NFL Player News

Kittle (knee/ankle) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Kittle seemingly will operate with some limitations in practice for the rest of the season as he attempts to play through a lingering left knee injury and a bone chip in his ankle. He'll have two more days in which to elevate to full participation, but even if he doesn't, he may ditch his designation by the release of Friday's injury report, as he did last week.

Carlson (ankle) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Carlson has recorded four receptions for 46 yards over the last three weeks, so if he's unable to play Sunday against the Bengals, it will mainly affect the team's run-blocking schemes. The 22-year-old still has two practice sessions to elevate to full capacity.

Hooper (knee) took part in practice Wednesday, Jason Butt of The Athletic reports.

After running on a side field last week, Hooper is back at practice this week. While his activity level won't be known until the Falcons post their first Week 14 injury report later Wednesday, he's seemingly putting himself on a path to play for the first time since Week 10, when he initially suffered a sprained MCL.

Hollister caught six of eight targets for 44 yards in Monday's 37-30 win over the Vikings.

Hollister logged a season-high 81-percent snap share, with Luke Willson's (hamstring) inactive status helping his case. The third-year pro finished tied with DK Metcalf for the team lead in receptions. Over the last four weeks, Hollister has averaged five catches for 41.3 yards while totaling three touchdowns.

Engram (foot) said that he expects to be available for Monday's game against the Eagles, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.

Engram was present for the Giants' practice Wednesday, though his level of involvement won't be known until the team releases its first Week 14 injury report Thursday. If Engram's prediction comes to pass and he suits up versus the Eagles, he'll likely be catching passes from Eli Manning, as Paul Schwartz of the New York Post reports that rookie starting quarterback Daniel Jones will likely be sidelined with a high-ankle sprain.

Smith caught one of three targets for a six-yard gain during Monday's 37-30 loss to Seattle.

The tight end caught a second-quarter pass in the flat and tried turning up field for a first down, but was met with a big hit by Quandre Diggs to bring him down short of the sticks. The outing snapped a five-game streak in which Smith had caught at least three passes per game, although he totaled a fairly modest 20 catches on 24 targets for 168 yards and a TD over that stretch. He should get back on track Sunday against the Lions, the team he started that streak against by hauling in five of six targets for 60 yards in Week 7.

Akins caught his only target for a 19-yard gain during Sunday's 28-22 win over the Patriots.

Akins was targeted only once for just the second time this season, and he caught a single pass for the second time in three weeks. The UCF product, and the Texans' tight end room in general, saw a slight dip from what was already middle-of-the-road production with Will Fuller back in the fold last week. Next up is Denver's fifth-ranked pass defense, though the Broncos have been so-so against tight ends this season.

Hurst caught three of his four passes for 21 yards during Sunday's 20-17 win over the 49ers.

The four targets were Hurst's most since Week 5, and his shortest catch ended up being the most meaningful. Facing fourth-and-short midway through the second quarter, Hurst caught a quick pass in the flat and spun toward the sideline for a first down. The conversion helped lead to a Ravens field goal. Though the extra usage was nice for the sophomore tight end, the fact that he has yet to top 40 yards in a game this season and has not scored since Week 2 should keep him off your radar, especially Sunday against a Buffalo defense that grades out as the best in the league against tight ends this season.

The Rams promoted Blanton from the practice squad to the active roster Tuesday, Cameron DaSilva of USA Today reports.

Blanton spent the offseason in Los Angeles, and he'll now get a chance on the 53-man roster following the placement of JoJo Natson (hamstring) on injured reserve. The undrafted rookie out of Missouri joins a tight end corps consisting of Tyler Higbee, Gerald Everett (knee) and Johnny Mundt.

Fant caught one of three targets for five yards during Sunday's 23-20 win over the Chargers.

In fellow rookie Drew Lock's first career start, fans were right to be eager to see a glimpse of what the future could hold for Lock and Fant as a tandem. They'll have to keep waiting. The quarterback missed connecting with his tight end on a pair of big plays Sunday -- first, Fant did not fight back to the ball in the end zone and had a would-be touchdown knocked away in the first quarter. Later, he lost track of a deep shot down the sideline in the third quarter. It's fair to wonder, given Lock's preseason injury and Fant's first-team status, how much the two rookies have actually worked together, so their chemistry should improve as Lock's practice reps increase. Sunday offers a nice matchup against Houston's 28th-ranked pass defense.