NFL Player News

Asiasi didn't travel with the Patriots to Buffalo due to personal reasons and won't be available for Sunday's game against the Bills.

Though Ryan Izzo (seven receptions for 90 yards in six games) has been one of the NFL's least-productive starting tight ends, neither Asiasi nor fellow rookie Dalton Keene (knee) has been able to make a major push for reps during their rookie seasons. Asiasi's absence Week 8 could still prove costly from a depth standpoint, as the Patriots would have no other available tight ends behind Izzo if Keene -- who is listed as questionable -- is unable to suit up.

The Colts are optimistic that Alie-Cox (knee) will play Sunday against the Lions, but he'll be put through a pregame workout before the team determines his status, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Alie-Cox is listed as questionable for the Week 8 contest after having been sidelined for the Colts' Week 6 win over the Bengals prior to the team going on bye Week 7. Assuming his knee provides no major complications during his pregame workout, Alie-Cox should avoid the inactive list, which the Colts will release approximately 90 minutes prior to the 1 p.m. ET kickoff. If he dresses for the contest, Alie-Cox will be stuck in a timeshare at tight end with Trey Burton and Jack Doyle.

Higbee (hand), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Dolphins, is "pushing to play," Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

That said, Rapoport suggests that with a bye coming up in Week 9 and Johnny Mundt on hand to provide depth at tight end behind Gerald Everett, it might make sense for the Rams to rest Higbee for another game. Confirmation on whether Higbee will play or sit out Week 8 will arrive once the team's inactives are released approximately 90 minutes prior to the 1 p.m. ET kickoff.

The Seahawks elevated Sullivan from the practice squad Saturday, Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Sullivan played wide receiver in college, but the Seahawks drafted him in the seventh round with the hopes of converting him to tight end. That didn't pan out, and he's been taking reps at defensive end on the practice squad. The Seahawks already have five other healthy tight ends on the active roster, so Sullivan could see a bulk of his usage on defense if he indeed gets in the game.

The Seahawks activated Parkinson (foot) from the non-football injury list Saturday, John Boyle of the team's official site reports.

The rookie fourth-round pick could be in line for his NFL debut Sunday against the 49ers, although there's a decent chance that he's a healthy scratch because four other tight ends are on the active roster. The 6-foot-7, 251-pound tight end posted a 48-589-1 line in his age-20 collegiate season at Stanford and is hoping to bring that production to Seattle, but barring an injury, he'll likely act as depth for the rest of the season with hopes of making a meaningful impact in 2021.

The Chargers signed Sokol to the practice squad Saturday, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Sokol was let go from the Lions' practice squad last week, but he'll get a fresh start in Los Angeles. The second-year tight end out of Michigan State has yet to make his NFL debut. With Virgil Green (ankle) on IR, Sokol will add depth at the position in case another tight end gets hurt.

The Saints elevated Johnson to the active roster Saturday, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Johnson, Austin Carr and Tommylee Lewis were all added to the Saints' active roster Saturday, as the team prepares to face the Bears on Sunday without Michael Thomas (hamstring), Marquez Callaway (ankle) or Emmanuel Sanders (COVID-19). Johnson wasn't targeted over 13 offensive snaps last week, but his role could grow against the Bears with Callaway out of the picture. Pinpointing one receiver to dominate seems like a fool's errand, though.

Goedert (lower leg/ankle) was activated off injured reserve Saturday and will play in Sunday's contest against the Cowboys.

It remains to be seen how much Goedert will actually play, but this is nevertheless fantastic news for fantasy managers considering most experts assumed the tight end would be out through the team's Week 9 bye. It's possible that because this is a divisional contest against the Cowboys, the team was intent on having all weapons on hand which would also explain the activation of Jalen Reagor (thumb), although that doesn't necessarily assume the lumbering tight end will return to his full workload right away. Expect Goedert and Richard Rodgers to split snaps in some capacity as the former works his way back into game shape in this pivotal contest.

Hudson (suspension) was restored from the practice squad COVID-19 list Friday, per the NFL's official transaction log.

Hudson has cleared the league's COVID-19 protocols. During his stint on the COVID-19 list, Hudson was hit with a six-game suspension for violating the NFL's Performance-Enhancing Substances Policy, and he'll continue to serve that suspension.

Higbee (hand) will be a game-time decision Sunday in Miami, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports.

The Rams are listing Higbee as questionable for a second straight week, hoping he'll be able to suit up this time. He was a limited practice participant Wednesday and Thursday, whereas last week he didn't do any work until the final session (Saturday) before the game. It is possible Higbee has his pass-catching role scaled back even if he plays, as coach Sean McVay recently referred to the tight end's hand contusion as "pretty gnarly".