NFL Player News

Smith (knee) wasn't listed on Wednesday's injury report.

It has been a long road to recovery for Smith, who suffered a season-ending MCL injury in December. He finally shed his knee brace Monday and is working at full speed now. Smith was a solid tight end before the injury, hauling in 20 of 31 targets for 258 yards and three scores, although he's the clear No. 2 behind Delanie Walker.

Oliver (hamstring) is not expected to play in Sunday's game versus the Chiefs, Phillip Heilman of The Athletic reports.

The Jaguars didn't practice Wednesday, but they released an estimated injury report where Oliver would have been held out. The rookie third-round pick had a modest output for San Jose State with 56 catches for 709 yards and four scores. He's still working behind Geoff Swaim and James O'Shaughnessy in the pecking order, so even if he does suit up Sunday, expect a run-blocking role.

Swaim (foot) didn't appear Wednesday on the Jaguars' Week 1 injury report.

Swaim -- who is listed as the team's starting tight end - hasn't generated much fantasy buzz heading into the 2019 season, but the former Cowboy could move up the ranks in the coming weeks if he displays good chemistry with Jacksonville's new quarterback, Nick Foles.

Goedert (calf) wasn't listed Wednesday on the Eagles' first injury report of Week 1.

Goedert made just one appearance during the preseason due to a tight hamstring, but the second-year tight end was always confident in his ability to be available for the season opener. With a full practice under his belt, he'll serve as the No. 2 option to starter Zach Ertz on Sunday against the Redskins.

Kroft (foot) was listed as a limited practice participant Wednesday.

Chris Brown of the Bills' official site suggested earlier Wednesday that Kroft would be classified as a non-participant, but the tight end evidently did enough to earn a limited designation. That seemingly gives Kroft some hope of playing Sunday against the Jets, but even if he does, the 26-year-old would presumably be eased back into the mix with a light snap count.

Dickerson (quadriceps) sat out of Wednesday's practice, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Dickerson was dealing with this issue ahead of the final preseason game, but the team had enough hope for his upside to keep him around on cut-down day. He'll need to get healthy quickly to play Sunday versus the Cowboys. The fantasy impact will be minimal if Dickerson sits out.

Engram and running back Saquon Barkley were quarterback Eli Manning's most popular targets throughout training camp, and both pass catchers may be in line for heightened roles as receivers in 2019, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Engram contributed a disappointing 45 catches for 577 yards and three touchdowns while injuries limited him to 11 games last season, but when healthy, the 25-year-old has been one of the more accomplished receivers among tight ends since entering the league in 2017. With star wideout Odell Beckham now in Cleveland and his expected replacement in the starting lineup, Golden Tate (suspension), out for the first four games, Engram should benefit from a spike in targets for at least the first quarter of the season. Tate's eventual return may not prove too punitive for Engram, whose 4.42 speed and high-end athleticism should help him get open with regularity and thus remain one of Manning's favored reads. As Raanan notes, Engram averaged 4.4 yards of separation per target last season, which led all NFL pass catchers.

Graham (finger) wasn't listed on the Packers' final Week 1 injury report, signaling that he'll play Thursday at Chicago, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

After being tabbed as limited on Monday's report, Graham put together back-to-back full showings Tuesday and Wednesday. It's unclear if the finger injury will impact his pass-catching ability, but the tight end will be available for Aaron Rodgers in the regular-season opener.

Kroft (foot) was a non-participant in Wednesday's practice, Chris Brown of the Bills' official site reports.

Although the starting tight end avoided the regular season PUP list, his odds of playing Week 1 against the Jets appear slim. Even if he rallies over the next two practices, Kroft would be looking at a limited snap count at best.

The Packers placed Sternberger (ankle) on injured reserve Tuesday, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Sternberger sustained the ankle injury in Green Bay's preseason finale against Kansas City on Thursday. The rookie third-round pick was spotted around the locker room with a walking boot and didn't practice Monday or Tuesday. Sternberger's placement on injured reserve leaves Green Bay with three tight ends: Jimmy Graham, Marcedes Lewis and Robert Tonyan.