NFL Player News

Brown (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bears.

Brown suffered the concussion during last week's loss to the Colts and will miss at least one game while in the concussion protocol. Kahale Warring and Darren Fells will be the reserve options at tight end behind starter Jordan Akins on Sunday.

Smith (back) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers, while teammate Kyle Rudolph (foot) is doubtful, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.

Smith returned to practice Thursday and Friday as a limited participant, after missing three of the past four games with groin and back injuries. His status may not be confirmed until Sunday morning, but he could have a larger-than-usual role in the passing game if he's active, as Rudolph isn't expected to play. Tyler Conklin will be left as the top tight end if both Smith and Rudolph are inactive ahead of Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff.

Thomas (knee) is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Denver.

Thomas didn't pop up on the injury report until Friday's practice, when he was a full participant, so it seems like he's still trending toward suiting up. Chris Manhertz likely will draw the start if Thomas were to miss time, but Carolina's tight end position simply hasn't reliably produced for fantasy this season.

Asiasi logged 23 of a possible 59 snaps on offense in Thursday's 24-3 loss to the Rams.

Meanwhile, fellow rookie tight end Dalton Keene was out there for 31 snaps, but neither player caught a pass Thursday. With Ryan Izzo (hamstring/hand/neck) on IR and Jordan Thomas having been a healthy scratch Week 14, both Asiasi -- who saw one target versus the Rams -- and Keene could be incorporated more in the Patriots offense down the stretch. Until that happens, however, neither player merits fantasy consideration.

Hurst (ankle) doesn't have a designation on the final injury report for Sunday's game against the Chargers, William McFadden of the Falcons' official site reports.

Hurst was a limited practice participant Wednesday through Friday, never truly appearing in danger of sitting out Sunday. The Saints shut him down twice in the past three weeks, but he should fare better against an inferior defense, and there's potential for a good number of targets with Julio Jones (hamstring) already ruled out.

Everett caught one of his three targets for nine yards during Thursday's 24-3 win over New England.

Head coach Sean McVay handed the offense over to running back Cam Akers on Thursday, and the rookie shredded New England early and often en route to 171 rushing yards. There were only scraps left over for the rest of the Los Angeles offense. Everett did chip in with a few nice blocks to set Akers up, though. The fourth-year tight end also was on the field for 53 of 63 offensive snaps, as the Rams leaned on 12 personnel to bully the Patriots defense. His uptick in playing time is encouraging after he played 60 last week. However, Everett isn't receiving enough targets to warrant fantasy attention in most seasonal settings.

Higbee secured both of his targets for 34 yards in the Rams' 24-3 win over the Patriots on Thursday night.

The fifth-year pro made a splash on the first offensive play of the game, notching a 25-yard grab that put the Rams at midfield on a drive that would culminate in a Jared Goff rushing touchdown. Higbee had just one more reception for nine yards the rest of the way, however, leaving him short of the 35-yard mark for the fourth straight game. The Rams passing attack typically remains heavily focused on wideouts Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods and the offense also tilts toward the run whenever game script allows, so Higbee's production will remain hard to trust during the fantasy postseason.

Tomlinson reverted to the Ravens' practice squad Thursday, per the NFL's transaction report.

Tomlinson was called up to the 53-man roster for Tuesday's win over the Cowboys, playing 14 offensive snaps in the game and failing to record a fantasy-relevant stat. The UTEP product will head back to the practice squad and hope to earn another shot in a regular-season contest.

The Raiders activated Bowers from the practice squad COVID-19 list Thursday, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Bowers had resided on the list since Dec. 3, so the fact that he's been cleared from the virus is a positive sign. Bowers will continue to develop on the practice squad, as he's yet to make a regular-season appearance during his NFL career.

Sternberger (concussion) didn't suit up in Thursday's practice.

Sternberger missed his second straight practice Thursday, as he appears in jeopardy of missing Week 14. The second-year pro appears to still reside in concussion protocol, so he'll need to be fully cleared in order to suit up. With both Sternberger and Marcedes Lewis (knee) missing practice Thursday, Robert Tonyan is currently the only healthy tight end on the roster.