NFL Player News

Fant (shoulder) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reports.

Though Fant's reps were capped for a second day in a row, the Broncos are optimistic he'll be ready to play when Sunday's game against the Lions rolls around. Ideally, Fant would eliminate ambiguity about his status by practicing fully Friday, a development that would likely allow him to enter the weekend without an injury designation. Fant ranks second among all qualified tight ends this season with 14.8 yards per reception, but his relatively low volume -- he's only exceeded five targets twice in 14 games -- makes him a rather boom-or-bust fantasy option.

Everett (knee) doesn't have a designation for Saturday's contest at San Francisco, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM Radio reports.

When Everett was absent Weeks 13 through 15, he didn't step foot on the practice field at all, instead focusing on rehab of his knee injury. On this occasion, he was limited Tuesday before wrapping up the week with back-to-back uncapped sessions. After Thursday's practice, coach Sean McVay said the tight "will be OK to go" this weekend, but it remains to be seen what kind of role he'll be afforded. The primary sticking point is the presence of Tyler Higbee, who notched at least seven catches for 100-plus yards in each of the contests with unfettered access to TE reps.

Graham (wrist/groin) was limited at Thursday's practice.

Such is Graham's routine at this point in the season. The limitations haven't exactly helped him produce on game day, as he's surpassed 50 receiving yards just three times while scoring three TDs across 14 contests. In Week 15, Graham even ranked behind fellow veteran Marcedes Lewis in terms of offensive snap share (42 versus 54 percent). Consequently, Graham is a far cry from the fantasy star that roamed the field for the Saints and Seahawks earlier in the decade.

Vannett (illness) didn't participate in Thursday's practice, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

The severity of Vannett's ailment isn't known, but if he's able to return to practice Friday, there won't be much concern about his status for Sunday's game against the Jets. After playing 92 percent of the Steelers' offensive snaps and catching five of six targets for 40 yards in last week's loss to the Bills, Vannett will likely see his role get downsized Sunday with top tight end Vance McDonald (concussion) tracking toward a return. McDonald remains in the NFL's concussion protocol as of Thursday, but he practiced fully for a second straight day to begin Week 16 prep.

Hudson (concussion) is ruled out for Saturday's contest against the Texans, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

Hudson will remain sidelined until he clears the league's five-step protocol for concussions. O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate are in line to serve as Tampa Bay's top tight ends against Houston on Saturday.

Everett (knee) practiced fully Wednesday, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports.

During his three-game absence, Everett didn't practice in any fashion ahead of those contests, so his activity Wednesday is as positive of a sign as any that he's put his hyperextended knee behind him. Afterward, coach Sean McVay spoke of Everett. "We're just kind of feeling it out," McVay told Thiry. "Part of that, too, is as we complete the game plan and kind of figure out exactly what that looks like and what his involvement would be, if he is feeling good enough." In the end, there's a chance he's eased back into the fold Saturday in San Francisco, especially with how well Tyler Higbee has played during Everett's absence.

Fant (shoulder) was limited at practice Wednesday, Troy Renck of Denver 7 News reports.

Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic previously relayed that coach Vic Fangio said Fant's shoulder "will be fine," but the fact that the tight end was limited to begin Week 16 prep suggests his status will warrant monitoring heading into Sunday's game against the Lions. The shoulder injury resulted in Fant's brief removal in the Broncos' Week 15 loss to the Colts before he was cleared to re-enter the contest. He finished the game with two catches for 56 yards on three targets while playing 46 percent of the offensive snaps.

Smith should maintain an expanded role on offense over the Giants' final two games after the team placed Evan Engram (foot) on injured reserve Tuesday, Matt Lombardo of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

Smith had already served as the Giants' top tight end for four straight contests while Engram and Rhett Ellison (concussion) were both sidelined, hauling in 16 of 22 targets for 134 yards and one touchdown across that stretch. While Engram is now out of the picture for the remainder of 2019, Smith's role could be threatened to some degree by the potential return of Ellison, who was a full participant in Wednesday's practice. Ellison has yet to clear the NFL's concussion protocol, but he may be able to do so before Sunday's game against Washington arrives. Even if Ellison plays, Smith should still retain a decent-sized role, though he may struggle to replicate the 90-plus-percent offensive snap shares he's handled in each of the past four weeks.

Seals-Jones (shoulder) wasn't listed on Wednesday's injury report, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

After leaving this last Sunday's loss to the Cardinals with a shoulder injury, Seals-Jones is feeling no ill effects just a few days later. The 24-year-old tight end performed well against his former team, recording three receptions for 29 yards and two touchdowns. However, Seals-Jones did benefit from David Njoku sitting out as a healthy inactive, and it's not known whether coach Freddie Kitchens will reintegrate Njoku back into the offense Week 16 against the Ravens. Regardless, Seals-Jones isn't a dependable fantasy play, as he draws a tough matchup and finished with fewer than 20 offensive snaps in each of the past five games.

Seals-Jones was not listed on Wednesday's injury report, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Seals-Jones scored two touchdowns in last week's win over the Cardinals but was forced to leave early due to a shoulder injury. Fortunately, he's not on Cleveland's injury report Wednesday, so we can safely assume Seals-Jones will play Week 16 and will be looking to build off his best outing of the 2019 season.