related health and safety protocols on a short week after it was revealed Tuesday he tested positive for the virus. Since he's fully vaccinated, Goedert will be eligible for reinstatement as soon as he's asymptomatic and submits two negative tests at least 24 hours apart. With Goedert out for the Week 6 matchup, Zach Ertz could be in store for his heaviest snap share of the season as the Eagles' clear top tight end.

Hockenson (knee) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

Hockenson is managing the knee injury for the second week in a row, but the Lions haven't provided any indication that he suffered a setback coming out of Sunday's loss to the Vikings. Though he was held to just 22 yards on two receptions in the contest and then didn't practice Wednesday, Hockenson's return to the field Thursday likely puts him on pace to play this weekend against Cincinnati. However, Hockenson may need to upgrade to full activity Friday to avoid taking a questionable tag into the matchup.

Brown (shoulder) returned to practice Thursday.

Brown sat out Wednesday's practice, so his return to the field Thursday -- albeit in a limited fashion -- bodes well for his chances of suiting up Sunday against the Colts. The tight end caught two of his four targets for 22 yards in the Texans' Week 5 loss to the Patriots, and he overall has compiled a modest 7-95-0 stat line through five contests.

Hockenson (knee) was present for Thursday's practice, Chris Burke of The Athletic reports.

It remains to be seen how the Lions list the tight end's participation level, but Hockenson's return to the field, in any capacity, represents a positive indicator with regard to his Week 6 status. Last week, Hockenson also followed a Wednesday DNP with a return to practice Thursday before being listed as questionable for this past Sunday's game against the Vikings, which he ended up suiting up for. That pattern could well be repeated in advance of this weekend's game against the Bengals.

Bell (back) won't participate in Thursday's practice, Pete Sweeney of ArrowheadPride.com reports.

Bell will be held out of practice for a second straight day as he continues to deal with a back injury. If he hopes to play Sunday against Washington, he'll presumably need to return to practice in some capacity Friday.

Stoll is expected to serve as the Eagles' No. 2 tight end for Thursday's game against the Buccaneers with Dallas Goedert (illness) unlikely to be reinstated from the reserve/COVID-19 list prior to the contest, Chris Franklin of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

While Philadelphia isn't closing the door on Goedert playing Thursday, since he tested positive for the virus Monday, he'll face an uphill battle to clear all COVID-19-related protocols prior to the 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff. With Goedert and Zach Ertz having played in each of the Eagles' first five games, opportunities have been scarce for Stoll, an undrafted rookie out of Nebraska. Though he's been active for each of those five contests, Stoll has logged only 33 offensive snaps in total and has yet to draw a target. Stoll doesn't project to see a major workload if Goedert is in fact out, as the Eagles could opt for more three-receiver sets featuring Ertz as the sole tight end.

Waller didn't practice Wednesday due to rest and a knee issue, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.

The "rest" listing next to Waller's absence is key, making it less of a concern than if the knee issue along was attributed to his lack of participation Wednesday. Still, his activity level will continue to be monitored to ensure there's no worry about his availability for Sunday's divisional matchup at Denver.

Daniels (illness) was limited at practice Wednesday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

While Daniels was sidelined this past Sunday due to a bout with COVID-19, Maxx Williams, the Cardinals' No. 1 tight end, sustained a major injury to his left knee in that contest that forced him to injured reserve. After Arizona activated Daniels from the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday, he's suddenly the top tight end on the team, with Demetrius Harris behind him on the depth chart and Ross Travis on the practice squad. Daniels has just 12 catches for 122 yards and one touchdown in 50 career games, but merely getting to work with Kyler Murray could result in some utility at some point this season.

Jordan (illness) isn't listed on the injury report Wednesday.

Jordan was inactive for Sunday's loss to the Patriots due to an illness, but he's absent from the injury report a few days later. The rookie fifth-round pick is still looking to make his NFL debut for the Texans.

Kelce (neck) isn't listed on Wednesday's injury report.

Following Sunday's 38-20 loss to Buffalo, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid relayed that Kelce suffered "a little bit of a stinger" during the contest, but the star tight end's name wasn't on on the team's initial Week 6 practice report. That's a welcome development for the team, with running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (knee) having landed on injured reserve following the loss to Buffalo and with Tyreek Hill (quadriceps) having failed to practice Wednesday.