NFL Player News

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.

Bell caught his lone target for a gain of two yards in Tuesday's 34-17 loss to the Ravens.

Bell has been targeted just six times over the last eight games, translating into four receptions for 24 yards. He continues to garner consistent playing time in a blocking role, but he has no fantasy value as the No. 2 tight end in Andy Dalton's offense.

Smith (back) was withheld from practice Wednesday.

Along with Smith, fellow tight end Kyle Rudolph (foot) also didn't log any reps, leaving Tyler Conklin as the only healthy option at the position on the active roster. Smith himself hasn't practiced since the first session of Week 12, so he may need to get on the field in some capacity Thursday and/or Friday to have a realistic shot at playing Sunday in Tampa Bay.

Hurst (ankle) was limited at Wednesday's practice, Will McFadden of the Falcons' official site reports.

Since the Falcons' Week 10 bye, Hurst has been contained as a pass catcher, recording five receptions (on 14 targets) for 57 yards and no touchdowns. He's also dealt with an ankle issue during that stretch, which could be to blame for the decrease in production. Hurst has two more chances to bump up to full activity before Atlanta has a decision to make on his status for Sunday's road game against the Chargers.

Smith (knee) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Terry McCormick of TItanInsider.com reports.

Smith sat out Sunday's loss to the Browns after failing to practice in any fashion last week, so his limited session Wednesday was certainly a step in the right direction. If he's cleared to play this weekend against the Jaguars, Smith would have an enticing matchup versus a defense that he burned for a pair of touchdowns back in Week 2. Anthony Firkser would continue to benefit from additional snaps if Smith can't go Week 14.

The Ravens activated Andrews (illness) from the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Now that he's been added back to the 53-man roster, Andrews is on track to return from a two-game absence Monday versus the Browns, who have been a fantasy-friendly opponent for tight ends this season. Prior to missing the Ravens' last two tilts, Andrews averaged 3.8 catches for 45.4 yards to go along with six touchdowns through 10 games.