NFL Player News

Bell will not practice Thursday due to an ankle injury, BJ Kissel of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Bell was briefly sidelined during Sunday's loss to the Titans due to an ankle injury, but he managed to retake the field without missing more than a couple of drives. It now appears that the issue could jeopardize his availability for Monday's tilt against the Chargers, though the fifth-year pro will have two more chances to practice before a decision on his availability is made. Bell plays a reserve role behind Travis Kelce in Kansas City's offense, and he also contributes on special teams.

The 49ers haven't officially ruled out Kittle (knee) for Sunday's contest against the Cardinals, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Coach Kyle Shanahan crossed some wires when talking to the Arizona media Wednesday, indicating that he ruled out Kittle, per Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site. Shanahan later clarified his words, stating the 49ers need to prepare as if Kittle won't suit up this weekend. Kittle thus seems likely to miss a second game in a row, giving Ross Dwelley another shot to serve as the 49ers' primary tight end.

Higbee didn't practice Wednesday due to a knee injury, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports.

Over the last six games, fellow tight end Gerald Everett has put together a 28-322-2 line on 49 targets. Meanwhile, Higbee has been contained to 15 receptions (on 19 targets) for 151 yards and no scores during that span. He's now the less healthy of the two as well -- Everett was limited by a wrist issue Wednesday -- further hindering Higbee's prospects.

Everett (wrist) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM Radio reports.

Everett is beginning to shine a bit more on a weekly basis. Helped along by double-digit targets three times in the last five games and 8.2 looks per game over the last six, he's posted a 28-322-2 line during that stretch. Considering he fit in some activity while Tyler Higbee (knee) failed to do so Wednesday, Everett is the healthier of the Rams' top two tight ends.

Coach Kyle Shanahan ruled out Kittle (knee/ankle) for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.

Shortly after noting Kittle didn't practice Wednesday, Shanahan made the decision on the tight end's Week 11 availability. Kittle thus will focus on getting his left knee and ankle right while the 49ers turn to Ross Dwelley as their primary tight end. Dwelley aside, Garrett Celek and Levine Toilolo also should play bit parts in the offense.

Kittle (knee/ankle) didn't participate in Wednesday's practice, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

On Tuesday, coach Kyle Shanahan expressed "hope" regarding Kittle's odds to return for the 49ers' Week 11 matchup with the Cardinals. One day later, Kittle was unable to practice for the first time since injuring his left knee Oct. 31, which interestingly enough happened in Arizona. The team will release two more injury reports this week, at which point he'll get a designation for Sunday's game.

Smythe (knee/elbow) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports.

It's never good to have multiple injuries in tow, but it's a positive sign that Smythe still got on the practice field. The second-year tight end is used mainly in a blocking role, as he has run a route on 46.3 percent of his snaps. His status for Sunday's game against the Bills doesn't appear to be in jeopardy yet, but Chandler Cox and Clive Walford are waiting in the wings in case Smythe can't go.

Alie-Cox (hip) didn't participate in Wednesday's practice.

Alie-Cox has averaged 22.4 offensive snaps per game, and he mainly works in a blocking role, posting just five receptions for 49 scoreless yards. Jack Doyle (shoulder) also sat out of practice, so the Colts only have one healthy tight end -- Eric Ebron -- remaining. If both Alie-Cox and Doyle can't play Sunday against the Jaguars, the team may promote Ian Bunting from the practice squad to provide depth.

Seals-Jones (knee) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Steelers.

Seals-Jones, who was listed as a full participant in Wednesday's walk-through after being limited at practice earlier this week, profiles as a game-time decision for Thursday's contest. If he ends up limited or is inactive, Demetrius Harris would continue to see added tight end snaps for the Browns in Week 11. Stephen Carlson and Pharaoh Brown are the other tight ends on the roster.

Coach Dan Quinn called Hooper (knee) a "longshot" to play Sunday at Carolina, Will McFadden of the Falcons' official site reports.

Hooper emerged from the Week 10 win at New Orleans with a sprained MCL, but his timetable for a return remains undetermined. On Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Hooper is expected to be out approximately one month. When informed of Rapoport's report, Quinn refuted it, stating "sometimes with injuries [the recovery] can be faster, so you don't want to pigeonhole a player into a [timeline to return]." Considering the nature of his injury, Hooper seems unlikely to practice this week, but his status bears watching until he's officially ruled out for game action.