NFL Player News

Smith (ankle) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.

Smith is nursing a sprained ankle, which he sustained during Sunday's win over the Texans. The Titans reportedly consider Smith's injury minor, but his status for the Week 7 matchup with Houston will remain in question as long as he's unable to take on full practice reps. If Smith is sidelined Week 7, more work would open up for Anthony Firkser, who broke out with 113 yards and a touchdown versus Houston.

Akins (ankle/concussion) didn't practice Wednesday.

Akins has missed two straight games, but he practiced in a limited fashion all of last week. He isn't off to a good start to playing Sunday against the Packers, but Akins would still have a decent chance to suit up if he resumes practicing Thursday and/or Friday. If not, Darren Fells would continue to fill in as the Texans' top pass-catching tight end.

Njoku was limited at practice Wednesday due to a shoulder injury, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

In three games this season, Njoku has been limited to five catches on seven targets for 63 yards and a touchdown. There's been plenty of speculation that the tight end may be dealt before the Nov. 3 trade deadline, and at this point, such a move would be Njoku's clearest path to regaining fantasy relevance. For now, he'll look to work through the shoulder injury and attempt to play Sunday in Cincinnati.

Knox (calf) didn't practice Wednesday.

Knox hasn't practiced since sustaining his calf injury in the Bills' Week 5 loss to the TItans. He'll need to heal up in a hurry to have a chance to suit up Sunday against the Jets. Tyler Kroft is set to serve as Buffalo's top tight end if Knox sits out again.

Thomas was a non-participant at Wednesday's practice due to a neck injury, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Serving as Washington's primary tight end this season, Thomas has yet to surpass 50 receiving yards in any given game. Still, he's had multiple catches on four occasions and two touchdowns through four games, so he has a bit of utility. Thomas will aim to fit in some practice by week's end.

Coach Doug Pederson said Wednesday that Goedert is progressing well in his recovery from a dislocated left ankle, Mike Kaye of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

The Eagles haven't yet cleared Goedert to resume practicing, so it's probably safe to rule him out for Thursday's game against the Giants. In addition to Goedert, the Eagles will be missing top tight end Zach Ertz (ankle), leaving third-string option Richard Rodgers as the new top option at the position. The Eagles will likely re-evaluate Goedert again next week before determining if he's fit to resume practicing.

Arnold earned 26 of 62 snaps on offense (42 percent) and logged four special-teams plays during Monday's 38-10 win against the Cowboys.

Arnold has been operating as the Cardinals' No. 2 tight end behind Darrell Daniels of late, which has resulted in no targets in back-to-back games. Granted, Arnold missed out on one Monday when an incomplete pass from Kyler Murray was nullified by a defensive pass interference penalty. With a 9-97-0 line on 12 targets through six contests, it's safe to say Arnold isn't a key part of Arizona's passing game.

Daniels reeled in his only target for one yard during Monday's 38-10 victory in Dallas.

Daniels again paced Cardinals tight ends in offensive snap share, getting 71 percent (44 of 62) versus Dan Arnold's 42 percent (26) and Evan Baylis' 10 percent (six). On top of that, Daniels was the only member of the trio to be targeted by Kyler Murray. For the time being, Daniels seems to have a hold on the top TE gig in Arizona, but with six targets in as many games, his weekly contributions are sporadic.

Schultz corralled four of his five targets for 35 receiving yards during Monday's 38-10 loss to the Cardinals.

On what was a sluggish offensive night for the Cowboys, Andy Dalton at least proved capable of putting up garbage-time production, distributing 34 completions, 266 passing yards and a touchdown to his array of talented targets. Schultz was the team's third-leading receiver, also tying his second-highest catch total of the season during the blowout loss. He had an off game with just one catch and six yards against the Giants last Sunday, but otherwise he has scored two touchdowns while averaging 60.8 receiving yards per game since Week 2.

The 49ers waived Helm on Tuesday.

Helm made his NFL debut in this past Sunday's win over the Rams, as he logged five special-teams snaps but none on offense. If the 25-year-old tight end clears waivers, he'll be a practice squad candidate.